Phillips Workman Interns in Texas
What happens to a former President when his time in the White House draws to a close? Does he simply go home? How does he continue the work that was his passion in public life?
This spring, a local student had the opportunity to see the answers to these questions firsthand. In January, Jasper County High School alumnus and Clemson University senior Phillips Workman began a four-month dual internship with the George W. Bush Institute and the Office of George W. Bush in Dallas, Texas.
As the public policy arm of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Bush Institute develops practical solutions to domestic and foreign issues in six areas of engagement: Economic Growth, Global Health, Human Freedom, Military Service Initiative, Women’s Initiative, and Education Reform. As an intern with the Education Reform team, Mr. Workman assisted in the operation of Bush Institute programs that focus on school accountability, middle school improvement, and leadership in education. In addition, Mr. Workman worked with the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries, the former First Lady’s grant program that awards funding to libraries in underprivileged schools across the country.
“As a lifelong Monticello resident and a graduate of our public school system, it was an extra-special honor to work with Mrs. Bush’s foundation,” Mr. Workman said. “I know how much of a difference that money will make in the rural schools that were selected, and to be a part of that process was exciting. Though I didn’t get a chance to meet Mrs. Bush, I did get to hear her speak before her advisory board. You would have thought she was still a schoolteacher and librarian the way she spoke about children’s literacy with such genuine passion and enthusiasm.”
During the half of the week that he was not at the Bush Institute, Mr. Workman worked in President Bush’s post-presidency office, where he was the first student from a college outside the state of Texas to complete a semester-long internship.
Though the Bushes left Washington over six years ago, they continue to receive dozens of letters, requests, and invitations each day. In the office, Mr. Workman worked directly with President Bush’s Director of Correspondence to manage the constant flow of mail and ensure that every constituent received a written response. He also worked on projects for the President’s Communications Director, Personal Aide, Assistant Chief of Staff, as well as Mrs. Bush’s assistant.
“The most rewarding part of working in the President’s office was, without a doubt, witnessing the special attention given to correspondence from veterans and families of service members. I had no idea of the unique bond soldiers have with the Commander-in-Chief under whom they served, and to see that respect reciprocated from President Bush was inspiring,” said Mr. Workman.
President Bush’s schedule keeps him busy in life after the Oval Office. He often travels for business, speaking engagements, community benefits, or Bush Center events such as the Warrior Open golf tournament and the Warrior 100K mountain bike ride. Another item on his agenda this spring was meeting his interns.
“An intern from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and I were working in the intern office one day when we heard someone coming down the hall,” Mr. Workman said. “We turned around and the President was in our doorway! He met us then, and I had an opportunity to speak with him another time, and both times it was just as if I had run into a normal guy at the grocery store. He is warm, candid, very funny, and made all of us feel welcomed and at ease in his office.”
In Texas, Mr. Workman lived in the Highland Park neighborhood of Dallas, a few miles north of the city and just three blocks from the Bush Center and SMU. “Luckily, since I grew up in downtown Monticello, I was used to that urban experience,” Mr. Workman joked. “No, it was a very different from here or Clemson. But, I learned that Texans are very welcoming and friendly, even if it is, like the ad says, ‘a whole other country.’”
On weekends, Mr. Workman had a chance to explore the North Texas area, including visits to the Texas Rangers, the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, AT&T Cowboys Stadium and the 6th Floor JFK Assassination Museum.
“It was once-in-a-lifetime,” Mr. Workman said of his Dallas adventure. “It taught me things I’ll carry with me throughout my life—and it wouldn’t have been possible without the foundation I received and the support I’ve had from my parents, my teachers, my church, and this community, and for that I will always be grateful.”
Mr. Workman learned of the internship opportunity while reading the Bush Center newsletter, and applied.
Mr. Workman will graduate from Clemson in December with degrees in political science and history. He is the son of Jean and Stone Workman of Monticello.
