University of South Carolina Aiken Athletics

There are times that people want and need to chase their dreams. Sometimes people do this at an early age and others do it later in life. For senior Courtney Templeton, she chased and realized a dream prior to her senior year at USC Aiken when she worked at the nation’s capital.

“I have always wanted to work in the capital of the country,” Templeton said. “I love the environment and the professionalism of the city. In order for me to get a ‘foot in the door,’ I figured an internship was the best way. Last spring, I went on the usajobs.gov web site and applied for any summer internship positions whose qualifications I met. The fact I saw one that was in the White House was enough for me to be intrigued. The title of Executive Office of President also sounded pretty great.”

Templeton, a senior on the USC Aiken Dance Team, has been dancing for the last 12 years of her life. Through her dancing, she is a leader on the team and one of the leaders at USC Aiken. Determined, Templeton typically sets a goal and reaches it. She was able to set the goal of working in Washington, D.C., and promptly scratched the opportunity off her list of things to accomplish upon taking the job.

With her internship, Templeton created a new college outreach program that involved contacting more than 300 higher-level learning institutions throughout the United States in order to express the EOP’s interest in hiring candidates for internships and salaried positions. She also coordinated the logistics of more than 10 events that occurred on and off the White House complex and conducted surveys within the Office of Administration dealing with employee/employer relations.

Templeton created multiple presentations that were presented to the Office of Administration and became the only intern to be involved in the White House Health and Wellness Council that was tasked with helping plan events to encourage healthy habits on the complex.

Templeton had an abundance of work on her plate, but also realized how fortunate she was to be in the position she was in.

“I had several highlights throughout the internship,” Templeton said. “Being able to walk on and off the White House complex every single day of the week was a highlight in itself. It was exhilarating to be able to walk down the hallways in the Executive Office Buildings and be around so many important people who are responsible for making the government run. When I would go down the West Wing, I would see Chiefs of Staff, ambassadors, foreign officials and so many other important people.

“I was also able to take some time and bowl in the Presidential Bowling Alley where so many past Presidents and other government officials have played,” Templeton stated. “That was amazing.”

It was not all fun and games for Templeton. Despite beating out countless people for the decorated internship, she faced several challenges, including accepting the unpaid internship.

“I had to find another job to pay for expenses,” Templeton said. “I ended up working at the National Gallery of Art to make some extra money. I am eternally grateful and fortunate that I did not have to pay housing costs as I lived with Department of Homeland Security Branch Chief of Cyber Security and USC Aiken alumni Kelvin Coleman and his family.

“Another challenge was the transportation to and from the job,” Templeton continued. “I took the metro bus and metro train everyday. If for some reason the bus did not come to the stop on time, I would have to either wait for an extended period of time or I would have to walk 20 minutes to the nearest metro stop to go to work. By that time, I would already be late.”

Being an unpaid intern, Templeton essentially worked as a lower-level employee, but it proved to be a rewarding experience for her.

“Starting from the bottom and being able to work your way up is actually a great experience and one I would not trade,” Templeton said. “Having an internship like this will make me appreciate whatever I do later down the road and I will be respectful of those who will be in the same position later.

“I had a boss, who, like me, was an intern and knew the struggles that we faced and was very engaging and wanted me to get everything I could out of the experience.”

Templeton gained a lot of experience speaking and presenting in front of individuals who were important people. She also worked on team projects and gained skills from that. Templeton’s event planning will enable her to plan multifaceted events in the future if she chooses.

Templeton is set to graduate in May 2016 with a degree in political science. She wants to attend graduate school at UCF and get a Master’s degree in political science with a focus in national security and intelligence. After that, she wants to enter the Air Force intelligence program and have a job dealing with counter-terrorism.  

With all of the tasks assigned to Templeton, she quickly exceeded expectations. She will help translate the type of success she’s reached in her work environment with the USC Aiken Dance Team. Should she succeed, the Pacers could claim their second consecutive PBC Championship this season.

In her last season on the sidelines and on the court, Templeton’s work ethic is unmatched. That being said, there is no doubt that Templeton will not only go far in life, but will also help the USC Aiken Dance Team to unprecedented success in 2015-16.