Politics & Think Tanks

Spring 2018

Position: Programs Intern
Student: Government Senior

Interning at Annie’s List has been super comprehensive experience in terms of working at a Political Action Committee. Annie’s List has great office environment and promotes a healthy and supportive office culture. The staff are from many different backgrounds and ages, but everyone is united by their commitment to elect progressive women to office in Texas. The various department directors are all supportive and welcoming of all of the interns, regardless if the intern works for their department or not. It is valuable as a college student to meet all of the directors, because they have great insight to offer on post-graduation plans and working in Texas politics. I have gotten to know the political director, programs director, and development director on a personal level, respectively. They are great connections who have given me helpful tips for my future and I know I can contact them in the future if I need professional advice. The office is easily accessible for UT students, because it is near campus on Guadalupe and 34th Street. My schedule was very consistent and instead of going in for the required minimum of 10 hours, I went in for 15 hours a week. It was very manageable, because I went in three times a week for 5 hours each day. Some of my tasks included entering donor information into NGP, finding locations for trainings, and staffing luncheons and other Annie’s List events. Annie’s List generally has four to five interns a semester. Interning with other like-minded college students has helped me grow my network and learn about people from other schools, such as St. Edward’s University and Southwestern University.

Spring 2021

Position: Reserach Intern
Major:  International Relations & Global Studies / Latin American Studies Senior
Name: Leonardo Di Bonaventura Altuve

CSIS is the perfect place for those students interested in international relations, political science, economics, history, and regional studies. The mission of this think tank is to shape the foreign-policy debate in Washington, D.C. in areas of national security. This is not restricted to traditional security matters. CSIS influences other policy areas, such as climate change, democracy and human rights, development and trade, technology and science, and it also specializes in different areas of the world (Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe). Finally, the analysis and recommendations offered by CSIS are independent, bi-partisan, and based on evidence.

I found the internship through the company’s website. The application process is relatively straightforward, and I highly recommend getting assistance from Liberal Arts Career Services for the resume, cover letter, and later interview stages. They will make this process much easier and increase the chances of getting an offer.

As a research intern, I worked for the Americas Program, but my major focus was the Future of Venezuela Initiative (FVI). There are three areas where interns help in: research, administrative, and projects. The bulk of the internship will be on the first two. Providing high-quality research, analyses, and clear writing is vital in the day-to-day tasks of an intern. It is also important for interns to be informed and knowledgeable of what is going on in the region/country/area they specialize in.  Interns most of the time get the opportunity to publish their own pieces. Then, in the administrative pillar, interns are required to attend weekly meetings and sometimes take notes. There are a lot of private and public events going on, so CSIS counts with interns to attend these, take notes, and if necessary, do extra research on some specifics of the event. Finally, the projects pillar is mostly managed by senior staff, but interns have at occasions to help with areas of the project. I found this last pillar very useful for COLA students as it will advance one’s problem-solving skills!

My favorite thing about the internship was its people. I cannot overstate how much they want and can help you succeed. The network that your supervisors and other senior staff have is very extensive, and they are always happy to help you get places you want to get to. Whether you want to transition to other think tank or firm, or go to graduate school, CSIS members will find you the right person to talk to and sometimes even send your resume over to those employers you’re interested in working for. All of this really made me appreciate CSIS, not only as a place to grow professionally but also personally.

Summer 2016 

Position: Fellow
Student: Sociology Junior

I received my internship credit working as a Fellow for the Kirk Watson Campaign Academy. At the Academy, we met Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with the goal of learning the ins and outs of political campaigning. On some weekends, we had events to attend. Additionally, we would sometimes stay late to go out and register voters and canvass houses for Democratic candidates around Travis and Williamson Counties. The Academy was six weeks and completely comprehensive; from coordinating a fundraiser to creating our own campaign plan, we truly did it all.

When we arrive in the mornings, we start with a daily debrief. We are assigned one blog post a week which is published on Kirk Watson’s website and we usually go over this assignment in the mornings. Following the debrief, we have a morning lesson on a particular aspect of campaigning. After the morning lesson, we have a guest speaker over lunch. The guest speaker is usually a State Representative, prominent lawyer or lobbyist, judge, State Senator, or other politicos. This is a great chance to network with important politicians and people in the political realm and ask questions in a personal setting.

After lunch, we have a third lesson, followed by a hands-on activity. For example, we were trained on how to make a field plan one afternoon and then went out and canvassed houses based off of that field plan. We sometimes have weekend activities to attend such as the State Democratic Convention, political fundraisers, and parades.

The Academy is perfect for anybody interested in working in the field of politics one day. It is extremely comprehensive and will teach you what it takes to get you elected.

Spring 2018

Position: Intern
Student: Government Sophomore

Internships are exciting avenues to explore during college, and important ones as well. From Cockrell Engineering to the College of Liberal Arts, internships maintain importance as opportunities to gain work experience before entering the real-world. Simply, internships function to bolster one’s resume before entering the harsh realities of the economic climate in the U.S., and an internship acts to symbolize work experience when one has not had the opportunity to gain such experience due to strenuous school schedules. Often, they are legitimate pre-requisites to taking on full-time professions, such as in the medical field or engineering; and these students receive respectable wages for just being interns. In my case, as a government major, internships are typically unpaid in currency, but maintain the symbolic work experience previously stated and end in worthwhile letters of recommendation. I work for Texans for Greg Abbott, Governor Greg Abbott’s campaign, at his campaign headquarters in Austin, and what the internship lacks in pay, it makes up for in professional development, networking, and resume-building.

First, I will discuss the logistical aspects of the internship. Campaign headquarters for Texans for Greg Abbott is located in downtown Austin in the leasing office building of the Texas Association of Broadcasters. The campaign mostly operates on the 3rd and 4th floor of the office. Although this sounds like an unprofessional location for a campaign to be housed since it is a shared building, this campaign is actually quite high-end considering Governor Abbott’s campaign funding exceeds $40 million (the most of any gubernatorial candidate in history). Regarding my schedule, I work from 10-12pm on Monday’s and Wednesday’s, and 11:30-3pm on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. My supervisor was extremely flexible with me on determining my work hours for the week at the beginning of the semester. I have no doubt that had I needed to contort my schedule to fit my needs, he would have allowed me to do so without being annoyed by a lack of consistency.

In a typical day, my tasks are numerous, but I will discuss those most common, such as phone banking, opposition research, and to be expected, clerical work typical of interns in the Liberal Arts sector. First, phone banking is usually as boring as it sounds, but call lists that yield high levels of answers are more interesting and are quite common. While this objective sounds like no legitimate skills can be built through experience, it actually results in an enhanced ability to communicate effectively information that must be presented in a short amount of time. Considering much of one’s interactions are based on first impressions, especially in the professional path, this skill is one that must be honed; and phone calls are a way to do that. Opposition research is one of the more interesting aspects of the internship, as I am responsible for finding social media platforms where major candidates for statewide elections post their events. This is extensive work, as the most well-funded candidates will have hundreds of events in less than a year. Clerical work can occasionally take a bulk of the day depending on how busy the office is. Some of this work is actually time-consuming and can yield real skills, such as an astute attention to detail. For example, I often find myself working on scheduling for campaign events and surprisingly, these event listings often have potentially disastrous errors made by full-time employees that I must fix. Developing this attention to detail has made me the favorite intern and extremely efficient with clerical tasks.

While these tasks make up the bulk of my experience with Texans for Greg Abbott, this is not the only internship route to take with this campaign. I took part in block-walking at times, which is the best way to develop communicative capabilities since it is face-to-face, rapid voter contact. Speaking with your supervisor and explaining to him your interests will result in different internship routes. For example, working in the social media branch of the campaign and marketing, or even with the Republican Leadership Institute, which emphasizes block-walking, and eventually leads to a job on the campaign.

Fall 2013 

Position: Communications Intern
Student: Government, Junior

“Typical” isn’t even a good word to describe what goes on in a political campaign. “Typical” wouldn’t be fair, given that so many things can happen on a moment’s notice and everything tends to change on a day‐to‐day basis. Even though I firmly believe this to be true, there are still some things that have to happen every day in order for a campaign to function properly. Typically every morning, once I wake up, I review news stories of the day that could potentially help the campaign in some capacity. If I come across a news story that I find particularly interesting, I will add it to a running list. After I browse the Internet for a little while reading the news, I usually pass this list along to someone in my department so that they can read them too, if there is anything at all. Usually they have already seen these stories, or even knew about them before publishing, so the task is pretty light. While in the office, I continue to monitor various news outlets, just in case I come across a breaking news story that the staff may be interested in knowing about.

Press releases, emails and media advisories are just a few things that always need to be written and are constantly being released, so there is never a shortage of writing to do. I usually help the communications staff in writing and reworking these items before they are declared good to send out and I have found that the more pairs of eyes on the assignment, the better it will turn out.

Aside from these constant tasks, I always make myself available to run errands, take orders out for shipping, and answering phones and helping constituents is always a priority task. So far, no two days have been the same.

Fall 2019

Position: Political Intern
Student: Government Junior

The Texas Democratic Party political internship is a great internship for anyone interested in the Democratic strategy in Texas. It’s a ten-hour commitment per week anytime during normal business hours, Monday through Friday. Day to day work varies, but every day brings new work and new challenges. I learn a lot through the work I complete, but I also learn a lot by engaging with other staff members and learning about the strategies created by the party.

No day is the same as an intern for the Texas Democratic Party, but there are still a few things to be expected every workday. I arrive at 11 on Tuesday and get settled in for the day. I start everyday by collecting media mentions in a Google Doc. This basically means I search the news and Twitter for any mention of the Texas Democratic Party, so the other staff members and communications team are aware of all mentions. After this, I ask my supervisor what the priority tasks are for the day. These are always changing, so you’ll never feel bored from repetitive work here. Some examples of tasks include reaching out to other Democratic clubs in Texas, compiling polling locations in an Excel sheet, or finalizing petitions.

One of my favorite parts of interning for the Texas Democratic Party was the ever-changing work and goals. Since politics in Texas are constantly evolving, the party must evolve with it. The work done at the beginning of my internship was very different from the work done in the end. For example, Spring 2020 will have a big focus on the state primaries, while Fall 2019 had a big focus on candidate filing. I recommend applying for this internship during a point in the cycle that interests you the most. If you like learning a little bit about a lot of different aspects of party strategy, I would highly recommend this internship.  

Spring 2021

Position: Reserach Intern
Student: International Relations & Global Studies  and Latin American Studies Senior

CSIS is the perfect place for those students interested in international relations, political science, economics, history, and regional studies. The mission of this think tank is to shape the foreign-policy debate in Washington, D.C. in areas of national security. This is not restricted to traditional security matters. CSIS influences other policy areas, such as climate change, democracy and human rights, development and trade, technology and science, and it also specializes in different areas of the world (Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe). Finally, the analysis and recommendations offered by CSIS are independent, bi-partisan, and based on evidence.

I found the internship through the company’s website. The application process is relatively straightforward, and I highly recommend getting assistance from Liberal Arts Career Services for the resume, cover letter, and later interview stages. They will make this process much easier and increase the chances of getting an offer.

As a research intern, I worked for the Americas Program, but my major focus was the Future of Venezuela Initiative (FVI). There are three areas where interns help in: research, administrative, and projects. The bulk of the internship will be on the first two. Providing high-quality research, analyses, and clear writing is vital in the day-to-day tasks of an intern. It is also important for interns to be informed and knowledgeable of what is going on in the region/country/area they specialize in.  Interns most of the time get the opportunity to publish their own pieces. Then, in the administrative pillar, interns are required to attend weekly meetings and sometimes take notes. There are a lot of private and public events going on, so CSIS counts with interns to attend these, take notes, and if necessary, do extra research on some specifics of the event. Finally, the projects pillar is mostly managed by senior staff, but interns have at occasions to help with areas of the project. I found this last pillar very useful for COLA students as it will advance one’s problem-solving skills!

My favorite thing about the internship was its people. I cannot overstate how much they want and can help you succeed. The network that your supervisors and other senior staff have is very extensive, and they are always happy to help you get places you want to get to. Whether you want to transition to other think tank or firm, or go to graduate school, CSIS members will find you the right person to talk to and sometimes even send your resume over to those employers you’re interested in working for. All of this really made me appreciate CSIS, not only as a place to grow professionally but also personally.

Spring 2023

Position: Policy Intern
Student: Sustainability Studies Major and Economics Minor Senior

Environment Texas is part of the national organization Environment America. They are also part of a regional and national public interest group consortium, all collaborating to bring awareness to environmental issues and facilitate advocacy for ecosystem- and climate-positive policies. I was already familiar with the organization, having attended some of their rallies and lobby days at the Capital in the past, so I sent an introduction email and my resume to one of the directors. I was fortunate to be able to start this internship in January, because they are very involved in the legislative session, and it was already getting pretty busy. I work a lot on background research for press releases and policy memos, and I’ve also written reports and one-page summaries of my work to be released to legislators, staffers, the press, and other nonprofits. I’ve learned a lot about how to find the data I need and also how to write up one-page summaries quickly and efficiently. Everything is so time-sensitive during legislative sessions! The other part of the work that I haven’t been able to participate in as much are the collective meetings, rally days, legislative meetings, and public events. My class schedule keeps me away from these, but I don’t think this would be a problem if someone has either a lighter schedule or works for them full-time. I’m really glad I got to work here while the legislature was in session and watch and participate in the process.

Summer 2016 

Position: Fellow
Student: Sociology Junior

I received my internship credit working as a Fellow for the Kirk Watson Campaign Academy. At the Academy, we met Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with the goal of learning the ins and outs of political campaigning. On some weekends, we had events to attend. Additionally, we would sometimes stay late to go out and register voters and canvass houses for Democratic candidates around Travis and Williamson Counties. The Academy was six weeks and completely comprehensive; from coordinating a fundraiser to creating our own campaign plan, we truly did it all.

When we arrive in the mornings, we start with a daily debrief. We are assigned one blog post a week which is published on Kirk Watson’s website and we usually go over this assignment in the mornings. Following the debrief, we have a morning lesson on a particular aspect of campaigning. After the morning lesson, we have a guest speaker over lunch. The guest speaker is usually a State Representative, prominent lawyer or lobbyist, judge, State Senator, or other politicos. This is a great chance to network with important politicians and people in the political realm and ask questions in a personal setting.

After lunch, we have a third lesson, followed by a hands-on activity. For example, we were trained on how to make a field plan one afternoon and then went out and canvassed houses based off of that field plan. We sometimes have weekend activities to attend such as the State Democratic Convention, political fundraisers, and parades.

The Academy is perfect for anybody interested in working in the field of politics one day. It is extremely comprehensive and will teach you what it takes to get you elected.

Spring 2018

Position: Intern
Student: Government Sophomore

I work for Texans for Greg Abbott, Governor Greg Abbott’s campaign, at his campaign headquarters in Austin.

First, I will discuss the logistical aspects of the internship. Campaign headquarters for Texans for Greg Abbott is located in downtown Austin in the leasing office building of the Texas Association of Broadcasters. The campaign mostly operates on the 3rd and 4th floor of the office. Although this sounds like an unprofessional location for a campaign to be housed since it is a shared building, this campaign is actually quite high-end considering Governor Abbott’s campaign funding exceeds $40 million (the most of any gubernatorial candidate in history). Regarding my schedule, I work from 10-12pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 11:30-3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My supervisor was extremely flexible with me on determining my work hours for the week at the beginning of the semester. I have no doubt that had I needed to contort my schedule to fit my needs, he would have allowed me to do so.

In a typical day, my tasks are numerous, but I will discuss those most common, such as phone banking, opposition research, and to be expected, clerical work . First, phone banking isn't always as exciting as other tasks, but call lists that yield high levels of answers are more interesting and are quite common. This objective results in an enhanced ability to communicate effectively information that must be presented in a short amount of time. Considering much of one’s interactions are based on first impressions, especially in the professional path, this skill is one that must be honed; and phone calls are a way to do that. Opposition research is one of the more interesting aspects of the internship, as I am responsible for finding social media platforms where major candidates for statewide elections post their events. This is extensive work, as the most well-funded candidates will have hundreds of events in less than a year. Clerical work can occasionally take a bulk of the day depending on how busy the office is. Some of this work is time-consuming and can yield real skills, such as an astute attention to detail. For example, I often find myself working on scheduling for campaign events and these event listings often have errors that I must fix. Developing this attention to detail has made me extremely efficient with clerical tasks.

While these tasks make up the bulk of my experience with Texans for Greg Abbott, this is not the only internship route to take with this campaign. I took part in block-walking at times, which is the best way to develop communicative capabilities since it is face-to-face, rapid voter contact. Speaking with your supervisor and explaining your interests will result in different internship routes. For example, working in the social media branch of the campaign and marketing, or even with the Republican Leadership Institute, which emphasizes block-walking, and eventually leads to a job on the campaign.

Fall 2013 

Position: Communications Intern
Student: Government Junior

“Typical” isn’t even a good word to describe what goes on in a political campaign. “Typical” wouldn’t be fair, given that so many things can happen on a moment’s notice and everything tends to change on a day‐to‐day basis. Even though I firmly believe this to be true, there are still some things that have to happen every day in order for a campaign to function properly. Typically every morning, once I wake up, I review news stories of the day that could potentially help the campaign in some capacity. If I come across a news story that I find particularly interesting, I will add it to a running list. After I browse the Internet for a little while reading the news, I usually pass this list along to someone in my department so that they can read them too, if there is anything at all. Usually they have already seen these stories, or even knew about them before publishing, so the task is pretty light. While in the office, I continue to monitor various news outlets, just in case I come across a breaking news story that the staff may be interested in knowing about.

Press releases, emails and media advisories are just a few things that always need to be written and are constantly being released, so there is never a shortage of writing to do. I usually help the communications staff in writing and reworking these items before they are declared good to send out and I have found that the more pairs of eyes on the assignment, the better it will turn out.

Aside from these constant tasks, I always make myself available to run errands, take orders out for shipping, and answering phones and helping constituents is always a priority task. So far, no two days have been the same.

Fall 2022

Position: Intern
Student: Government Senior

I am an Intern for the Texas Democratic Party. I found the internship when they posted the
opportunity on Twitter. I work in the finance department, which means that I assist with
fundraising, donor research, and events. Working at the state party in any department allows
me and the other interns to learn about how a political party operates and about the different
roles and departments that make the party function. My favorite part of my internship is talking
with my coworkers! Everyone who works there has so much political experience and ideas, and
it is always interesting to hear what they have to say and listen to the advice they give.

Fall 2019

Position: Political Intern
Student: Government Junior

The Texas Democratic Party political internship is a great internship for anyone interested in the Democratic strategy in Texas. It’s a ten-hour commitment per week anytime during normal business hours, Monday through Friday. Day to day work varies, but every day brings new work and new challenges. I learn a lot through the work I complete, but I also learn a lot by engaging with other staff members and learning about the strategies created by the party.

No day is the same as an intern for the Texas Democratic Party, but there are still a few things to be expected every workday. I arrive at 11 on Tuesday and get settled in for the day. I start everyday by collecting media mentions in a Google Doc. This basically means I search the news and Twitter for any mention of the Texas Democratic Party, so the other staff members and communications team are aware of all mentions. After this, I ask my supervisor what the priority tasks are for the day. These are always changing, so you’ll never feel bored from repetitive work here. Some examples of tasks include reaching out to other Democratic clubs in Texas, compiling polling locations in an Excel sheet, or finalizing petitions.

One of my favorite parts of interning for the Texas Democratic Party was the ever-changing work and goals. Since politics in Texas are constantly evolving, the party must evolve with it. The work done at the beginning of my internship was very different from the work done in the end. For example, Spring 2020 will have a big focus on the state primaries, while Fall 2019 had a big focus on candidate filing. I recommend applying for this internship during a point in the cycle that interests you the most. If you like learning a little bit about a lot of different aspects of party strategy, I would highly recommend this internship.  

Spring 2023

Position: Legislative Aide, Rep. Carl Tepper
Student: Government and Plan II Freshman 

This Spring I have had the opportunity to work at the Texas State Capitol for the Texas State Government. Interning as a Legislative Aide, I conduct constituency correspondence, policy research, and bill briefings for Representative Tepper. I found this internship opening by navigating the University of Texas Government Department’s online list of available internship opportunities. From there, I went through a series of interviews with Representative Tepper’s Chief of Staff. While at the Texas State Capitol, I have had the opportunity to meet with multiple university presidents and discuss with lobbyists what higher education institutions should receive money through Article III of the Appropriations Committee. My favorite aspect of working at the Texas State Capitol is showing up excited each day knowing I will meet and interact with amazing individuals who are quite literally changing the world.

Position: Deputy Legislative Director/Intern, Rep. Ryan Guillen 
Student: Government and Rhetoric and Writing Sophomore

I found this internship on the Texas Politics Project website. I did a lot of legislative research as well as administrative work. I answered phone calls, responded to emails, and edited speeches the Rep would give in his bill hearings. My favorite thing about the internship was definitely the ability I had to gain valuable experience learning how the legislative process works. I witnessed firsthand what it takes to get reelected and also the entire bill process rather than just what happens publicly. I highly recommend this internship.

Position: Legislative Intern
Student: Health and Society Junior

This semester I had the opportunity to intern for one of our State Representatives at the Texas Capitol for the 88th Legislative session. I originally found this internship from a job opportunity group chat within my sorority. I reached out, interned with my office’s Chief of Staff, and then was fortunate enough to join the office. As my role as a legislative intern for one of our State Representatives in the 88th Legislative session, I am tasked to assist with daily office jobs such as data entry, logging incoming and outgoing correspondence, handling visitors, and answering phone calls/ emails. Along with this, I assist my team with research, memos, briefings, and building/ establishing policies. I prepare for committee meetings and in advance for meetings with constituents and visitors. Through my internship working for the Representative, I believe I have become very enriched with new information and interpersonal skills. I believe it has been very beneficial for my work world growth to work with a team in this setting. I think doing so has strengthened my communication and writing skills, as well as my work ethic and initiative. My favorite part about my internship is the networking within the building. There are never-ending opportunities to meet new people, as well as pick their brains. I think I learn more in a day in this building than I ever have before from individuals, and experts to their passions, that go from strangers to mentors within just minutes of meeting them. The community in the State Capitol is so strong, and it excites me every day to discover new solutions and explore different ways of thinking. I am very eager to learn more about our State Government, as well as see it in action through the rest of the Legislative Session. This internship has allowed me to learn, grow, and give back to the community.

Position: Legislative Intern
Student: International Relations and Global Studies Sophomore

The Texas House of Representatives is a very dynamic workplace that provides experience related to a wide variety of government issues. The House is organized by offices of each representative, and are typically made up of the Representative, Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, Legislative Aide, and Legislative Intern. I found this internship through family connections as I was recommended to explore this path by a family friend involved in lobbying and political consulting. My duties are largely based around managing constituent communications, which is a pretty broad role. Anytime a constituent from our district has concerns or questions about specific legislation I relay certain facts about the legislation or my Representative’s stance on issues. I also collect data on constituent opinion in order to organize it in order for it to be used in legislative decisions or presentations. In some instances, I have had to help with casework involving specific problems that need to be remedied by government agencies. My favorite thing about my internship is the variety of topics that I have been able to learn about, and the collaborative nature of the role. There are a lot of working parts that allow the legislative session to run smoothly, and I have really enjoyed getting to work with many different people that specialize in different areas that affect our government.

Fall 2022

Position: Legislative Assistant, Tom Craddick 
Student: Government Senior

 I have worked for the Texas House of Representatives for almost two years as a Legislative Director. I am exposed to constituent work, drafting legislation, and legislative research, and developed and executed strategies and communication campaigns to articulate the representative’s legislative budget and district priorities to the general public, growing overall social media presence by 190%. The projects I worked on strengthened my skills in writing and communication. My most recent projects have included drafting bill books and publishing our newsletter. My organizational skills have also been enhanced through assisting with managing our social media and political campaigns. I have learned the importance of being self-motivated and problem-solving.  The legislature is a fast pace environment and you must adapt to succeed here. This opportunity has provided me with so many connections and skills. It will help me succeed in law school and being an attorney.

Spring 2021

Position: Policy Intern, The Office of Speaker Dade Phelan
Major: History Junior

My internship was in Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan’s policy office. The goal of the policy office is too serve as a representation of the Speaker, and communicate his goals to committees as well as to aid the legislative process. I was able to discover this internship opportunity with the aid of friends and family, then completed the application and interview process on my own. My job has entailed a wide variety of assignments throughout it, which kept it interesting and challenging. I would conduct tasks similar as too interns at any company, such as stocking supplies, running errands, making copies and so on. I also had to serve duties as a sort of secretary assistant, answering phones, welcoming visitors and taking notes in meetings. Aside from all of that we would conduct data collection projects, bill analysis and communicate with constituents. With so much going on I was really forced to learn a lot, but that was my favorite part; I have so much more knowledge about government and politics, it really is reassuring as to how beneficial this internship was.

Fall 2019

Position: Legislative Intern, Representitive Mary Gonzalez
Major: International Relations and Global Studies Junior

I look forward to starting my days at the Texas State Capitol. Every day I approach the building and am in awe of not only the architecture but also the work that happens within the halls. There are people constantly working to draft legislation or hold meetings to create solutions to the issues that are facing Texans every day. Even in the interim, there is always a meeting to attend or work to be accomplished. My day to day in the office is always slightly different based on the needs of that day or the events that took place while I was away.

Typically, I will spend the first thirty minutes to an hour looking at the news and drafting social media posts on the important events or updates that have been reported. Then, I will send those posts to Caroline, the Chief of Staff, for approval and she will either send edits/additions or inform me they are good to send to Representative González for final approval. Next, I will prioritize the projects that need to be accomplished. Our office rule of thumb is that there is a two-week grace period to respond to constituent letters, so I will read over the new letters or those pending approval. If there is a new letter, I will usually draft a response to new letters and send them for approval, which is the same process as social media posts.

Next, after those daily tasks are completed, I will begin working on larger projects that span over multiple days and require communication with different organizations or offices. Recently, I have worked with the Texas Water Development Board to write a report on the Municipal Utility Districts in the El Paso area and the unique way they function. Additionally, I am currently researching information for a bill that would mimic a law being implemented in New Mexico during the coming years.

The needs of Representative González’s constituents are rapidly changing, and thus, my responsibilities and priorities are constantly shifting. I have learned a lot about how the government operates, the role of representatives, and the importance of flexibility and adaptability. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Representative González’s office and my day to day tasks. 

Position: Legislative Intern, Ryan Guillen
Major: Economics Senior

I am currently working as a legislative intern for State Representative Ryan Guillen. As a legislative intern, I am tasked with aiding and drafting legislation, researching casework, and corresponding with constituents. I work onsite with the Texas Legislature at the Texas Capitol Building in Austin, Texas.

As a legislative intern, I work four days each week for a total of 12-15 hours each week from September to December. I work alongside 7 other interns, our chief of staff, our administrative director, our legislative director, and the representative himself. Typically, my day begins at 8am. As I am the first person in the office each morning, I check our mailboxes upon arriving at the Capitol. After I return to our office, I check Correspondence Management System (the Texas Legislature standard correspondence program) to see my newly assigned casework. Casework is assigned by our administrative director, who receives it via communication from constituents. I then research the issue assigned to me and draft a proposal for how to remedy the situation. I submit the draft to our administrative director for approval, and then prepare a final draft of a response or legal action to take to resolve the situation. After completing casework, I am often assigned tasks such as bill review or research by our chief of staff. This frequently entails completing deep dive research on topics that our representative is trying to get legislation passed on. Additionally, as an intern, I am tasked with constituent correspondence. This can take the form of answering phone calls or letters from constituents who reach out to our office, managing our office’s social media accounts, or sending condolence letters to families in our district who have lost loved ones.

Overall, working as a legislative intern for Representative Guillen has been a valuable learning experience. I value the strong writing and research skills that I have acquired while working in our office and know that they will prepare me well for a future career in law.

Position: Senior Intern, Michael McCaul
Major: Government Senior

Since June, I have been interning in the Austin office of Congressman Michael McCaul who represents Texas’s 10th District. Rep.McCaul has been in congress for over 16 years and has served as the chairman of several committees including the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on Homeland Security.  The 10th congressional district covers sections of Austin, Houston and the majority of the area in between these two cities. Our district contains 4 congressional offices in Austin, Houston, Brenham and Tomball.

The Austin office is the flagship office of the congressman. As is such, it is imperative that staff dress appropriately in a suit attire on a daily basis. Throughout my internship, I would find myself seldom without a dress shirt and tie on. While we have a variety of tasks, our main duty is to facilitate communication between constituents and the representative. On a typical day, an intern in the Austin office will perform the following:

When I arrive into the office my first duty is to email out a district news summary. Our staff cares a great deal on what goes on in our district, therefore interns are tasked with researching articles from local news sources. My favorite sources include the Austin American Statesman, the Houston Chronicle and the Brenham Banner. The next daily task would be to process the voicemails and mail. Voicemails generally include comments left for the representative that are logged into a database. Mail will include various invitations, constituent comments and casework that is processed accordingly. When these three main tasks are completed, staff will then task interns with other pieces of work they need assistance with.

Generally, our staff is quite considerate to interns and allows us to do work of interest to us.

Spring 2018

Position: Legislative Aide Intern, Representitive Mary E. Gonzalez
Major: International Relations and Global Studies Junior

This semester I interned at the Texas House of Representatives with State Representative Mary E. Gonzalez; her office is located at the Texas Capitol. When looking to get an internship at the Texas Capitol or in Austin government agencies, there are literally hundreds of options available to interested college students. For instance, within the Texas Capitol, one could intern with an elected official at the Texas Senate, one of the 150 officials at Texas House of Representatives, a committee within either chamber of the legislature, a government agency ranging from the Texas Education Agency, to the Texas Health and Human Services, or a lobby group that advocates for legislation.

A typical day at my internship begins with finishing my courses for the day. After wrapping up my morning classes, I walk down Congress Avenue, past the Blanton and Bullock Museum and past 15th Street into the South Entrance of the Texas Capitol. After logging in to my computer and reviewing my email, I check in with my supervisor, who is the Chief of Staff for the office. Either the Chief of Staff or Legislative Director will have pending assignments for me to work on  or long term projects to complete. Depending on what project I am working on, I might schedule meetings with important stakeholders within that issue and later meet with them to learn and discuss potential solutions to our concerns. The vast majority of my work includes extensive research on issues that are important to Representative Gonzalez’s constituents and issues that are important to the people of Texas. For instance, given the current importance of immigration, Representative Gonzalez asks her staff to keep up to date on immigration issues and potential avenues for solutions or improvements. As part of a legislative office, we are often invited to hearings, legislative briefings and educational events; it is important that a representative from our office attends in order to stay up to date on the most recent developments. Lastly, I hold some responsibilities with creating posts for our office’s social media accounts and maintaining parts of the calendar, which is vital to any legislative office given the busy days.

Spring 2017

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Matt Schaefer
Major: Government Sophomore

My internship was at the office of State Representative Matt Schaefer, at the Texas State Capitol. I have worked this internship all of Spring Semester, on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. Each day I arrive at the Capitol at 8:30 AM. As soon as I get in the office I login to my computer. On the computer, I do much work. Many constituents from Representative Schaefer’s district send emails, which I respectfully reply to. Typically, these people are wanting Representative Schaefer to support certain bills. When these emails come in, I send a detailed response, outlining the Representative’s stance and why he does or does not support the bill. The office is also constantly being swept with phone calls. I answer these calls, and many come from Representative Schaefer’s citizens. They call regarding bills or just to report certain problems in the district that need to be fixed. After answering many phone calls, I go and get the mail for our office. Representative Schaefer typically receives lots mail for his office. Lobbyists will send him invitations for free dinners – we throw those away. Also any of Representative Schaefer’s citizens will write him thank you notes. These are always very kind, and we really appreciate the support. After the mail, the Chief of Staff, usually has me do policy research on bills. This can consist of many tasks. Sometimes I simply read over new legislation, and summarize the main points. Other times, I look for statistics on the internet to either help support or not support certain bills. Policy research is one of my favorite tasks to do as it is very interesting and self-engaging. My coworkers are very helpful at the office. Whenever I am confused on how to do a task, they offer their best insight. They are also very cheerful to visitors who come into our office. Many constituents come on vacation from District Six, to visit with Representative Schaefer. Each day, I leave the Capitol at 12:00 PM. I quickly go to a nearby parking garage and depart to my government course at UT, Supreme Court and Public Policy.

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Ron Simmons
Major: Economics Junior

As an intern at Representative Simmons office at the Texas Capitol, it was my job to help serve both the Representative and all the constituents of Denton County (House District 65). Overall, the internship has been the most educational job I have had the opportunity to learn from in my life. Not only does one learn how the legislative process works, but they learn about all the issues affecting a certain House district in Texas while incorporating the importance of lobbying in the business world, and the influence that laws have on the economy.

The general responsibilities during the 85th Legislative Session (the Texas Legislative Session is then bills turn into laws and occurs once every two years, starting in January) were vast and very valuable. One of the most frequent responsibilities was to listen and respond to constituent phone calls, letters, office visits, and all opinions in general. These viewpoints are the entered into the office correspondence database where vote tallies are possible and appropriate responses are given to the respective constituent. In addition to this, we as interns occasionally meet with organizations, interest groups, and companies which have a certain agenda and would like to pass it onto Representative Simmons. After a short interview, the viewpoints are logged and go towards vote tallies and information storage.

The time worked per week is around 10-15 hours and is unpaid. However, the experience and growth which one gains is truly invaluable (not to mention a possible recommendation letter from the Representative as a perk).

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Rick Miller
Major: History Senior

I was a legislative intern for Texas House Representative Rick Miller.  In this internship I researched bills, drafted briefs, composed emails, answered phone calls and submitted hearing requests to different house committees.   

Each morning when I arrived at the office I prepared letters to take to the post office and I collect the mail from to place in the Representative’s folder for the day.  Once I finish with the mail, I work on the emails in my inbox.  My main duty consists of responding to constituent concerns.  I compose letters from the point of view of the Representative, that explain his position on a myriad of policy issues.  My office lets me choose which specific issues I would like to focus in on whether it be something more general such as education, or something as specific as dyslexia and education.  In addition, it is my job to research and write briefs about issues the Representative has not given a specific stance on yet.   

In addition, I, along with two other staffers in the office, I share the responsibility of answering the phone.  Often times this requires looking up specific bills and providing information to constituents.  Other times it is taking messages for the Representative and the Chief of Staff.  

Another task I took on during the legislative session, was that I took all meetings that pertained to the issues I expressed interest in.  Sometimes I would be accompanied by one other staffer, but the majority of the time I took these meetings on my own.  Additionally, because I liked to take meetings, I volunteered to take all meetings with those who did not make a meeting in advance with our office.

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Pat Fallon
Major: Government Sophomore

When I first get to the office, I check the district inbox for emails from constituents. I log the emails into the computer with software called, Constituent Management System. We log all calls, emails, faxes, and letters from constituents with their contact information (most importantly their address). Then we draft responses based on what the person has written in about. The drafts get edited and approved by others in the office and lastly the representative. Typically we have drafts saved for topics that people bring up often. Though sometimes there is research required to give a good response on the policy the person has written about and the status of the legislation they inquire about. Mostly people write in for support from the representative on topics they care about or seeking to know the representatives stance on a policy. Therefore sometimes there is the challenge of writing a respectful and informative letter but having to be in opposition to their views.

During the day we watch the house floor or various committees live on the television while we work. This way you are not isolated in your office but are still able to keep up with the work being done in other offices around the capital. My coworkers are always nice to discuss what is happening on the floor with and can always answer my questions.

The internship is very administrative task based. I answer phones, write thank you notes, greet visitors (and occasionally take meetings), and file. I will check the mail and run errands around the capital.  Though I am still able to watch and discuss the different things my co-workers will be working on. I work with other interns and we share the tasks around the office so it is very systematic and organized. I have been able to learn more specifically the legislative process and the day-to-day workings of offices at the capitol. 

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Kevin Roberts
Major: Government Junior

I had the incredible opportunity to intern in the Texas House of Representatives during the 85th legislative session in the Spring of 2017. Working for the legislature during session is a fast paced learning experience, that teaches you what really goes on within our State Government. I had a blast through my internship experience, and hope that you can take away from yours, what I did with mine.

As a legislative intern, your hours can range from about 10-20 hours a week, depending on the schedule you've set with your individual office. Personally, I worked around 16 hours a week, split between Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. When in the office, the work would vary depending on what was going on in the House. Consistently, I manage constituent correspondence, speaking with individuals and lobbyists who come in the office, and then various tasks assigned by my Chief of Staff or Legislative Director. Luckily for me, my first task when I arrived in the Office was “Go get some food!”.

Throughout the day, I encounter various situations where I need to discuss or hear about legislation which I’m uniformed with. These experiences have strengthened my ability to think on the fly, and learn quickly. Given that my Chief of Staff and Legislative Director are veterans in the building, I try to watch their actions, to learn as much as I can. This semester has been an incredible chance to learn, and I feel that I've gained a new perspective on the Government of Texas.

If you have the opportunity to intern during session, you wont regret it. My advice to you is to go into every day in the Office ready to grow and learn. This truly is an experience where you’ll gain as much as you give, and if you give it your all everyday, you’ll have an incredible semester. Good luck! 

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Todd Hunter
Major: Government Senior

As an intern at the Texas State Capitol you will need to dress every day in business attire. Men will not be allowed on the House floor if they do not have a suit coat on. You will have a parking pass to a parking garage a block from the Capitol Building. You will need to get your Texas House of Representatives photo ID. This ID will get you into the building and you can skip security checkpoints by scanning it. Should you forget it you will get to be terribly late as school groups, tours, protest and lobbyist groups are constantly forming highly unorganized lines outside all entrances to the Capitol Building. You will get into the building and report to your representative’s office. You will then do any and all possible things to keep the office running; restocking the fridge, cleaning up the conference room, etc. This will free up your to-do list for when there are more important things at hand. You will need to be ready for whatever the day may bring so have a pad and paper handy. Laptops are good too but if you’re in a meeting with a constituent then a pad and paper provide a more personal touch and keep your attention where it needs to be. When sitting in on constituent meetings you will take notes, and look up any necessary information relevant to the proceedings. You will be running from office to office so make sure your shoes are comfortable. On weekdays (Monday-Thursday) lunch will be provided. On Fridays, you are on your own. This internship is what you make of it. Include yourself in as much as possible, constituent meetings, committee hearings, etc. Take notes, know which bills are passing and which aren’t. Get to know other representatives. Introduce yourself to anyone who walks in the door. You never know who you’ll meet and networking can lead you places. Every day will be different, and if you do not include yourself in things your job will be to restock the fridge and nothing more. Don’t be that intern.

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Ina Minjarez
Major: Government Sophomore

A typical day at my internship starts with a walk from UT to the Capitol. The close proximity of the Legislature is one of the most convenient parts about going to school in Austin. After I badge in (another perk of working inside the Capitol -- getting to skip the long security lines), I walk into the office where there’s usually plenty of free food waiting. I then have a brief chat with the Legislative Director and Chief of Staff so that I make sure I am up to speed with everything that has happened that day. I also get project assignments from them to work on.

After meeting with my supervisors, I log onto my computer and check my emails. I usually have plenty of constituent correspondence to take care of, including questions from students about the bills my boss has authored. After that is taken care of, I check with our scheduler to see if we’ve had any literature from concerned citizens and interest groups dropped off. There’s usually a large stack, so I work on scanning all of that material into our office server and make sure we log all of our constituents’ opinions into our system. 

After I take care of the clerical tasks, I work on the bills and committees that i have been assigned. For example, I’ve been working on a cyberbullying bill, David’s Law, with the Chief of Staff. Typical tasks for this include working with the committee office to persuade other members to vote for our bill. Additionally, I work with key stakeholders every step of the way to make sure that our bill is has been thought out for all parties involved. As far as the time commitment goes, I typically spend 15 hrs a week at the Capitol working on bills and helping the office run smoothly. 

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Dan Huberty
Major: Government Senior

Over the past semester I have been privileged to be a legislative intern for the office of State Representative Dan Huberty. This legislative internship has been so insightful to understanding how our state government actually functions. If you have any inkling of interest in politics I would highly recommend becoming a legislative intern. 

Most of the key duties that are given to you are dealing with constituents of the district or area your office represents. When I walk in to the office I immediately go check on the mail, and read the letters that our constituents send us, and write a response to make sure they know their concerns or needs have been heard. Then I move on to the emails and write responses to their concerns and needs, and that is something that you will constantly be doing throughout the whole internship.

After dealing with constituents, the work will be based on the needs of the office. One day you could be crafting bill books, take a meetings, or helping the office understand specific policies and statues. Overall the benefits of being a legislative internship are immense, and the amount of connections that you forge will last you throughout your career. If you have any interest in government, then the capitol awaits you.

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Kevin Roberts
Major: International Relations and Global Studies 

As a Legislative Intern for a Texas representative, I worked in his capitol office located in the North end of the Texas State Capitol. Most days, I would come in, go to my desk, and read my to-do list for the day. Most days, it would include drafting constituent response letters, doing research on certain bills in order to inform constituents of them, conducting casework for individual constituent needs, and sorting through constituent correspondence in both the mail and the district email inbox. While this does not necessarily sound like a busy day, considering the hundreds of emails and letters received by our office, there was always plenty of work for me to do. Sometimes I was tasked with delivering things to other offices or picking up deliveries from the representatives committee or other pertinent meetings. Most of the time this just meant I was wandering around and getting utterly lost in the halls of the capitol. 

The best days were days when I could take meetings with constituents, lobbyists, or organizations coming to the capitol to have their positions listened to and noted. Acting as a proxy for the representative, a majority of the time in these meetings was spent by me listening and jotting down notes while trying not to put in my own two cents or ideas about what matter was the pertinent issue of the day. Some visitors would talk non-stop about every issue imaginable, while others came in and briskly stated their or their organizations’ position, asked if I had any questions, and went on with their day. These meetings showed me the diversity of the constituency of the representative’s district, as well as the differing beliefs, needs, and opinions of different organizations and people who all realize the importance of being active citizens. While these meeting contributed to the knowledge I gained through this internship, asking questions to the Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, and Legislative Assistant who I worked alongside with in the office strengthened my understanding of day to day happenings and the ins and outs of legislation. 

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Jarvis Johnson
Major: Government Junior

A legislative internship at the office of State Representative Jarvis Johnson is well worth pursuing. While the job can feel tedious at times, it is also incredibly interesting and rewarding. Every day, you are surrounded by others who are passionate about public policy. Work schedules, typically consisting of around 14 hours a week, are developed around your class schedule. My work schedule was from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays. It is very important to consistently arrive on time and be reasonably well-rested. Commitment and enthusiasm are highly valued.

Working with several other interns, you will be assigned a desk in one of two areas. One is in the back, where all of the bill folders are. While at this desk, you will likely be working on bill research, as well as organizing files, sometimes making duplicate copies for multiple files. These files are then used for reference while conducting research. If you are assigned to work at the front desk, added to your bill research will be the duties of making and answering phone calls. I frequently received phone calls from people such as constituents, interest groups, or other offices. You will also be asked to perform various other tasks, such as delivering letters to other offices at the capitol.

Your main responsibility, however, will be to research and analyze bills that Representative Johnson is trying to get passed. After reviewing several thick packets of information about a bill, you will compose a “talking points” sheet containing persuasive arguments in support of the bill. You will then put together a “one-pager” that contains basic information regarding the bill. These sheets are then used by Representative Johnson when promoting bills. All of these tasks allow you to gain valuable real-world experience in government and make an important contribution to Representative Johnson’s office during the legislative session.

Position: Legislative Intern, Representative Paul Workman
Major: History and Philosophy Junior

I start my day around 8:30 with a cup of coffee. While I’m drinking my coffee, I usually read as many relevant articles from the Austin-American Statesman or the Texas Tribune as It is expected that I am well informed about Texas politics and current events for my job.

For the next task I prepare the daily floor report. There are thousands of pieces of legislation and it would be impossible for the Representative I work for to read and think about every bill. Before the daily session begins, I and the legislative director compile our prior research, interest group recommendations, constituent opinions and caucus recommendations about every bill that will be on the floor of the House that day. We have a special computer application to where we link our analysis, PDF documents from interest groups and constituent opinions to the bill text. The Representative can see all of this information from his computer on the House floor so he could make an informed vote on the bill in question. 

After I work on the floor report, I usually respond to as many constituent emails as possible.  Usually constituents, email and mail in support or opposition to many different pieces of legislation. In my responses to constituents, I tell them the current status of the legislation they support or oppose and I make an issue point of the policy behind the legislation. In a given day, I usually write about 20 letters to constituents.        

After writing letters and before leaving, I research and analyze pending legislation. For this, I read through the applicable statues that the bill changes and policy informationals that are provided by interest groups. I also, research some of the arcane terminology within the bill and summarize it in layman’s terms so the office can understand it. Most importantly, I use this research for floor reports for days when the bill is presented on the House floor.  

Spring 2016 

Position: Intern, Representative Ryan Guillen
Major: Economics Junior

I work at the office of Texas State Representative Ryan Guillen. Typically, my day starts between the hours of 8 and 9. Usually, I go two stories below ground level to the Committee of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism office because my boss is the chair of the committee. There is a second office upstairs that is the main office, and the interns are divided into two groups, one that goes upstairs and one that goes downstairs. The legislative director, Sarah Chacko, and the administrative director, Jonathan Wilson, choose the interns they wish to work for them. Those with Jonathan go downstairs where they will work mainly on social media, while those with Sarah will work on legislation and research. Usually, those like myself that sign up to work more days a week will be chosen by Jonathan, regardless of your preferences.

Every morning I arrive at work between 8 and 9. Usually I am the first person there, as the regular staff do not get there until around 10. Since I do not have the key to the office I have to wait outside the door and call the Capitol DPS and wait for them to unlock the door. I then spend the remainder of my day doing an assortment of activities such as looking through newspapers for people that have passed away and contacting their families. I also look through district news for stories to put on the Facebook page while answering the occasional phone call. 

Position: Intern, Representative Dustin Burrows
Major: International Relations and Global Studies Sophomore

I am a Legislative Intern with Representative Dustin Burrows at the Texas State Capitol. Dustin Burrows is a Texas State Representative from District 83 which is the Lubbock area. I work every day Monday-Friday, and I work 12 hours a week. At the capitol, there is no typical day. I do all kinds of tasks around the office. I do some administrative tasks like take phone calls and input contact information into the system. I also sit in meetings with some lobby groups and take notes and ask questions during the meetings. The main task I do is read filed legislation. I read and analyze the filed bills and then I write summaries and provide analysis for the representative. It requires well developed reading comprehension skills and writing skills. Communication is also extremely important because I am often required to speak with constituents and other groups which come to see the representative.

One of my favorite roles as an intern is that I get to attend different receptions and events with the other staff members. Many different groups come to the capitol to lobby. Each interest group wants to bring light to their issue and share their information, so they host events for representatives and staffers. I often attend these events to keep myself informed and better analyze bills. Therefore, no day is the same at the capitol. The session goes by extremely fast and each part of the session required me to complete different duties. At the beginning, I mostly did administrative tasks. Then throughout the second 2 months I spoke a lot with constituents and different lobbyists. Now, I mostly read bills and stay up to date with the amendments added. There are many different bills going through the legislative process, so I must keep up with what is being read in committee and what the representative will be required to vote on. Therefore, lately the majority of my work has been reading, summarizing, and analyzing bills. 

Summer 2019

Position: Intern, Senator Jane Nelson
Student: Anthropology Senior

The Capitol has two different sides, one side is a bustling scene of lobbyists and interest groups delivering speeches advocating for a specific cause, phones that never stop ringing with concerned constituents asking questions and sharing their opinion, and staff running around trying to get the bills that they have worked on for months passed. The other side depicts a quiet office, the phones ringing less frequently, state officials returning to their home district, and staff feeling a sense of relief since session has concluded. Both sides have one thing in common, an intern at the desk answering phone calls from constituents, following bills, and helping staff members with whatever they need.

Working at Senator Nelson’s office means that you are working for the people of Senate District 12, and it is my role as an intern to help staff members organize legislation, communicate with constituents who call or visit the office, and relay to the Senator and staff what constituents are concerned about or need help with. If constituents call into the office with specific questions or seeking help, it is my job to research that specific topic and gather any relevant information that will answer the question at hand or will help lead the caller in the right direction to find help.

Throughout my time at the office, I have inputted correspondence into the computer management system, organized pieces of legislation and notes that are passed onto Senator Nelson while she is on the Senate floor or in a committee meeting, and I have also run errands to other state representatives’ offices to gather pertinent information. I have easily balanced my internship and school schedule, and the staff has been supportive of my studies and my future plans. Overall, I have found my internship at Senator Nelson’s office to be a worthwhile experience both during session and interim, and I would recommend this internship to my peers.

Fall 2017

Position: Administrative Aide, Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Student: Government Senior

Currently, I intern for the Office of State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., who represents Senate District 27 in the Rio Grande Valley. As administrative aide, I am assigned tasks such as handling constituent requests, developing special recognitions for events, answering phone calls, greeting guests, and analyzing bills in effect from previous legislative sessions. I am also taking 15 credit hours this semester and work 20 hours a week at my internship site. I work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while attending school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This way, I am able to dedicate myself to both school and my internship, commuting in between the University of Texas and the Texas Capitol.

A regular week begins with a staff conference call on Mondays at 8:00 A.M. to discuss pending calendar events, special announcements, and legislative projects. Afterwards, I review Senator Lucio’s state account emails and forward them to his chief of staff, while distributing the physical mail as well. I also collect and distribute the physical mail from over the weekend to the local internal staff. If there is any correspondence that must be sent to the district offices, I prepare an overnight package and send them accordingly. We communicate daily with Senator Lucio’s three district offices located in South Texas to assist facilitating his schedule. After completing these responsibilities, I clean the refrigerator with any food left over from last week and re-stock kitchen supplies. My work day also consists of answering phone calls, greeting guests, lobbyists, other state legislators, local and statewide politicians, and most importantly, Senator Lucio’s constituency. From time to time, we greet individuals wanting to take a look at our marvelous view of Congress Avenue. As an administrative intern, it is important to monitor calendar events because I am responsible in preparing gavels and proclamations as a recognition on behalf of Senator Lucio. Furthermore, it is important that I maintain contact with the internal postal office because of frequent time sensitive incoming correspondence. Working in this professional environment is rewarding – during holiday celebrations, students from all over the state perform live entertainment in the main rotunda with respect to the specific holiday. For example, on Mexican Independence Day, a band of student Mariachis played with authentic instruments as guests visiting the Capitol joined in to sing. It’s the little things that make working in such a diverse and friendly environment a memorable experience.  

Spring 2017

Position: Office Intern, Senator Bob Hall 
Student: Health & Society Junior

For the Spring 2017 semester I interned for State Senator Bob Hall at the Texas Capitol. Working in the Capitol is an incredible opportunity to gain invaluable experience and create lasting relationships that will further your career. The Capitol is full of knowledgeable individuals that are willing to teach (if they have time) and vital resources for those interested in government. To give a “day in the life” description of my internship is difficult, as days at the Capitol (especially during session) vary greatly. Additionally, tasks of an intern rarely include hanging out with the Governor, giving key advice to a Legislator, or heling draft a bill that saves millions of lives and dollars. However, the life of an intern at the Capitol is still interesting and worthwhile, even when it sometimes takes a reminder or two that the internship is worth it in the long run. 

Typically, Legislators are flexible with the hours that their intern works, and allow a schedule that revolves around classes. So, an intern will typically arrive to the office after class, may change into formal clothes in one of the Capitol bathrooms, and then head to one of the hundreds of offices in the extension building. Upon arriving to the office, the intern will likely have a list of tasks for the day, and if not, will need to ask the immediate supervisor for any tasks that need completed or assisting on. These tasks may range from filing papers to calling constituents, and all need to be done in an efficient manner, as the interns hours may be limited due to other activities. There of course are other activities that will need to be completed, but the tasks to greatly vary, and always include a learning curve. Regardless of the activities, the intern will be offered a rare peek into how the Texas government functions, which is worth it all. 

Position: Senatorial Intern, Senator Brock Miles
Student: Psychology Junior

Congrats! You have landed yourself the elusive intern job at the stately Texas Capitol as a Legislative Intern for the Texas Senate. Every other year the Texas Capitol is flooded with fresh new faces who’ve watched a little too much House of Cards and are ready to start making big changes. This can be a very exciting time as well as a very fast paced one. Depending on whether you’re in school, your other time commitments, and if you’re part of a internship program legislative interns are either full time or part time. With part time there is flexibility of hours but with full time the typical hours are 9-5 and as session gets further into April and May you may be asked to stay later to assist with last minute legislation and briefings or attend hearings.

The workload also varies with your time commitment and what committees you get assigned to for your Senator. There are 12 standing committees in the Texas Senate. Due to this wide range of committees there is something of interest for everyone and always room to learn. With that being said here are some typical duties interns usually handle on a daily basis when they are at the Capitol. Interns will answer constituent calls and mail and enter their opinions into a Correspondence Management System- CMS for short. Especially when controversial bills are being heard interns will get flooded with phone calls and mail. As an intern you will also meet with a multitude of people regarding legislation. That group will consist of constituents, activist groups, lobbyists, lawyers, Senate and House staff members, organization heads, and even other Senators and House of Representatives. You will also attend briefings and hearings to track your Senator’s bills or other important bills of interest and brainstorm ideas of potential bills to either draft, companion, or sign on to. And most importantly as something that is famously said in the Capitol, “the Capitol is like a highschool” so not only will you network and schmooze during the day but once 5 o’clock hits you get the opportunity to network and schmooze at various receptions and happy hours and hopefully land another job working either in the interim or next session.

Position: Legislative Internship, Senator Konni Burton
Student: Government Junior

From January 9th to May 29th of 2017, I have had the distinct privilege of being a legislative intern in the office of State Senator Konni Burton (R-10). I worked three days a week, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 9:00 to 5:00 (or sometimes 6:00). I had the opportunity to work under some incredibly smart people that I had an amazing time getting to know. Although the environment was a little intimidating right at first, I pretty quickly felt comfortable in my role in the office. While I am sure every internship is different, generally speaking, I think it is pretty much understood that you should not walk in thinking that all of sudden you own the place. The very first task I was asked to do on January 9th was to shred papers, and that’s okay! If you give it time, do the things you are supposed to do to the best of your ability, and make a concerted effort to engage with the people that you work for, it is very likely that you won’t have to wait too long before the people you work with start trusting you with more important tasks. Throughout the internship, I did a host of different things, including attending staff briefings with a senior staff member, helping prepare binders that Senator Burton used during committee hearings and floor debate, talking with constituents via phone and email to record their opinions and report them into the Correspondence Management System. I’ll admit that the work isn’t always glamorous, but believe me, that doesn’t mean that the other people in the office don't appreciate the work that you do. Always show up on time, do as your told to do, and offer to go above and beyond of what is required. It may just end in a potential job opportunity!

Position: Legislative Intern, Senator Kirk Watson
Student: Government Junior 

For my internship with Sen. Watson I wake up at 7:30 and work until 12 or 12:30 depending on the day. It’s important to note that most Reps./Sens. are flexible and will work to accommodate your schedule if you are a full time student. Most interns work 15 hours a week +-5. 12 is the lowest I have heard of someone working, the highest being around 40-60 hours for those who work full time during session. After ‘suiting up’ you will drive/walk/bus down to the Capitol. Once there you present your Capitol ID to the guards then you will descend into the Capitol’s catacombs or stay on the main floor if your rep has seniority. Once getting into the office the first thing you’ll need to do is log into your email to see if there are any priority items you’ve been assigned. After that it will highly depend on the office you are in and the level of responsibility you have. The first thing I do after checking my emails is call/email the sergeant at arms to see what pages showed up today. The Capitol has a program where parents can sign their child up to work with the senate messengers through their State Senator. Being that Sen. Watson represents the Austin area we have a lot of parents who want their kids involved in the program. After that I print out certificates for the kids and grab a picture of them with the Senator on the senate floor or in his office (you can see my photography skills on his social media). After that, if there is a Senate Resolution I will go into the gallery and give it to the group who is being recognized. The majority of the work that interns do in the office is called CMS correspondent management system. Being that they are elected officials someone has to service and respond to their constituents and interns get stuck with this. CMS revolves around emails, phone calls, and letters from constituents. You take down what they are talking about and then log their opinion on the matter in the data base so that we can send a letter out to them. On certain days lobbyists come to the office to speak with the Sen. or staffers and bring lunch, which rocks. All in all it is hard to say what a typical day is as when the session is going on it’s highly erratic. 

Position: Legislative Internship, Senator Menendez
Student: Government Junior

 Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:30 to around 6 or 7 I could be found in the Office of Senator Jose Menendez. As a legislative/ communications intern everyday was something different. Like always I would get to the office and check my email for assignments from my Chief of Staff, which were always a priority, or other assignments from my legislative/ communications director. My assignments basically included writing press releases on certain bills or expressing the Senator’s opinion on a bad bill that would harm a lot of Texas residents. I also drafted op-eds on certain bills like David’s Law and SB 269, which legalizes medical marijuana for people that have a disabling disease.  If it wasn’t either of those I would update the press list or write constituency letters, which was a weekly if not daily task. If there was a bill we were going to lay out on the floor or if there was a hearing, my legislative director and I would work on putting together the Senator’s bill book, which included the bill text, the committee sub, talking points, questions, and supporting documents. If it was a highly controversial bill or a bill we had gotten some push back for it was my job to do extra research to ensure our talking points and arguments could be as strong as they could with powerful supporting evidence. For example with SB 13 I had to do extra research about Supreme Court precedent that would aid us in stopping even more intense and unnecessary voting identification.  At times I would also go with my Chief of Staff or Legislative Director to the Senate floor and bring the necessary materials while it was in order. I also went to State Affairs meetings with my director and took notes on all the questions that were asked on one of our bills. By around four o clock if we weren’t working on any bill book or bill, I would finish all of my tasks and ask what I could help with next. Usually that meant either meeting with constituents if needed, or write a draft for another press release or anything else needed that day for communications. After I finished all my work, I would leave at around 6 pm on a non-hectic day. 

Position: Legislative Intern, Senator Brandon Creighton
Student: Government Senior

I have interned for Senator Creighton for almost a year now, and I can honestly say no two days have ever been the same. The biggest difference lies between the interim and session. During the interim I had limited tasks to accomplish and honestly I was often bored. Session on the other hand could not have been more opposite. Every day, I answered the phones and met with individuals who walk into our office. The traffic associated with these tasks can vary. Somedays the phones ring off the hook and our office door becomes revolving so that it is difficult to accomplish any other tasks.  Also, I was in charge of responding to any personalized emails or letters. This required me to put the email or letter into our database called CMS and then draft a response to the letter, get the Senator to approve the response and make any changes he desired and then get the response letter mailed out and close out the case in CMS.

My other big responsibility is assisting with the Criminal Justice Committee. That consists of keeping track of what bills are going to be heard in committee, attending a staff briefing on Friday and Monday mornings, and attending the committee hearing on Tuesday afternoons. Along with doing the bill tracks for each bill being heard in committee that weeks. Bill tacks are where the staff analyzes the bills being heard, gives their recommendation for how their boss should vote, and lists any stakeholders the Senator may have for a particular bill, so he or she is informed and prepared to make a decision in committee.

I also get assigned random little tasks to help make our office run as smooth as possible. Overall, I have really enjoyed my internship and the individuals I work with. I have learned more than I thought possible throughout this experience and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning about the legislative process. 

Fall 2016  

Position: Legislative Intern, Senator Sylvia Garcia
Student: American Studies Senior

This semester I was a legislative intern for State Senator Sylvia Garcia. I worked in 4.5 hour shifts every other day of the week; I usually worked at the same time as another intern so we would split office duties like answering the phone and greeting visitors. As a legislative intern, my main responsibility was to conduct research for our staff members.

There isn’t really a typical day in my office because there is always a new and different assignment to work on. I usually begin the day by checking my state email and checking in with my boss. If I don’t have an assignment to work on I will read the legislative clippings on CapWeb or the news. Otherwise, I will get to work on whatever assignment our legislative director or policy analysts need help with. My assignments are primarily to compile and analyze research for things like potential bill ideas and committee hearings. One of my favorite research assignments was to create my own policy proposals. Working on bill research is pretty cool because you are doing work that is actually useful and meaningful, but sometimes the research can be pretty mundane, like creating spreadsheets on private school tuition rates. In addition to research responsibilities, the other interns and I share pretty typical intern duties like answering the phone, calling the messengers, watering the plants, office inventory etc. Like any office, some days are slower than other. Because it’s not session, our Capitol office can be pretty empty sometimes, and there are sometimes days when nobody calls; other days are filled with enough calls, meetings, and research to make the time fly by.

My favorite part of this internship was working on creating bills. It’s nice to have an internship where you feel like you are actually contributing and are valued for more than just getting coffee. 

Fall 2019

Position: Policy Intern
Student: Government Senior

I intern at the Texas Public Policy Foundation at 901 Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas. My internship is geared towards young conservatives who value the principles of liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise. If you do not believe in conservative ideas, it does not mean by any means that working at the Foundation is not for you. Everyone I have met at the Foundation has the kindest soul and the warmest heart. It is very motivating to be surrounding with prominent individuals who want to see you thrive.

I have also realized that even though I am surrounded by people with master’s and doctoral degrees, there is so much more to people at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. For example, I quickly found out that a lawyer at TPPF is not just a lawyer. Every person at the Foundation has a deeper love for what they do and is truly committed to their work.

An intern’s typical day can be rather different depending on what center they work in. For example, if someone is a communications intern, their day would look very different from mine, which consists of policy intern tasks. All interns only have to work 15 hours a week during the long semester. This past semester, I was blessed to work with Emily Sass, the Policy Director for TPPF’s Center for Innovation in Education. My policy area was K-12 education.

I am beyond grateful for the versatile internship that the Foundation offered me. Each day was different from the next. Some days I would get to help with special events, such as events on the War on Poverty or Higher Education Free Speech. Each day I also got to spend just a couple hours at the front desk, which helped me hone my communication skills and meet important policymakers in the political arena. Most days, however, I worked on legislative and judicial research. I read through so many Texas Supreme Court opinions and analyzed many pieces of legislation.

Spring 2018

Position: Congressional Intern, Roger Williams
Student: Government Junior

My internship in the office of Congressman Roger Williams has been a fantastic experience. I learned much about the political process and grew further in my career aspirations. I have worked this semester as a “Congressional Intern.” A typical “Day in the Life” for my internship involved lots of hard work. I would arrive at the office on my work days typically around 12:00 PM and be there until 5:00 PM. The first task I complete when arriving in the office is to check to see if any constituents left any voicemails. To do this, I open up Google Chrome and click on the voicemail tab. I then carefully take note of the name, date, and contact information left by each individual. We put this information into a database called “IQ” to keep track of each message. Later on, my supervisor responds to the needs of each message left by a constituent. This can come in the form of a personal letter or phone call. The next item I would take care of at the office on a regular day would be to go and get the mail. Congressman Williams receives many letters and invitations from his constituents asking for his attendance. This mail is very key to Congressman Williams having a strong relationship with his district population. After this, I usually listen to audio-transcripts of speeches given by the Congressman. Listening to these intently, I type out the speech word for word so the Congressman can have a record of his political engagements. This can take a lot of time and is very detailed work. Another area I participate in during my internship is public policy research. This is by far the most enjoyable task I work on at the office. My supervisor has me study new bills and legislation that is currently being circulated through Washington. It is so interesting to know the ins and outs of each new policy issue and how legislators seek to find creative solutions to better aid our everyday lives as Americans. My internship site is a beautiful place to be at. It is nine floors high in an office building across the street from the Texas State Capitol. In the hallway outside my office, one can see amazing views of the Capitol and the surrounding area. There are also two other employees who work in the Austin office with me. There is a “District Chief of Staff” and a “Staff Assistant.” Both are full-time employees and are obviously higher than myself on the totem pole.

Summer 2016

Position: Congressional Intern, Michael McCaul
Student: Government Sophomore

This summer I worked as a Congressional Intern in the Austin District office of U.S. Congressman Michael T. McCaul, who represents the 10th Congressional District of Texas. Congressman McCaul’s district includes Travis, Harris, Fayette, Austin, Colorado, Waller, Washington, Bastrop, and Lee counties; all of the citizens in these counties are constituents of Congressman McCaul. The function of the Austin District office is to serve these constituents and communicate to McCaul’s offices in DC, Katy, Brenham, and Humble.

My work schedule has consistently been Monday through Thursday, 9:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. My supervisor was very flexible when setting up my schedule and she understood that school was the priority. She was also understanding of vacation time during the summer and I was able to take time off to vacation during two separate weeks. The office is a small and quiet environment. There are only four other staff members total and there is usually only one intern working at the same time as I do; I like this environment because there is a dominant energy of focus, but there is still the presence of your team that can assist with any task. My first task of the day would be to check the voice mail, recording the callers name, number, and their message, then I would send all of them to my supervisor. After that, my supervisor sometimes asks me to return some of the calls to either direct the constituent to our website resources or to ask for more information to help them. Other projects through out my day include drafting letters and certificates to be sent to businesses and constituents in the district. I also answer all of the phone calls that come in during the morning. On the phone I assist veterans, senior citizens, immigrants, and other constituents who can be assisted through our office. If the media calls, I direct them to our media coordinator. At the end of the day I get the mail from downstairs and then head out for class just before rush hour at lunch.

Fall 2016  

Position: Congressional Intern, Lloyd Doggett
Student: Economics Sophomore

Interning at the Austin District Office of Congressman Lloyd Doggett is an incredibly rewarding experience. In a typical day, you learn more about the government process and the federal bureaucracy than you thought there was to know, even though the reach of intern duties is fairly small - we mainly deal with constituents on a daily basis. 

The first thing interns do in the office each day is sort emails, routing each email to the legislative aid that deals with the thing it's most closely related to. Although this work may sometimes seem monotonous, it is integral to the government process. Constituent concerns must be relayed if any legislation is to be made, and email is the most common form of communication that they interact with us with. Some constituents do call in their opinions to the district office, and interns are responsible for fielding those concerns as well. This is probably the biggest responsibility you will have at the office, because everything you say is taken as the word of the Congressman himself.  On occasion, interns are responsible for sending letters of congratulations or condolence to constituents, which is incredibly important because these are things that people treasure if they are done well. We also communicate with federal agencies on behalf of constituents, which we call "casework." This is supervised heavily, with each communication being edited and re-edited by staff members.

The time commitment for the internship is what you choose. Your schedule will be the same each week, and they understand if you need to call in sick or take a day off to study. There are some district events that are typically after normal work hours, but those are all optional and you will be asked if you can attend, not told to. All in all, the more you are willing to give the more you will get from the internship.   

Position: District Intern, Lloyd Doggett
Student: History Senior

Interning for Congressman Lloyd Doggett is a great experience! Working in a district office for a politician is a lot of fun and is full of learning opportunities.

Interns are required to work 15 hours a week and to attend at least one event with the Congressman. The number of hours you typically work varies depending on your schedule but it will generally be at least three or so hours. Most of the responsibilities for interns are the same: answer phones and assist staff members. Answering the phones is probably the most important job for interns. Interns must make sure to get the proper spelling of a caller’s name, their address and correct spelling, their phone number (and whether or not it is a cell/home/business phone number), email address, and their reason for calling. Interns then need to update the caller’s profile in the office’s online record system and add a comment stating why they called. Interns must also add mail for the appropriate staff member in the online record system. Phone calls can run the gamut from recording messages for constituents, to properly routing calls to the appropriate staff member, to ticket requests for the White House or for flag requests. It is important to always be polite when speaking with constituents on the phone and to refrain from giving out personal opinions. It is also imperative that interns do not give out information about the Congressman’s whereabouts.

When the staff members don’t have any assignments for you to work on, interns can do an event search for local events the Congressman can attend, can do an obituary search and update people’s profiles in the online record system, and they can search the online record system for duplicate profiles. Interns in the morning are largely responsible for going through Exception, which is the Congressman’s email, and routing the emails to the appropriate staff member. Afternoon interns are responsible for sorting and properly filing the incoming mail and newspapers and taking down the outgoing mail.

Spring 2016

Position: Congressional Intern, Michael McCaul
Student: Philosophy/Liberal Arts Honors Sophomore

I am interning at the district office of Congressman Michael McCaul. Our office represents the tenth congressional district of Texas. I work three times a week. My daily tasks include answering phones when constituents call, and helping direct their call to the right person or talking to them about their questions, comments, and answer any questions they may have and best direct them to the best track. I also help organize casework that the office receives by either sending it to caseworkers that assist constituents in the tenth district, or refer the casework to the proper representative should someone send in something that is not in our district.

There are also various assignments that arise day to day. Sometimes it’s calling back constituents who have left voicemails and assisting them, sometimes its researching for certificates that will be drafted and sent to congressional honorees, greeting constituents who come into the office, I may help organize mail that the office receives via email or by physical mail. I have completed other various tasks as much of what I do depends on who is contacted the office and what our tasks and goals are for the week.

In general, our office is concerned with assisting constituents with their casework needs and keeping up with and reaching out to constituents throughout our entire district. Legislative issues are primarily handled by our office in Washington DC. While we still receive calls from constituents who would like to voice their opinions and the Congressman takes these opinions into consideration while drafting and voting on legislation, we do not typically receive as many of these calls as the DC office does.

My favorite thing that our office did during my time here was the Congressional Art Competition. Students from around the district were given the opportunity to submit artwork that would be voted on and, if deemed the winner, would be displayed in the Cannon tunnel leading into the US Capitol building. I work with the other people in the office to help accomplish their goals and assist them.

Summer 2017

Position: Congressional Intern, Ted Cruz
Student: Government Junior

I spent the summer of 2017 interning with United States Senator Ted Cruz’s Central Texas Office. Having worked in congressional offices before, I sort of knew what to expect; but, this was my first internship with a United States Senator. The guy represents 27 million Texans, so I knew the workload would be a lot heavier, but I still was not sure what to expect. A typical day in my life as an intern from 9am – 4pm, in which I played various roles and handled a variety of tasks throughout the day. The absolute very first thing I did everyday was check in with my supervisor and ask what was on the agenda for the day, given that there are many of the different tasks we have done this summer. She would give me the run down for the day and then I would settle into my desk and start my day. One of the tasks that is ongoing from the moment you step into the office, from the moment you leave, is answering phones. Representing 27 million Texans, Senator Cruz’s office tends to receive a high volume of calls, also given the fact that he has become a national figure after the 2016 Presidential Race. Most of the calls were from constituents, wanting to get answers to questions they may have, voice their concerns, or get assistance with a federal agency. Being in the casework hub office, there were a lot of casework related phone calls. Besides phones, the daily tasks ranged from opening mail to folding flags to drafting letters to local officials. One of the most rewarding tasks I helped with were the Academy Nominations, helping outstanding kids fulfill their dreams of serving our country. The most heartbreaking tasks were the condolence letters, knowing that that young man or woman died serving our country breaks my heart for their parents. Overall, there was not a single day that went by where I did not learn something new or have the chance to grow professionally and spiritually. It is a very humbling experience to talk to Texans experiencing some of the hardships in life and being able to assist them in getting help with a federal agency. 

Spring 2015

Position: Federal Senate Office Intern, Ted Cruz
Student: Government Freshman

A typical day at Senator Ted Cruz’s Federal Office starts by figuring out what you’re assigned to that day. There are three possible options, outreach, casework, or phones. Outreach involves doing tasks that connect the Senator’s office to the people of Texas. Sometimes you look through small town newspapers to find honorable Texans to recognize. Other times you research incidents in Texas in order to have a better understanding of how constituents are feeling or perceiving an issue.

Casework involves working with a specific caseworker on whatever they need help with. Often casework entails going through old cases and making sure that they have been properly closed and that all parties involved are satisfied. It often involves reading letters from constituents requesting help and trying to figure out how you can help them. Caseworkers love to answer questions about the issues they deal with and the agencies they work with. A lot of casework issues are complicated and involve a thorough understanding of policy, which is extremely useful to know.

Phones, my personal favorite, always leads to a very interesting day. When there’s a low volume of calls, you have a chance to independently research current affairs. There are always plenty of articles to read and readings for the internship to keep you occupied between calls. Hearing from the people of Texas is very interesting because there is such a wide range of opinions. When someone calls with a question, you answer it on behalf of the Senator using talking points or press releases.

Position: Intern, Ted Cruz
Student: Government Junior

A typical day in the life at the office of United States Senator Ted Cruz usually begins with checking your senate email account in order be up to date on any pressing issues that might make a difference when answering phone calls and talking to constituents.

After scanning through any new or relevant emails, I will usually scan different news outlets in order to have a broad context about any current issues happening in the United States or abroad. Keeping up with current events is one of the most important aspects of this internship, because if you are unable to provide factual information to constituents, you are of very little use to the process. Constituents who pay taxes deserve an office that runs efficiently and that can provide them with a medium for information as well as a place to voice their concerns and opinions to their Congressman.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is, of course, regular office work that involves making copies, faxing, organizing, etc. This is also important to the process because each liaison at the office deals with a specific category of people. On these days, the Intern is assigned to “casework.” This casework simply involves helping the respective liaison with their own personal work. With the large number of constituents within Texas, it is easy for these liaisons to get bogged-down with cases, so I am confident the availability of an Intern to help with their work is a relief.

Spring 2023

Position: Legislative Intern, Senator Brandon Creighton
Student: Government and Economics Freshman

This semester, I had the privilege to be a legislative Intern for Texas Senator Brandon Creighton’s office. As a resident of the Senator’s district, I was able to reach out and go through the application process with a resident within the Senator’s district. I was able to obtain this internship by reaching out to his office and interviewing with the staff. My role as a legislative intern consists of commuting to the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays for around 7 hours per day, which allows me to balance my school and work life. 

My day-to-day duties vary greatly, as there are always new tasks daily, whether it was helping staff draft bills to ordering lunch for the office. At first, it can seem intimidating at first, but I was able to settle in comfortably by getting to know the staff on a more personal level and what the office environment was like. However, some consistent duties I had included recording constituent correspondence, whether it was through phone calls or emails, which would be logged into the Capitol correspondence management system (CMS). Since my Senator is the Chair of the Education Committee, his email gets flooded with many requests or oppositions, especially if the bills are controversial. As I staffed the front of the office, I was able to meet with a multitude of people, from lobbyists to activists to talk about specific legislation issues or concerns they had. I was able to attend staff briefings to look at the proposed legislation and meet with the Education Committee often to discuss bills. My favorite part about this internship was helping out the Communications Director, such as designing flyers to present our bills in an easy-to-understand manner and handling any marketing communications such as updating the website and newsletter. The day honestly goes by very quickly as most days, especially towards the end of the session are very hectic and busy, but are very rewarding. There are also opportunities for other staff or interns to network at receptions or happy hours, and they are a great way to get to know fellow staff members better as well! Overall, this internship has provided me with a rare insight into Texas legislation and has given me a memorable experience!       

Summer 2019

Position: Intern, Senator Jane Nelson
Student: Anthropology Senior

The Capitol has two different sides, one side is a bustling scene of lobbyists and interest groups delivering speeches advocating for a specific cause, phones that never stop ringing with concerned constituents asking questions and sharing their opinion, and staff running around trying to get the bills that they have worked on for months passed. The other side depicts a quiet office, the phones ringing less frequently, state officials returning to their home district, and staff feeling a sense of relief since session has concluded. Both sides have one thing in common, an intern at the desk answering phone calls from constituents, following bills, and helping staff members with whatever they need.

Working at Senator Nelson’s office means that you are working for the people of Senate District 12, and it is my role as an intern to help staff members organize legislation, communicate with constituents who call or visit the office, and relay to the Senator and staff what constituents are concerned about or need help with. If constituents call into the office with specific questions or seeking help, it is my job to research that specific topic and gather any relevant information that will answer the question at hand or will help lead the caller in the right direction to find help.

Throughout my time at the office, I have inputted correspondence into the computer management system, organized pieces of legislation and notes that are passed onto Senator Nelson while she is on the Senate floor or in a committee meeting, and I have also run errands to other state representatives’ offices to gather pertinent information. I have easily balanced my internship and school schedule, and the staff has been supportive of my studies and my future plans. Overall, I have found my internship at Senator Nelson’s office to be a worthwhile experience both during session and interim, and I would recommend this internship to my peers.

Fall 2017

Position: Administrative Aide, Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Student: Government Senior

Currently, I intern for the Office of State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., who represents Senate District 27 in the Rio Grande Valley. As administrative aide, I am assigned tasks such as handling constituent requests, developing special recognitions for events, answering phone calls, greeting guests, and analyzing bills in effect from previous legislative sessions. I am also taking 15 credit hours this semester and work 20 hours a week at my internship site. I work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while attending school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This way, I am able to dedicate myself to both school and my internship, commuting in between the University of Texas and the Texas Capitol.

A regular week begins with a staff conference call on Mondays at 8:00 A.M. to discuss pending calendar events, special announcements, and legislative projects. Afterwards, I review Senator Lucio’s state account emails and forward them to his chief of staff, while distributing the physical mail as well. I also collect and distribute the physical mail from over the weekend to the local internal staff. If there is any correspondence that must be sent to the district offices, I prepare an overnight package and send them accordingly. We communicate daily with Senator Lucio’s three district offices located in South Texas to assist facilitating his schedule. After completing these responsibilities, I clean the refrigerator with any food left over from last week and re-stock kitchen supplies. My work day also consists of answering phone calls, greeting guests, lobbyists, other state legislators, local and statewide politicians, and most importantly, Senator Lucio’s constituency. From time to time, we greet individuals wanting to take a look at our marvelous view of Congress Avenue. As an administrative intern, it is important to monitor calendar events because I am responsible in preparing gavels and proclamations as a recognition on behalf of Senator Lucio. Furthermore, it is important that I maintain contact with the internal postal office because of frequent time sensitive incoming correspondence. Working in this professional environment is rewarding – during holiday celebrations, students from all over the state perform live entertainment in the main rotunda with respect to the specific holiday. For example, on Mexican Independence Day, a band of student Mariachis played with authentic instruments as guests visiting the Capitol joined in to sing. It’s the little things that make working in such a diverse and friendly environment a memorable experience.  

Spring 2017

Position: Office Intern, Senator Bob Hall 
Student: Health & Society Junior

For the Spring 2017 semester I interned for State Senator Bob Hall at the Texas Capitol. Working in the Capitol is an incredible opportunity to gain invaluable experience and create lasting relationships that will further your career. The Capitol is full of knowledgeable individuals that are willing to teach (if they have time) and vital resources for those interested in government. To give a “day in the life” description of my internship is difficult, as days at the Capitol (especially during session) vary greatly. Additionally, tasks of an intern rarely include hanging out with the Governor, giving key advice to a Legislator, or heling draft a bill that saves millions of lives and dollars. However, the life of an intern at the Capitol is still interesting and worthwhile, even when it sometimes takes a reminder or two that the internship is worth it in the long run. 

Typically, Legislators are flexible with the hours that their intern works, and allow a schedule that revolves around classes. So, an intern will typically arrive to the office after class, may change into formal clothes in one of the Capitol bathrooms, and then head to one of the hundreds of offices in the extension building. Upon arriving to the office, the intern will likely have a list of tasks for the day, and if not, will need to ask the immediate supervisor for any tasks that need completed or assisting on. These tasks may range from filing papers to calling constituents, and all need to be done in an efficient manner, as the interns hours may be limited due to other activities. There of course are other activities that will need to be completed, but the tasks to greatly vary, and always include a learning curve. Regardless of the activities, the intern will be offered a rare peek into how the Texas government functions, which is worth it all. 

Position: Senatorial Intern, Senator Brock Miles
Student: Psychology Junior

Congrats! You have landed yourself the elusive intern job at the stately Texas Capitol as a Legislative Intern for the Texas Senate. Every other year the Texas Capitol is flooded with fresh new faces who’ve watched a little too much House of Cards and are ready to start making big changes. This can be a very exciting time as well as a very fast paced one. Depending on whether you’re in school, your other time commitments, and if you’re part of a internship program legislative interns are either full time or part time. With part time there is flexibility of hours but with full time the typical hours are 9-5 and as session gets further into April and May you may be asked to stay later to assist with last minute legislation and briefings or attend hearings.

The workload also varies with your time commitment and what committees you get assigned to for your Senator. There are 12 standing committees in the Texas Senate. Due to this wide range of committees there is something of interest for everyone and always room to learn. With that being said here are some typical duties interns usually handle on a daily basis when they are at the Capitol. Interns will answer constituent calls and mail and enter their opinions into a Correspondence Management System- CMS for short. Especially when controversial bills are being heard interns will get flooded with phone calls and mail. As an intern you will also meet with a multitude of people regarding legislation. That group will consist of constituents, activist groups, lobbyists, lawyers, Senate and House staff members, organization heads, and even other Senators and House of Representatives. You will also attend briefings and hearings to track your Senator’s bills or other important bills of interest and brainstorm ideas of potential bills to either draft, companion, or sign on to. And most importantly as something that is famously said in the Capitol, “the Capitol is like a highschool” so not only will you network and schmooze during the day but once 5 o’clock hits you get the opportunity to network and schmooze at various receptions and happy hours and hopefully land another job working either in the interim or next session.

Position: Legislative Internship, Senator Konni Burton
Student: Government Junior

From January 9th to May 29th of 2017, I have had the distinct privilege of being a legislative intern in the office of State Senator Konni Burton (R-10). I worked three days a week, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 9:00 to 5:00 (or sometimes 6:00). I had the opportunity to work under some incredibly smart people that I had an amazing time getting to know. Although the environment was a little intimidating right at first, I pretty quickly felt comfortable in my role in the office. While I am sure every internship is different, generally speaking, I think it is pretty much understood that you should not walk in thinking that all of sudden you own the place. The very first task I was asked to do on January 9th was to shred papers, and that’s okay! If you give it time, do the things you are supposed to do to the best of your ability, and make a concerted effort to engage with the people that you work for, it is very likely that you won’t have to wait too long before the people you work with start trusting you with more important tasks. Throughout the internship, I did a host of different things, including attending staff briefings with a senior staff member, helping prepare binders that Senator Burton used during committee hearings and floor debate, talking with constituents via phone and email to record their opinions and report them into the Correspondence Management System. I’ll admit that the work isn’t always glamorous, but believe me, that doesn’t mean that the other people in the office don't appreciate the work that you do. Always show up on time, do as your told to do, and offer to go above and beyond of what is required. It may just end in a potential job opportunity!

Position: Legislative Intern, Senator Kirk Watson
Student: Government Junior 

For my internship with Sen. Watson I wake up at 7:30 and work until 12 or 12:30 depending on the day. It’s important to note that most Reps./Sens. are flexible and will work to accommodate your schedule if you are a full time student. Most interns work 15 hours a week +-5. 12 is the lowest I have heard of someone working, the highest being around 40-60 hours for those who work full time during session. After ‘suiting up’ you will drive/walk/bus down to the Capitol. Once there you present your Capitol ID to the guards then you will descend into the Capitol’s catacombs or stay on the main floor if your rep has seniority. Once getting into the office the first thing you’ll need to do is log into your email to see if there are any priority items you’ve been assigned. After that it will highly depend on the office you are in and the level of responsibility you have. The first thing I do after checking my emails is call/email the sergeant at arms to see what pages showed up today. The Capitol has a program where parents can sign their child up to work with the senate messengers through their State Senator. Being that Sen. Watson represents the Austin area we have a lot of parents who want their kids involved in the program. After that I print out certificates for the kids and grab a picture of them with the Senator on the senate floor or in his office (you can see my photography skills on his social media). After that, if there is a Senate Resolution I will go into the gallery and give it to the group who is being recognized. The majority of the work that interns do in the office is called CMS correspondent management system. Being that they are elected officials someone has to service and respond to their constituents and interns get stuck with this. CMS revolves around emails, phone calls, and letters from constituents. You take down what they are talking about and then log their opinion on the matter in the data base so that we can send a letter out to them. On certain days lobbyists come to the office to speak with the Sen. or staffers and bring lunch, which rocks. All in all it is hard to say what a typical day is as when the session is going on it’s highly erratic. 

Position: Legislative Internship, Senator Menendez
Student: Government Junior

 Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:30 to around 6 or 7 I could be found in the Office of Senator Jose Menendez. As a legislative/ communications intern everyday was something different. Like always I would get to the office and check my email for assignments from my Chief of Staff, which were always a priority, or other assignments from my legislative/ communications director. My assignments basically included writing press releases on certain bills or expressing the Senator’s opinion on a bad bill that would harm a lot of Texas residents. I also drafted op-eds on certain bills like David’s Law and SB 269, which legalizes medical marijuana for people that have a disabling disease.  If it wasn’t either of those I would update the press list or write constituency letters, which was a weekly if not daily task. If there was a bill we were going to lay out on the floor or if there was a hearing, my legislative director and I would work on putting together the Senator’s bill book, which included the bill text, the committee sub, talking points, questions, and supporting documents. If it was a highly controversial bill or a bill we had gotten some push back for it was my job to do extra research to ensure our talking points and arguments could be as strong as they could with powerful supporting evidence. For example with SB 13 I had to do extra research about Supreme Court precedent that would aid us in stopping even more intense and unnecessary voting identification.  At times I would also go with my Chief of Staff or Legislative Director to the Senate floor and bring the necessary materials while it was in order. I also went to State Affairs meetings with my director and took notes on all the questions that were asked on one of our bills. By around four o clock if we weren’t working on any bill book or bill, I would finish all of my tasks and ask what I could help with next. Usually that meant either meeting with constituents if needed, or write a draft for another press release or anything else needed that day for communications. After I finished all my work, I would leave at around 6 pm on a non-hectic day. 

Position: Legislative Intern, Senator Brandon Creighton
Student: Government Senior

I have interned for Senator Creighton for almost a year now, and I can honestly say no two days have ever been the same. The biggest difference lies between the interim and session. During the interim I had limited tasks to accomplish and honestly I was often bored. Session on the other hand could not have been more opposite. Every day, I answered the phones and met with individuals who walk into our office. The traffic associated with these tasks can vary. Somedays the phones ring off the hook and our office door becomes revolving so that it is difficult to accomplish any other tasks.  Also, I was in charge of responding to any personalized emails or letters. This required me to put the email or letter into our database called CMS and then draft a response to the letter, get the Senator to approve the response and make any changes he desired and then get the response letter mailed out and close out the case in CMS.

My other big responsibility is assisting with the Criminal Justice Committee. That consists of keeping track of what bills are going to be heard in committee, attending a staff briefing on Friday and Monday mornings, and attending the committee hearing on Tuesday afternoons. Along with doing the bill tracks for each bill being heard in committee that weeks. Bill tacks are where the staff analyzes the bills being heard, gives their recommendation for how their boss should vote, and lists any stakeholders the Senator may have for a particular bill, so he or she is informed and prepared to make a decision in committee.

I also get assigned random little tasks to help make our office run as smooth as possible. Overall, I have really enjoyed my internship and the individuals I work with. I have learned more than I thought possible throughout this experience and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning about the legislative process. 

Fall 2016  

Position: Legislative Intern, Senator Sylvia Garcia
Student: American Studies Senior

This semester I was a legislative intern for State Senator Sylvia Garcia. I worked in 4.5 hour shifts every other day of the week; I usually worked at the same time as another intern so we would split office duties like answering the phone and greeting visitors. As a legislative intern, my main responsibility was to conduct research for our staff members.

There isn’t really a typical day in my office because there is always a new and different assignment to work on. I usually begin the day by checking my state email and checking in with my boss. If I don’t have an assignment to work on I will read the legislative clippings on CapWeb or the news. Otherwise, I will get to work on whatever assignment our legislative director or policy analysts need help with. My assignments are primarily to compile and analyze research for things like potential bill ideas and committee hearings. One of my favorite research assignments was to create my own policy proposals. Working on bill research is pretty cool because you are doing work that is actually useful and meaningful, but sometimes the research can be pretty mundane, like creating spreadsheets on private school tuition rates. In addition to research responsibilities, the other interns and I share pretty typical intern duties like answering the phone, calling the messengers, watering the plants, office inventory etc. Like any office, some days are slower than other. Because it’s not session, our Capitol office can be pretty empty sometimes, and there are sometimes days when nobody calls; other days are filled with enough calls, meetings, and research to make the time fly by.

My favorite part of this internship was working on creating bills. It’s nice to have an internship where you feel like you are actually contributing and are valued for more than just getting coffee. 

Fall 2019

Position: Policy Intern
Student: Government Senior

I intern at the Texas Public Policy Foundation at 901 Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas. My internship is geared towards young conservatives who value the principles of liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise. If you do not believe in conservative ideas, it does not mean by any means that working at the Foundation is not for you. Everyone I have met at the Foundation has the kindest soul and the warmest heart. It is very motivating to be surrounding with prominent individuals who want to see you thrive.

I have also realized that even though I am surrounded by people with master’s and doctoral degrees, there is so much more to people at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. For example, I quickly found out that a lawyer at TPPF is not just a lawyer. Every person at the Foundation has a deeper love for what they do and is truly committed to their work.

An intern’s typical day can be rather different depending on what center they work in. For example, if someone is a communications intern, their day would look very different from mine, which consists of policy intern tasks. All interns only have to work 15 hours a week during the long semester. This past semester, I was blessed to work with Emily Sass, the Policy Director for TPPF’s Center for Innovation in Education. My policy area was K-12 education.

I am beyond grateful for the versatile internship that the Foundation offered me. Each day was different from the next. Some days I would get to help with special events, such as events on the War on Poverty or Higher Education Free Speech. Each day I also got to spend just a couple hours at the front desk, which helped me hone my communication skills and meet important policymakers in the political arena. Most days, however, I worked on legislative and judicial research. I read through so many Texas Supreme Court opinions and analyzed many pieces of legislation.

Spring 2018

Position: Congressional Intern, Roger Williams
Student: Government Junior

My internship in the office of Congressman Roger Williams has been a fantastic experience. I learned much about the political process and grew further in my career aspirations. I have worked this semester as a “Congressional Intern.” A typical “Day in the Life” for my internship involved lots of hard work. I would arrive at the office on my work days typically around 12:00 PM and be there until 5:00 PM. The first task I complete when arriving in the office is to check to see if any constituents left any voicemails. To do this, I open up Google Chrome and click on the voicemail tab. I then carefully take note of the name, date, and contact information left by each individual. We put this information into a database called “IQ” to keep track of each message. Later on, my supervisor responds to the needs of each message left by a constituent. This can come in the form of a personal letter or phone call. The next item I would take care of at the office on a regular day would be to go and get the mail. Congressman Williams receives many letters and invitations from his constituents asking for his attendance. This mail is very key to Congressman Williams having a strong relationship with his district population. After this, I usually listen to audio-transcripts of speeches given by the Congressman. Listening to these intently, I type out the speech word for word so the Congressman can have a record of his political engagements. This can take a lot of time and is very detailed work. Another area I participate in during my internship is public policy research. This is by far the most enjoyable task I work on at the office. My supervisor has me study new bills and legislation that is currently being circulated through Washington. It is so interesting to know the ins and outs of each new policy issue and how legislators seek to find creative solutions to better aid our everyday lives as Americans. My internship site is a beautiful place to be at. It is nine floors high in an office building across the street from the Texas State Capitol. In the hallway outside my office, one can see amazing views of the Capitol and the surrounding area. There are also two other employees who work in the Austin office with me. There is a “District Chief of Staff” and a “Staff Assistant.” Both are full-time employees and are obviously higher than myself on the totem pole.

Summer 2016

Position: Congressional Intern, Michael McCaul
Student: Government Sophomore

This summer I worked as a Congressional Intern in the Austin District office of U.S. Congressman Michael T. McCaul, who represents the 10th Congressional District of Texas. Congressman McCaul’s district includes Travis, Harris, Fayette, Austin, Colorado, Waller, Washington, Bastrop, and Lee counties; all of the citizens in these counties are constituents of Congressman McCaul. The function of the Austin District office is to serve these constituents and communicate to McCaul’s offices in DC, Katy, Brenham, and Humble.

My work schedule has consistently been Monday through Thursday, 9:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. My supervisor was very flexible when setting up my schedule and she understood that school was the priority. She was also understanding of vacation time during the summer and I was able to take time off to vacation during two separate weeks. The office is a small and quiet environment. There are only four other staff members total and there is usually only one intern working at the same time as I do; I like this environment because there is a dominant energy of focus, but there is still the presence of your team that can assist with any task. My first task of the day would be to check the voice mail, recording the callers name, number, and their message, then I would send all of them to my supervisor. After that, my supervisor sometimes asks me to return some of the calls to either direct the constituent to our website resources or to ask for more information to help them. Other projects through out my day include drafting letters and certificates to be sent to businesses and constituents in the district. I also answer all of the phone calls that come in during the morning. On the phone I assist veterans, senior citizens, immigrants, and other constituents who can be assisted through our office. If the media calls, I direct them to our media coordinator. At the end of the day I get the mail from downstairs and then head out for class just before rush hour at lunch.

Fall 2016  

Position: Congressional Intern, Lloyd Doggett
Student: Economics Sophomore

Interning at the Austin District Office of Congressman Lloyd Doggett is an incredibly rewarding experience. In a typical day, you learn more about the government process and the federal bureaucracy than you thought there was to know, even though the reach of intern duties is fairly small - we mainly deal with constituents on a daily basis. 

The first thing interns do in the office each day is sort emails, routing each email to the legislative aid that deals with the thing it's most closely related to. Although this work may sometimes seem monotonous, it is integral to the government process. Constituent concerns must be relayed if any legislation is to be made, and email is the most common form of communication that they interact with us with. Some constituents do call in their opinions to the district office, and interns are responsible for fielding those concerns as well. This is probably the biggest responsibility you will have at the office, because everything you say is taken as the word of the Congressman himself.  On occasion, interns are responsible for sending letters of congratulations or condolence to constituents, which is incredibly important because these are things that people treasure if they are done well. We also communicate with federal agencies on behalf of constituents, which we call "casework." This is supervised heavily, with each communication being edited and re-edited by staff members.

The time commitment for the internship is what you choose. Your schedule will be the same each week, and they understand if you need to call in sick or take a day off to study. There are some district events that are typically after normal work hours, but those are all optional and you will be asked if you can attend, not told to. All in all, the more you are willing to give the more you will get from the internship.   

Position: District Intern, Lloyd Doggett
Student: History Senior

Interning for Congressman Lloyd Doggett is a great experience! Working in a district office for a politician is a lot of fun and is full of learning opportunities.

Interns are required to work 15 hours a week and to attend at least one event with the Congressman. The number of hours you typically work varies depending on your schedule but it will generally be at least three or so hours. Most of the responsibilities for interns are the same: answer phones and assist staff members. Answering the phones is probably the most important job for interns. Interns must make sure to get the proper spelling of a caller’s name, their address and correct spelling, their phone number (and whether or not it is a cell/home/business phone number), email address, and their reason for calling. Interns then need to update the caller’s profile in the office’s online record system and add a comment stating why they called. Interns must also add mail for the appropriate staff member in the online record system. Phone calls can run the gamut from recording messages for constituents, to properly routing calls to the appropriate staff member, to ticket requests for the White House or for flag requests. It is important to always be polite when speaking with constituents on the phone and to refrain from giving out personal opinions. It is also imperative that interns do not give out information about the Congressman’s whereabouts.

When the staff members don’t have any assignments for you to work on, interns can do an event search for local events the Congressman can attend, can do an obituary search and update people’s profiles in the online record system, and they can search the online record system for duplicate profiles. Interns in the morning are largely responsible for going through Exception, which is the Congressman’s email, and routing the emails to the appropriate staff member. Afternoon interns are responsible for sorting and properly filing the incoming mail and newspapers and taking down the outgoing mail.

Spring 2016

Position: Congressional Intern, Michael McCaul
Student: Philosophy and Liberal Arts Honors Sophomore

I am interning at the district office of Congressman Michael McCaul. Our office represents the tenth congressional district of Texas. I work three times a week. My daily tasks include answering phones when constituents call, and helping direct their call to the right person or talking to them about their questions, comments, and answer any questions they may have and best direct them to the best track. I also help organize casework that the office receives by either sending it to caseworkers that assist constituents in the tenth district, or refer the casework to the proper representative should someone send in something that is not in our district.

There are also various assignments that arise day to day. Sometimes it’s calling back constituents who have left voicemails and assisting them, sometimes its researching for certificates that will be drafted and sent to congressional honorees, greeting constituents who come into the office, I may help organize mail that the office receives via email or by physical mail. I have completed other various tasks as much of what I do depends on who is contacted the office and what our tasks and goals are for the week.

In general, our office is concerned with assisting constituents with their casework needs and keeping up with and reaching out to constituents throughout our entire district. Legislative issues are primarily handled by our office in Washington DC. While we still receive calls from constituents who would like to voice their opinions and the Congressman takes these opinions into consideration while drafting and voting on legislation, we do not typically receive as many of these calls as the DC office does.

My favorite thing that our office did during my time here was the Congressional Art Competition. Students from around the district were given the opportunity to submit artwork that would be voted on and, if deemed the winner, would be displayed in the Cannon tunnel leading into the US Capitol building. I work with the other people in the office to help accomplish their goals and assist them.

Summer 2017

Position: Congressional Intern, Ted Cruz
Student: Government Junior

I spent the summer of 2017 interning with United States Senator Ted Cruz’s Central Texas Office. Having worked in congressional offices before, I sort of knew what to expect; but, this was my first internship with a United States Senator. The guy represents 27 million Texans, so I knew the workload would be a lot heavier, but I still was not sure what to expect. A typical day in my life as an intern from 9am – 4pm, in which I played various roles and handled a variety of tasks throughout the day. The absolute very first thing I did everyday was check in with my supervisor and ask what was on the agenda for the day, given that there are many of the different tasks we have done this summer. She would give me the run down for the day and then I would settle into my desk and start my day. One of the tasks that is ongoing from the moment you step into the office, from the moment you leave, is answering phones. Representing 27 million Texans, Senator Cruz’s office tends to receive a high volume of calls, also given the fact that he has become a national figure after the 2016 Presidential Race. Most of the calls were from constituents, wanting to get answers to questions they may have, voice their concerns, or get assistance with a federal agency. Being in the casework hub office, there were a lot of casework related phone calls. Besides phones, the daily tasks ranged from opening mail to folding flags to drafting letters to local officials. One of the most rewarding tasks I helped with were the Academy Nominations, helping outstanding kids fulfill their dreams of serving our country. The most heartbreaking tasks were the condolence letters, knowing that that young man or woman died serving our country breaks my heart for their parents. Overall, there was not a single day that went by where I did not learn something new or have the chance to grow professionally and spiritually. It is a very humbling experience to talk to Texans experiencing some of the hardships in life and being able to assist them in getting help with a federal agency. 

Spring 2015

Position: Federal Senate Office Intern, Ted Cruz
Student: Government Freshman

A typical day at Senator Ted Cruz’s Federal Office starts by figuring out what you’re assigned to that day. There are three possible options, outreach, casework, or phones. Outreach involves doing tasks that connect the Senator’s office to the people of Texas. Sometimes you look through small town newspapers to find honorable Texans to recognize. Other times you research incidents in Texas in order to have a better understanding of how constituents are feeling or perceiving an issue.

Casework involves working with a specific caseworker on whatever they need help with. Often casework entails going through old cases and making sure that they have been properly closed and that all parties involved are satisfied. It often involves reading letters from constituents requesting help and trying to figure out how you can help them. Caseworkers love to answer questions about the issues they deal with and the agencies they work with. A lot of casework issues are complicated and involve a thorough understanding of policy, which is extremely useful to know.

Phones, my personal favorite, always leads to a very interesting day. When there’s a low volume of calls, you have a chance to independently research current affairs. There are always plenty of articles to read and readings for the internship to keep you occupied between calls. Hearing from the people of Texas is very interesting because there is such a wide range of opinions. When someone calls with a question, you answer it on behalf of the Senator using talking points or press releases.

Position: Intern, Ted Cruz
Student: Government Junior

A typical day in the life at the office of United States Senator Ted Cruz usually begins with checking your senate email account in order be up to date on any pressing issues that might make a difference when answering phone calls and talking to constituents.

After scanning through any new or relevant emails, I will usually scan different news outlets in order to have a broad context about any current issues happening in the United States or abroad. Keeping up with current events is one of the most important aspects of this internship, because if you are unable to provide factual information to constituents, you are of very little use to the process. Constituents who pay taxes deserve an office that runs efficiently and that can provide them with a medium for information as well as a place to voice their concerns and opinions to their Congressman.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is, of course, regular office work that involves making copies, faxing, organizing, etc. This is also important to the process because each liaison at the office deals with a specific category of people. On these days, the Intern is assigned to “casework.” This casework simply involves helping the respective liaison with their own personal work. With the large number of constituents within Texas, it is easy for these liaisons to get bogged-down with cases, so I am confident the availability of an Intern to help with their work is a relief.