C-SPAN treats their interns like real employees who contribute to the company in important ways. Twice during the summer we had lunch with Brian Lamb and Susan Swain. Brian Lamb is the founder but he cares for each employee and he'll learn your name by the end of the summer and stop you in the hallway to say hi. I worked in the radio department and getting to be in the center of the news and go on field shoots and interviews was lots of fun. I visited the White House and the Hill many times throughout my 10 weeks there.
What I wish was different
I wish I had taken advantage of more opportunities. If I could go back, I'd sit in on the Washington Journal Program one morning and make sure I went on a field shoot and not just one of the interviews my boss took me on. I loved my fellow interns and HR is very good about making sure you always feel safe, at home, and comfortable while you're interning. They've been doing these internships for a while so they know what they're doing.
Advice
I would say be kind to the people you work with, interns and employees. Meet as many people as you can within the company. Use your time wisely. You'll likely have some down time here and there so go ahead and research current events or something that could be helpful to you or your boss/fellow employees. Make yourself irreplaceable and that'll help you get a great recommendation letter in the end.
