Do you want to make a difference in the United States Government? During a Political Science and Internship Panel, six experienced Franciscan University students shared insightful information on doing just that.

All six students were previously involved in different branches of the U.S. Government through internships, and all worked for the greater good of the country. 

These students laid the groundwork for how to make useful connections and climb up the political ladder, showing their audience how easy it can be if people simply put themselves out there.

Students Anna Myron and Veronica Macdonald shared how they both managed to get accepted at their internships through using official online government websites to simply find the right people to email or call. Using these methods, Anna Myron was hired at her state representative’s office, while Veronica Macdonald worked at the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Student Peter Baugher, who worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency, implored the audience to apply a year before they wish to start working. He advised that the programs will most likely want to do a background check, conduct interviews, and send an immense amount of paperwork.

Student Maria Torterelli seconded this explaining that, “though a department may be non-classified, you will still need clearance, so apply early.”

There are many different departments to consider when seeking out a political internship. Student Michael Wnek spoke about his experience working for the Media Research Center: a nonprofit where he was assigned to watch various news channels, political speeches, and various other forms of media. He then selected clips which would be useful to share with the general public.

Meanwhile, Veronica Macdonald, working at the U.S House of Representatives, was hired to log phone calls, attend meetings to learn when bills would be voted on and inform her representative and even gave tours of the capitol. She encouraged her fellow students stating, “if you have an interest, you should definitely do it!” She explained that this applies to any section of the government, encouraging students to simply go on official websites and call provided phone numbers to find an internship. 

But internships are simply that: internships. While useful in achieving a future job, they are not typically considered a long-term job in and of themselves.

The panelists emphasized specifically the need to collect as many contacts as possible while completing an internship. These contacts will be the people to reach out to once students graduate and begin their search for a stable career path. Sometimes saving useful contact information can even land students more internships before they graduate.

 This was the case for Maria Tortorelli, who was hired by the Defense Innovation Department. Her internship there assisted her on her way to securing a spot at EUCOM. She suggested sending thank-you letters to supervisors or managers once internships are over to leave good impressions. 

Through these six hard-working individuals it is easy to see that, even as a student, working for any department in the government is possible. Anyone can make a difference, even students from the small-town college of Franciscan University.