An increasingly popular summer internship may be giving students not only job experience, but also an inside look at national political issues.
This summer, 34 students participated in Auburn on the Hill, a program that helps students obtain congressional internships in Washington, D.C. The program grew by 10 students from the previous summer and was the largest participating group in the program's history.
"I think Auburn's a pretty political school, a pretty politically active school in my opinion, so I think kids want to see firsthand how it works," said Joey Hoellerer, senior in political science.
Hoellerer was an intern under congressman Mike Rogers, an Alabama representative, this summer. He said the experience was a valuable stepping stone for his desired career as a staffer on Capitol Hill.
"You learn how to manage your time a great deal," Hoellerer said. "You learn how to talk and meet with people from various backgrounds, which was one of my favorite things."
Hoellerer's responsibilities included researching past legislation, attending committee hearings and speaking to constituents over the phone.
During his time in Washington, he was able to get an inside look at the debt-ceiling debate as it was occurring.
"I came in during a hectic time," Hoellerer said. "I came in during the debt ceiling, like right as the whole debt-ceiling issue started. So originally when I was supposed to work, Congress was supposed to be out of session for a week, but that obviously changed because it got a serious amount of attention."
Chet Stokes, junior in political science, also participated in the program this summer. He interned under congressman Ander Crenshaw, a Florida representative.
Crenshaw said he also got an insider's look at political concerns on Capitol Hill by talking to constituents. Crenshaw said most of the constituents with whom he spoke were concerned about the national budget.
"Who was going to get what out of the budget and who was going to get what with the debt limit and what was going to happen with the debt limit and why we were spending so much money and why defense was getting more money than health care and education," Stokes said. "People would call in and wonder what percent they'd be getting of the budget and what percent was going to what."
Stokes, like Hoellerer, researched past legislation and attended committee meetings during his internship.
He said the internship helped him realize what he wanted to do with his career.
"After this, I'm looking at law school or trying to work for a lobbying firm," Stokes said. "Lobbying is what I really liked, and what I really got to see in D.C. while I was up there. This experience really let me see lobbyists and what they do and even get to interact with lobbyists and everything and be able to talk to them firsthand and learn what they really do."
Karen Pruett, director of Auburn on the Hill, said the program can be a helpful career step for students in any major, not just political science.
"What you've got to keep in mind is that any area could have something that's going to be touched on within the government," Pruett said. "I mean health care reform and all that kind of stuff, it's not just going to be public admin or political science."
Pruett recommends students who are interested in next year's program apply to representatives with whom they have constituent ties.
"The congressional offices give preference to students from their district," Pruett said.
Application requirements and deadlines differ among congressional offices. However, according to Pruett, most application deadlines are during the first or second week of February.
More information can be found at www.auburn.edu/washington.
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