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Article featured in the Telegram & Gazette on December 2, 2007
By Sasha Kimmelman SPECIAL TO THE TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

D.C. media whirl inspires student

NORTHBRIDGE-A Whitinsville woman is poised to take the political scene by storm.

Stacy Castell, a 22-year-old senior at Worcester State College, is currently residing in the nation's capital and working for Talk Radio News Service.

A communications major, Ms. Castell decided to take a semester to discover what the world had to offer. "I was close to finishing Worcester State, and I wanted to explore options and jobs," she said.

She landed an internship with Talk Radio News, is a D.C.-based organization that provides clips from Washington, D.C. to news channels around the country. "They put me right on Capitol Hill, and immersed me in politics. It's so great," she said.

She got the position through the Washington Center program, which provides internships for students in the nation's capital.

She works as a reporter, covering the goings-on in the country's epicenter of political activity. She attends press conferences and hearings, and records and reports on the events. "On the Hill, politicians address current issues such as lead in toys, and other legislation issues," she said. "That's what I cover."

Ms. Castell said she enjoys working in Washington. "The atmosphere is interesting, there are so many cameramen and news people. I'd definitely say it's a high-energy environment."

Her work allows her to meet important and influential people on an everyday basis. "I was at an event a few weeks ago that was focusing on the environment, and I met Harrison Ford. He was amazing, it was so exciting. He was unbelievably humble and down-to-earth," she said. I also met New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. That was exciting as well."

When she is not on the job or hobnobbing with celebrities and political powerhouses, Ms. Castell enjoys exploring the rest of what Washington has to offer. "I go to museums, go sightseeing, I attend galas, it's a great place to live."

She is also able to take classes through the program, which helps her get credit toward her graduation. There are 450 interns in her program with different jobs in the Capitol. "It's also fun when we have coordinated activities. It's nice to have a community," she said of her fellow students in the program.