Making First Contact

Paul Boyle ’84 introduces student interns to Washington, D.C.

The University of California Washington Program (UCDC) gives UC Santa Barbara students a unique opportunity to live, work, and study in our nation’s political and cultural epicenter. Thanks to support from donors like Paul ’84 and Joy Boyle, students will have the chance to intern for organizations including the White House, Human Rights Campaign, the U.S. Department of Education, Voto Latino, and more.

The couple endowed the Paul and Joy Boyle UCDC Scholarship Fund this year. The Boyles had already generously committed a legacy gift to the program, but felt compelled to act sooner with a gift that would support today’s students. “Why am I waiting?” Paul recalled asking himself. “Why not start it now? A student can need that suit, that airfare, metro cards — it can discourage a student from participating. Listening to students working an internship from 9-5 and then waiting tables at night moved me to help sooner.”

Paul began his career as a public policy intern in 1984, thanks to volunteers in the UC Santa Barbara alumni office who helped him find a place and contacts in Washington, D.C. That experience gave Paul the confidence to move across the country to begin his career. He spent 32 years lobbying on behalf of 2,000 diverse U.S. news organizations as part of the News Media Alliance. Paul now mentors students, and together, the Boyles welcome UCDC students into their home.

“UCDC is near and dear to my heart,” said Paul. “I knew it was important for my career and I enjoy helping folks navigate D.C. as a mentor. It is very rewarding.”