DC Flyer friendships
DC Flyers, an opportunity for University of Dayton Honors students to spend a summer interning in Washington, D.C., does more than develop professional skills — it forges long-lasting friendships between students who may not have otherwise crossed paths.
That was exactly the case for University of Dayton seniors Annabelle Karch and Allie Guccione. Despite having overlapping friend groups on campus, the two rarely interacted prior to heading to the nation’s capital. Karch, an adolescent to young adult education and world languages double major, and Guccione, a sustainability and entrepreneurship double major, finally connected when they both landed internships at Counterpart International, an agriculture-focused international development nonprofit.
“Allie and I have ‘known’ each other since freshman year, but we only ever said really high-pitched ‘Hey!’s on the sidewalk,” said Karch.
“I knew we would be great friends when I shared a sassy remark, and she fired one right back at me,” said Guccione.
DC Flyers connects students to housing at WISH Housing at Woodley Park so they can still be immersed in their flyer community, while experiencing a whole new city for the first time.
“We would give each other the goofiest smiles from across the hall every morning to start our day right,” said Karch.
While they shared an employer, they worked in different departments. Karch joined the Global Agriculture, Nutrition, and Trade team, focusing on technical research and writing for USDA funding proposals. Guccione worked as a Global Programs intern, assisting operationally with CI’s programs in Colombia and El Salvador. Despite their different roles, they teamed up early to compile a calendar of international holidays for CI employees across the globe. The project turned out to be much larger than either anticipated, but the shared workload brought them closer together as professional collaborators.
“Allie and I would just laugh off mistakes and make another draft,” Karch said.
Moving to a fast-paced city for the summer can be intimidating, but the connections formed in DC Flyers ensure students always have someone nearby going through a similar experience.
“Whether it was a quick question about work or asking to get a sweet treat at night, I knew Annabelle would be there for me,” Guccione said. “This made me feel more comfortable and confident to take on life in D.C.”
They also found ways to bring a piece of their UD home to the capital. During the school year, Karch leads group fitness classes at the RecPlex and wanted to maintain that active lifestyle. Together, the pair explored fitness programs throughout the city, keeping their lives vibrant outside of their 9-to-5 grind.
“We started planning our days around yoga, and I believe that this really brought us closer together and grew our connection outside of work,” said Guccione.
“I loved our little nightly routine so much!” Karch said. “Even if it was packing our lunches for the next day, or just sitting on the couch chatting away, we had a great time.”
While their internships expanded their professional horizons, their summer in D.C. did something even more impactful. It turned two familiar faces into close friends, perfectly capturing the dual purpose of the DC Flyers program.
Photographs courtesy of Annabelle Karch and Allie Guccione.