The experience is an opportunity to move beyond studying government and public policy in the classroom.
Five students from Texas Tech’s Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources are spending the fall semester in Washington, gaining firsthand experience in the federal government through competitive internships that place them close to the nation’s agricultural policy and legislative process.
'This fall we have expanded the number of Davis College interns in Washington and I am excited that we are growing one of the most unique opportunities available to our students.'
For the students, the experience is an opportunity to move beyond studying government and public policy in the classroom and observe how decisions are developed, debated and communicated in the nation’s capital.
Their internships place them in congressional and federal offices, where they are gaining experience in legislative affairs, constituent engagement, public communication and policy development.
“Providing students with the opportunity to see the inner workings of government gives them a unique perspective on policymaking and potential career paths,” said Lowell Randel, executive director of the Agricultural Policy Advocacy Program in Davis College.
“This fall we have expanded the number of Davis College interns in Washington and I am excited that we are growing one of the most unique opportunities available to our students,” he said.
The Davis College students participating in the fall Washington internship program are:
- Hailey Anhorn, a junior agricultural and applied economics major from Hempstead, is interning with the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
- Emma Bettencourt, a senior agricultural communications major from Visalia, California, is interning with the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture.
- Jaden Bobo, a senior natural resources management major from Lubbock, is interning in the office of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas.
- Mackenzie Gardner, a senior agribusiness major from McAdoo, is interning in the office of U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas.
- Anahi Molina, a senior agricultural and applied economics and general business major from Eagle Pass, is interning in the office of U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas.
Their placements give students opportunities to see how federal policy intersects with agriculture, natural resources, business and the interests of constituents in communities across the country.
For Davis College students, the experience also provides a closer look at the range of careers that connect agriculture with government and public service.
This fall also marks the inaugural year of a yearlong fellowship opportunity for Davis College students.
Campbell Bednar, a master of agribusiness student from Frisco, is serving in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service. The fellowship extends the Washington experience beyond a single semester and gives Bednar an opportunity to work within a federal agency focused on rural communities and economic development.
Together, the internship and fellowship programs broaden the ways Davis College students can apply their academic training in professional settings.
While working in Washington, the students will live in the university supported housing a short walk from the U.S. Capitol. The proximity gives students an unusual opportunity to experience Washington not simply as visitors, but as residents working in and around the institutions that shape national policy.
Scholarships supported by donors help offset living expenses for students participating in the Washington program, making the opportunity more accessible to Davis College students.
CONTACT: Lowell Randel, Executive Director, Agricultural Policy Advocacy Program, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-3180 or Lowell.Randel@ttu.edu
0925NM26 / Editor's Note: For additional information about the Davis College Government Intern Program, click here