Internships - Political Science & Public Administration

As a recent legislative intern, I found the Lansing internship to be an eye-opening experience. This internship provided a look into how state government truly functions that cannot be taught from a textbook. The Lansing internship allowed me to fully immerse myself into the political culture of the state legislature.

As a legislative intern, I had many different tasks assigned to me on a daily basis. These tasks allowed me the ability to take what I have been taught in the classroom at Northern Michigan University and apply them to real situations. For example, in my undergraduate career, there has been a strong emphasis on both writing and research skills. These skills were used daily during my internship as one of my chief duties was writing letters for a representative. I especially enjoyed writing letters of support because often people did not supply any information. As a result, I would get to spend time researching to enable me to write the letters.

However, not all my time in Lansing was spent researching and writing. On days that the legislature was in session and committee meetings were scheduled, I would attend to take notes and watch the procedures. This was an excellent opportunity to witness parliamentary procedure in action. On some occasions, the representative whom I interned with would have to leave one committee to cast votes in another committee. I would monitor what was going on in one committee and let the representative know what happened while business was being taken care of in another committee.

In closing, I would strongly urge students from any academic discipline to participate in this internship program. The experience and knowledge gained will be like none other.