UVA Posse Scholar Interns for D.C. Attorney General, Aims for Career of Service
UVA Posse Scholar Davion Zeno spent last summer as an intern in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. He was able to take advantage of the coveted opportunity thanks to a Posse Summer Leadership Award, which provides funds for otherwise unpaid internships.
“I gained a unique and interesting view of the work scope and mission of the Office of the Attorney General,” Davion says. “I had the rare opportunity to accompany lawyers into interviews and facilities around D.C. I was able to see firsthand and experience the adverse effects of our prison system on individuals and communities,”
At UVA, Davion is the host of campus YouTube show “UVA Weekly” which features community news and prominent campus administrators as guests. He has reported on current events including the school’s COVID-19 response. This year, the senior was appointed as one of just two student representatives on a search committee for the university’s new vice president and chief student affairs officer.
“It could not have been more perfect for what I aim to do in the future.”
After completing his undergraduate degree, Davion has aspirations to become a lawyer but is not yet sure of an ultimate specialty. He is considering environmental, civil and criminal law, but no matter the field he says his intention is to advocate on behalf of the voiceless.
“In our law system many people are represented by individuals with huge caseloads who are not necessarily from the same background,” Davion says, noting that he felt a personal impact in his summer role. “Hopefully, I added a different level of understanding for the clients and individuals we encountered.”
He has his sights set on an eventual career in public service, with the possibility of someday running for political office. Davion says his experience in the Office of the Attorney General is one he knows he will draw on for years to come.
“This internship exposed me to different law fields and helped facilitate networking in Washington, D.C.,” he says. “It could not have been more perfect for what I aim to do in the future.”
