At the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, two-year MPA and MPP students traditionally complete a 400 hour internship during the summer between their first and second years. This past summer, two students served the Lexington community, one represented the Martin School in Washington, D.C. and one worked for a national organization which has its headquarters in Lexington. Internships provide an on-the-job experience for students. Responsibilities range from research and reporting to constituent relations and bill-drafting.
Juanita Espinoza, an MPA student (B.A., University of Michigan ’10), held an internship with Congressman Ben Chandler’s office. “If you want to be up close and experience how government works at the federal level, go to DC and get to experience all that the Capital has to offer” Espinoza advises.
The Council of State Governments is headquartered in Lexington and is a great resource for Martin School students. In addition to providing speakers for different courses and allowing students to use their organization for group projects, they also have an internship program that allows students specifically interested in policy research and analysis to get hands-on experience. Zach Huitink, an MPP student with a B.A. from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA, worked as a Research Analyst intern working specifically with a variety of different policy issues, including state fiscal policy, state-federal fiscal relations, business taxation, and financial regulation.
Karyn Leverenz, an MPA student with a B.A. from Georgetown College, found that she was very interested in economic development after her internship with the Bluegrass Area Development District. As a Community and Economic Development Intern, Leverenz has worked on grant applications and learned about economic development issues that are most pertinent to local governments. “Dr. Wilson's professional development class helped a lot in getting the internship. Her mock interview process was really beneficial as was the resume- building. She really taught me how streamline my resume to make it the most appealing.”
At the state level, it is likely that no other office has had more Martin School interns than the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (LRC). Their Fellows Program provides an incredible look into how the legislative side of state government works. The LRC is also home to many Martin School alumni. Kris Harmon, an MPA student who graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South, is a Graduate Fellow with the Program Review and Investigations Committee. Harmon is responsible for conducting objective, non-partisan public policy research with a team of three legislative analysts, bill drafting, and providing support for legislative committee meetings. “Any student interested in policy analysis or financial management will be given the opportunity to work intimately and immediately in those disciplines.”