Hannah Stambaugh (IAC 2012-13) is the recipient of this year's Marcia Rosenthall Fellowship. She will be writing a series of blog posts documenting her time interning at the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District.
My name is Hannah Stambaugh, and I’m the 2015 recipient of the Marcia Rosenthall Fellowship. I’m an alumni of the 2012 WLP International Arts and Culture cohort. I’ve just finished my junior year in the Elliott School majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in international development and a minor in cross-cultural communications. The Rosenthall Fellowship provides an opportunity for a WLP alum to intern with the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District in downtown DC, a nonprofit neighborhood improvement organization. Each summer, the Rosenthall fellow works in the BID’s office to assist in events and operations and to conduct a larger special project, which varies each year depending on the needs of the organization and the specific skills of the student.
I’ve had a very busy first two weeks at the BID. My first week was spent familiarizing myself with what exactly a business improvement district is and does, and then beginning research for my project. Essentially, a BID is an organization that supplements the services already provided by the city to make a neighborhood safe, clean, and fun, to attract business, and to attract visitors and consumers. Tenets within the BID boundaries pay a tax in exchange for a variety of BID services that help make this neighborhood a desirable destination. These services include community events, sustainability initiatives, public art projects, street clean up and beautification, and safety initiatives.
Because the BID operates in so many different realms, I’ve been given a great deal of flexibility in crafting a summer project that interests me. This summer, I’ll be working in the environmental arena to formulate a series of green recommendations for the neighborhood. Phase one of my project is to create a picture of the public realm. In short, I’ll be determining the areas of different components of the public space, like sidewalk, street, park, tree box, other green space, alley, parking lot, etc. Once I’ve collected this data, I’ll be analyzing it from an environmental angle. For example, what percentage of the BID is permeable surface that will reduce storm water runoff? Or, how does the BID’s green space compare to other parts of DC? Phase two of my project is to utilize my public realm analysis to craft a series of environmental recommendations for the space. At this point, I don’t have a clear picture of what these recommendations could be, because I haven’t get analyzed the public realm. Next week, a new GIS (Geographic Information Systems) employee is starting at the office, so she’ll be helping me analyze the space in more detail than I could without GIS knowledge. So far, I’m loving my time here! I especially love Fridays because I work outside at the weekly Farragut Fridays event. I’m nervous about my project because it’s quite a challenge that will eventually involve a lot of moving parts, but I’m already on track and am learning so much.
I’d encourage all WLP students to look into fellowship opportunities at GW – they are fantastic opportunities to engage in meaningful work that is financially supported by the university. It’s never too early to get started! My WLP GTA, Alyssa Abraham, told me about her experiences with the Office for Undergraduate Fellowship and Research and inspired me to begin applying for fellowships my freshman year. She has received the Shapiro Public Service Award and the Rosenthall Fellowship, and with her support and guidance, I applied for and received the Shapiro Award the summer after my freshman year.