Lutheran College Washington Semester (LCWS)

The party of the year is happening on September 26, 2026 🎉 Return to Rosslyn and celebrate 40 years of the experience for a lifetime with a full day of reconnection, reminiscing, and festivities!

Open House @ LCWS Office & Apartments
⏰ 1-3 PM
📍 LCWS Office in Rosslyn, VA
🎟️ No tickets required

Forty and Forward Party
⏰ 6 PM
📍 Upside on Moore in Rosslyn, VA
🎟️ Tickets on sale at: washingtonsemester.org/anniversary

📣 Help us spread the word! Don't forget to invite your LCWS roommates and friends. (Discounted tickets for alums under 25!)

LCWS has a rich history with Lutheran Colleges around the DC area. Read more in this post about the early years of LCWS.

Bonus: Do you recognize yourself or a friend in this picture? Let us know what year this photo was taken in the comments! 😊

By 1990, the presidents of the five Lutheran colleges closest to Washington, DC (Gettysburg College Muhlenberg College , Roanoke College , Susquehanna University , and Thiel College ) established a consortium to operate an “Ethical Issues and Public Affairs” semester each spring, a theme closely related to the mission of church-related liberal arts colleges. Students interned for 25-30 hours a week, took an “ethical issues” seminar by a professor from one of the consortium schools, and a second “special topics” seminar taught by an expert located in Washington. In addition, students visited many parts of the city, from Capitol Hill to homeless shelters to theaters. The goal was “to bring issues dealt with in the classroom to life by interviewing knowledgeable people and witnessing firsthand many facets of city life.”

This early vision continues to be at the heart of an LCWS semester where our courses and DC Experience curriculum use the “facets of city life” to engage students with civic and cultural issues.

It's here! 🎉 We're proud to present the 2026 Annual Report, which features an overview of our Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters, updates from our team, and a celebration of our 40th Anniversary - complete with vintage LCWS pics! Can you spot yourself in this year's report? Comment below to let us know! 👇

Read the 2026 LCWS Annual Report here: https://online.visual-paradigm.com/share/book/2026-annual-report-2l49hwwr2p

Cheers to another year of impactful programming, transformative internships, and celebrating the 40th year of this experience for a lifetime. 🎊 💙🎂

Internships are the base of the LCWS experience and our interns are fortunate to have a variety of memorable experiences in and around our nation’s capital city. Roanoke College student, Carly Lundgren shared this internship memory:

“The USMS took the interns on a trip to meet the ATF bomb dogs and we got to play with the labs all day and learn how they contribute to homeland security.”

Share your pride and connect with fellow alumni on LinkedIn! LCWS can now be added to the education section on your LinkedIn profile.

After you update your education, explore the alumni tab. Let’s try to get 100 alumni connected to our page by the end of June!

Thrivent clients can direct choice dollars to Lutheran College Washington Semester! For each choice dollar directed, Thrivent provides $1 in grant funding! If you’re a Thrivent client, direct your choice dollars to support internship scholarships for all LCWS students.

Learn more ⬇️
https://choice-org-search.apps.thrivent.com/details/100396432851

Lifelong friendships are formed during an LCWS semester. Valparaiso University alum, Susan (Van D**e) Rightsell (Spring 2007) shared more about her LCWS friendships:

“A week into the program, one of my roommates and I heard two girls down the hall talking about the cart they had to carry groceries home from the store (which was up a large hill at the time!) We knocked on their door to see if we could borrow it, and have remained friends for the 20 years since! We’ve traveled together, danced at each other's weddings, and even did a weekly West Wing watch party during the pandemic.”

Make plans to reconnect with your LCWS friends at our 40th anniversary party on September 26. Tickets are on sale now at washingtonsemester.org/anniversary.

Tickets are on sale now for our 40th anniversary celebration at UPSIDE on Moore on September 26! Visit our website to purchase your tickets and learn more about the evening! washingtonsemester.org/anniversary