WASHINGTON, D.C.--Bathing suit or business suit? Spring break can be a chance to catch up on rest in the Caribbean sun, but Radcliffe College offers the chance for students to don their professional garb and step into the office of an alumna.

The Radcliffe Externship Program, in its 22nd year, allows undergraduate women to live and work with alumnae during their spring break. The program not only gives them a chance to learn about a career, but also about being a career woman. Instead of relaxation, these students get a first-hand try at the demands of a 40-hour work week--with homes and families on the side.

"The students live with their sponsors, so they don't just get a nine to five experience," says program coordinator Susan C. Arnott. "For the students who live with families, they learn what the demands are."

This year, four Harvard undergraduates went to the nation's self-proclaimed intern capitol, Washington, D.C., for their externships--with lawyers, a civil servant and a journalist.

Shiver with Anticipation

The externs knew little about their sponsors. They had only received a short description of the sponsors' jobs when they applied for the program.

Amy Chen '01 had spoken briefly to her sponsor Linda S. Lourie '87, an attorney-advisor for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but the conversation had intrigued her.

"She said, 'I'm doing these bilateral secret negotiations with Russian diplomats and eight cabinet members. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get you security clearance," Chen said.

Chen later learned that Lourie had met with the diplomats before she arrived, but Chen said she still had an "incredible" experience.

Before embarking on her D.C. excursion, Katherine E. Foshko '00 said she was glad to have the chance to try an alternate plan after two years of relaxing vacations.

She was a little apprehensive, though, to be spending the break with headhunter Deborah Gelin '79.

Gelin spends her days hunting for lawyers to fill spaces in D.C. law firms. Although Foshko does not plan to enter the headhunting field, she says working with Gelin gave her a sense of what types of law are available.

"One of my most powerful experiences was hearing my sponsor talk," Foshko said. "I got to see her in action, see her pitch."

Gelin walked Foshko through different legal terms and helped her make contact with other lawyers, especially those involved in international law, which interests Foshko.

Foshko says she had some free time, but spent from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., mostly helping Gelin with her files.