James L. McCurtis III was in class in the English-Philosophy Building when he got the call.

“It’s taking time to settle in,” McCurtis, of Okemos, Michigan, says of the moment. “I was in the middle of class when my phone rang, and I said, ‘I’ve got to go step outside’ and hustled out of there. On the phone, they asked me about my backup plans for the summer, and I told them I had some options but my number one was this program. Then they said, ‘It’s good you have them, but you don’t need your backup plans.’”

McCurtis, a University of Iowa sophomore majoring in journalism and mass communications and ethics and public policy, has been selected to represent the university at the Institute for Responsible Citizenship’s prestigious Washington Program. He is one of 12 Black male college students selected for the program and the first-ever student from the UI to be chosen.

The Washington Program gathers young Black men in Washington, D.C., for two summers to complete internships in their fields of interest, participate in an academic seminar and professional development workshops, and meet with public and private sector leaders. The program is part of the Institute for Responsible Citizenship’s mission to give Black male college students opportunities to use their talents to serve others.

McCurtis says the application process for the program began in September, and he found out he was selected in January. Now, he is looking for a journalism internship that will take him to Capitol Hill for the summer.

“An internship at the Hill is the best you can get,” he says. “Not only would I learn more about editorial journalism, but also more about political science. I also am looking forward to working with other like-minded Black men like me.”

McCurtis has had a connection to the UI his whole life. His father, James II, also studied journalism at Iowa, and McCurtis visited the campus with him over the years. But what drew him to Iowa is the same thing that he says is now helping him thrive: the strong connections made among students, and between students, staff, and faculty.

“I can’t say enough about the faculty and staff here,” McCurtis says. “Even on little things, they will do anything to help you succeed. I also really value the friendships I’ve made here. I wouldn’t trade those for the world.”

Iowa also offers great resources, especially in the journalism school, he says.

“I wanted to come here because when I was doing my research, Iowa has one of the best journalism schools out there. It felt like the best place for me to pursue my passion. I feel like I have the one thing all journalists need to have, which is curiosity. I’m a very inquisitive person, and I like to learn things.”

McCurtis took his enthusiasm last summer to Iowa’s Summer Journalism Workshop, a weeklong event for high school journalists. Michelle Sillman, recruitment, internship, and placement coordinator and adjunct instructor in the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), says several people recommended McCurtis as a counselor for the camp.

“He just has this natural charisma and was really great working with students,” she says. “The students come from these different places, and it’s their first experience on a college campus, which can be intimidating for them. James did a great job working with them and making them comfortable. He was the first person they went to when they had questions. Also, some of the kids wanted to go explore downtown, and James put together excursions where counselors would take students in groups that were outside of what we were doing in camp.”