SENATE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM GREAT EXPERIENCE – MAYBE FOR YOU!
The phone rings. A person walks through the door seeking help. A letter arrives in the mail.
All of the above are daily occurrences in the Indiana Senate. It’s not uncommon for all three to be happening simultaneously. When you multiply it by 50 senators, it becomes a very busy place.
That’s why I believe one of the Senate’s greatest blessings is its internship program. The interns are often on the front lines during the legislative session, and sometimes it’s a real battle to keep up with the pace. I think I speak for most senators when I tell you it would be hard to function without our college interns.
Fort Wayne resident Ann Richardson had never been inside the Statehouse before last fall. Now, six months later, it has become her home away from home, her living laboratory and her springboard for her future.
Ann was one of 26 Senate Majority Caucus interns serving during the recently concluded legislative session. She has worked enthusiastically behind the scenes for me as well as for my colleague, Sen. Ryan Mishler (R-Bremen). She represents the best qualities of this highly-regarded program.
Selected from more than 100 applicants, Ann has excelled as an intern because of her enthusiasm and sense of public service. A political science major, who will graduate from Purdue University soon, this young student was able to not only see politics in action, but be an important part of it as well.
But Ann emphasizes that this experience is not just for political science majors. “No matter what your major or interest is, you should apply,” she said.
Because of the wide range of topics dealt with by the Indiana General Assembly each year, Ann believes any young person would benefit from the experience of serving as a Senate intern. Her days have seen the mundane (filing papers) mixed with the exciting (having lunch with Lt. Governor Becky Skillman). She has faithfully brought me a glass of water at my Senate desk when I needed it and skillfully researched topics to help me prepare for speaking engagements.
She has, in my view, “a servant’s heart” and that’s what’s made her so valuable to my office.
The job description for a Senate intern?
“You do what needs to be done,” Ann says.
Since there are 50 senators here, that could mean 50 different sets of duties. That’s why it’s best to come here with an open mind.
During a typical legislative session, I spend a lot of time either on the Senate floor or in Senate committee rooms. It’s a comforting feeling to know someone is back at the office helping my legislative assistant, Andy Bauman, with phone calls and constituent needs. Often, the time of year when a senator gets the most phone calls is during a legislative session, so a good intern can bring a sense of order to an office that could just as easily become overwhelmed.
Ann says she’s learned much from her intern experience. Some of the lessons are government related. Others are lessons of life — how to deal with people who are upset or demanding. The kinds of things you can’t learn from college textbooks. She’s already made valuable contacts with scores of people that are bound to help her as she embarks on a future career.
So as Ann prepares to leave us, I not only want to thank her for good work, but salute the entire internship program. I’m grateful it’s here to serve us and…excuse me, there’s the phone again. Oh, and somebody just walked through our office door. There’s also a pile of mail on my desk.
Will it be you or a young person you know answering these phones, helping constituents and opening mail next year?
If you’re interested, please go to www.in.gov/legislative/senate_republicans/internship for more detail.
Please contact me at State Senator Dennis Kruse, Indiana Senate, 200 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 or call 1-800-382-9467, or send e-mail to S14@in.gov.
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