Many of our undergraduate students had an exciting summer completing internships. Read below to get to know our students and their summer experiences.
Name: Keelyn (Kiki) Coulson
Year: Senior
Hometown: Perrysburg, OH
Majors: English and World Politics
Internship Host: Chodosh & Chodosh Law Office
A little about my internship: I interned at Chodosh & Chodosh Law Office, a family-owned personal injury and estate planning firm, last school year and throughout this past summer. My position as a legal assistant entailed a variety of different tasks, but my overall objective was to provide support to the paralegal and the legal team to ensure efficient and effective legal services to our clients. My clerical and administrative tasks included tasks like calendar management, filing and record keeping, and client intake. I also assisted with other legal work such as formatting and preparing documents, client communication, legal research, requesting medical records and bills, and working on demand packages. Sometimes my work even included being a witness for the signing of wills. It has been an invaluable experience.
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: My favorite part about my internship was that I was able to experience working at a small law firm. Working one-on-one with the paralegal and the lawyers allowed me to develop strong relationships and gave me with the opportunity to take on many different responsibilities. It was an amazing opportunity and I feel very confident moving forward with my legal career after my experience at Chodosh & Chodosh.
Name: Daizhon Cox
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Majors: Public Policy and Political Science
Internship Host: Ohio State House / Franklin County Court of Common Pleas
A little about my internship: At the Ohio State House, I worked as a Page for state representative Latayna Humphrey. I work strictly for her. I did a lot of constituent work sending emails and helping draft bills.
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: My favorite part about the internship was the community engagement and meeting with stakeholders, figuring out what to add and what to take out a bill. Just learning the whole policy piece.
Name: Parker Deering
Year: Senior
Hometown: Sandusky, Ohio
Major: Political Science
Internship host: Ohio Senate
A little about my internship: Over the summer I worked in State Senator Al Landis’s office as an office page within the Ohio Senate. There I helped his office handle constituent matters within his Senate District 31. These tasks often consisted of sending President’s Letters to people and businesses within our district. These can be earned through significant achievement or the opening of a new business. I also helped with many problems people had either directing them to the proper government agencies or communicating with the office so we can figure out a way to help them. This opportunity really helped me figure out what I want to do and achieve in my life and also gave me the opportunity to make many important connections.
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: Attending the Ohio government Joint Agriculture Committee at the Ohio State Fair
Name: Elijah Fidder
Year: Junior
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Major: Political Science, International Studies (International Relations and Diplomacy) and Minor in Portuguese
Internship Host: Environmental Protection Agency
A little about my internship: I worked within the Environmental Protection Agency in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer in EPA's Travel Branch. It is there that we ensure all travel is done in an appropriate manner and that all of our scientists are able to get to their destination. I was in charge of auditing a monthly set of travel vouchers in order to ensure that the travel met all GSA and EPA requirements. I also helped out throughout the many steps of government travel. This includes making sure all funding was routed to the correct source and helping travelers obtain the government credit card. These tasks are only a small reflection of what I was able to accomplish there. Each day at my internship I was able to learn something new and I am beyond grateful for that opportunity!
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: My favorite part of the internship was the exposure I gained from doing relevant work. Being put immediately in the workplace and having to do tasks that were crucial to the function of the agency allowed me to learn quickly. I also really enjoyed how open and positive the staff was to their interns. Sadly, most other internships I’ve worked at have not being as inviting and had a more toxic environment. I’ve realized that my past experiences have allowed me to appreciate this internship even more.
Name: Madison Mason
Year: Senior
Hometown: Hilliard, OH
Majors: Major: Political Science, Minors: Civic Engagement and Philosophy
Internship Host: Federal District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
A little about my internship: This was an educational, informative, and hands-on internship experience with Judge Susan Dlott where I was able to observe court proceedings, research sentencing guidelines, update pertinent office information, and interact with other judges, law clerks, and court personnel!
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: I loved the hands on experiences that I had, specifically in the court room and through private mediation. My favorite part was being able to collaborate with the Judge to better understand sentencing and how the overall trial process worked from start to finish.
Name: Lucy Natale
Year: Junior
Hometown: The Woodlands, Texas
Majors: Political Science
Internship host: Stibbs & Co., P.C.
A little about my internship: I worked at a law firm in my hometown over the summer as a legal intern. My job consisted of drafting and formatting multiple legal documents, ranging from Wills and Trusts, to POAs and Deeds. I drafted Trusts that were outright, GSTs (Generation-Skipping trusts), and QDOTs (Qualified Domestic Trusts).
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: My favorite part of the internship was definitely the work environment. It was great to work with attorneys that were not only knowledgable, but also incredibly supportive of me as well as each other. There were lots of work gatherings and opportunities to get to know everyone, such as bingo and food/drink tastings.
Name: Bethany Sapp
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
Major: Political Science and Economics
Internship host: Voice of the People in Washington D.C.
A little about my internship: I interned with a nonprofit called Voice of the People. They do public opinion research on various policy issues and share the results with congress members and the general public. I worked on projects related to public opinion data gathered from constituents on various policy issues, including stock ownership by congress members and the purchase of U.S. lands by foreign entities.
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: My favorite part of my internship was getting to experience the city and make new connections. I learned many different skills and learned of a lot of great opportunities during my time in D.C.
Name: Katie Seewer
Year: Junior
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Major: Political Science/Strategic Communication Double Major, Civic Engagement Minor
Internship host: Democratic Attorneys General Association
A little about my internship: This summer, I was a communications intern at the Democratic Attorneys General Association. In this role, I supported the communications department by compiling daily press clips and continually engaging in media monitoring, drafted a variety of communications materials, and managed and added to the organization's press lists.
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: My favorite part of my internship was that no day was ever the same. Politics moves fast, and especially in the comms department, so sometimes I'd go into the office thinking that the day would be all about one subject and then a new story broke and it was completely different than expected. I was also very lucky to work with a supportive team who took the time to make sure that I was growing within the internship and staffers who were really enthusiastic about grabbing coffee and sharing their experience with the interns. I've tried a few different departments within the political world, but I think my takeaway from this internship is that comms is where I fit in best and what I enjoy doing!
Name: Dalal Shalash
Year: Senior
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Major: Political Science and History with a Minor in Spanish
Internship host: NSF-REU site in Little Rock, Arkansas
A little about my internship: I participated in an NSF-REU site in Little Rock, Arkansas. This fully funded opportunity helped understand the experiences, perceptions, and concerns of Muslims in Arkansas with regard to stigmatization and victimization based on religion; the extent and scope of anti-Muslim hate crimes in Arkansas; policies, procedures, and decision-making processes of the law enforcement who handle hate crime incidents in Arkansas; and perceptions of lawmakers as to the extent of hate crimes against Muslims, as well as the obstacles in passing hate crime legislation in Arkansas. I spent my 10 weeks researching law enforcement procedures in hate crime incidents and analyzed lawmakers' perspectives on hate crime legislation in Arkansas. We likewise conducted in-depth research on the experiences and concerns of Muslims in Arkansas, including victimization and anti-Muslim hate crimes.
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: Amidst this important research, one of the most extraordinary aspects of my journey was immersing myself in the civil rights history of the South. It allowed me to connect with the courageous stories of individuals who fought for justice and equality, leaving an indelible mark on American history. I had the privilege of visiting Central High School, a place steeped in historical importance as the home of the Little Rock Nine. I likewise had the honor of visiting the hometown of my literary hero, Maya Angelou. This NSF-REU Program not only expanded my academic horizons but has also enriched my personal growth in unimaginable ways. Each encounter, whether it be through engaging with the local community, interacting with fellow researchers, or exploring historical landmarks, reinforced my commitment to fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.
Name: Varun Thotli
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio
Major: Majors: Political Science, Economics Minors: Legal Foundations of Society, History
Location host: Remote Internship for the Supreme Court of Ohio
A little about my internship: I interned at the Supreme Court of Ohio, more specifically under their Criminal Sentencing Commission. Our role was to build upon existing work including understanding the multifaceted impact of HB1, updating a comparative summary of criminal sentencing policies of all other US states, and analyzing various recommendations from a roundtable panel with various legal professionals across the state. We were able to choose what we wanted to work on, and so I chose to work on the latter two options over the summer.
Favorite part of the internship and what I learned: Although it was a remote internship, I enjoyed being in a cohort with other students where we worked together on these large research projects. It was a meaningful experience to me because I learned a lot about the history of criminal justice policies in Ohio and the current criminal justice policies around the nation. I was able to build upon valuable work that will have a substantial impact on the future of criminal justice legislation in Ohio.
