Colorado State University - Pueblo announces legislative interns for the Spring 2010
PUEBLO – The Political Science Program at Colorado State University-Pueblo through its Legislative Internship Program has sent six highly-qualified students to work with Colorado state representatives and senators from both political parties this legislative session.
Begun nearly 15 years ago, the legislative program provides students from all majors the opportunity to learn about state government and the legislative process. Because Colorado has a citizen’s legislature, the students provide an invaluable professional service to the legislature with their research and personal skills. The students travel to Denver twice a week in their capacity as interns and often spend additional days working in their legislator’s district. Students receive academic credit for their work at the Capitol.
After graduation, many interns use their experience to pursue employment or additional experiences in the U.S. Senate and Congress. With an annual operating cost of about $4,000, the Legislative Internship Program is seeking funds to help a robust academic program become even stronger by serving more students and the larger community. The University hopes to establish a named endowment of $100,000, which would cover the current expenses of the program into perpetuity.
Four political science majors are serving their first year in the program as interns. Among their responsibilities are office work (filing, answering phones, etc.), responding to constituent inquiries, attending committee, party, and legislator meetings, organizing meetings in the legislator’s district, and compiling newsletters and other correspondence. The interns for the 2010 Legislative Session are:
STUDENT HOMETOWN LEGISLATOR
DeMarques Taylor Denver Representative Sal Pace
Kendace Bonner Pueblo Speaker of the House, Rep. Terrence Carroll
Boomer Rogers Colorado Springs Senator David Schultheis
Kristina Weiss Pueblo Representative Greg Brophy
In addition, two students are serving as Legislative Aides, which means they are in their second year of the program. In addition to intern responsibilities, they also oversee the interns and office activities in general. Serving in this role this legislative session are political science majors Thomas Farrell, Florence (Representative Keith King) and Emily Carruth, Pueblo (Representative Sal Pace).
For more information on the program or to make a donation, contact Legislator Internship Program Coordinator Dr. Gayle Berardi at gayle.berardi@colostate-pueblo.edu or 719-549-2679.
PHOTO CUTLINES:
Inside the Capitol L to R: Boomer Rogers, Kristina Weiss, Kendace Bonner, and DeMarques Taylor
Outside of the Capitol L to R: Kendace Bonner, Kristina Weiss, Boomer Rogers, and DeMarques Taylor