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Alva campus senior Jordan Evans, from Edmond, spent five days at the Capitol. The Social Sciences Department and the Northwestern Citizenship Institute sponsor legislative and congressional interns each year to qualified students in the Social Sciences Department.
“Going into the internship I was definitely worried,” Evans said. “The Capitol is a pretty intimidating place. After meeting the senator and the others I would be working with, I became much more comfortable and began to enjoy my time there.”
Students can spend anywhere from one week to three months working in the Oklahoma State Capitol or the United States Capitol learning about legislative- and budget-setting processes.
“I had many memorable moments while interning for the senator,” Evans said. “I sat in on the voting of the Indian Cultural Center in downtown Oklahoma City; I went on the Senate floor and met the other senators; but the most memorable moment was going to lunch with the senator, the office manager and some of the lobbyists. The experience showed me how building relationships with those you work around is one of the most important aspects of the job.”
Evans is interested in a political career, more specifically in the public sector.
“Even if it were not a full time job, I feel very drawn to aid my community in any way I can. By becoming involved in government, whether it is at the local, state or national level, we can help shape the environment around us.
“The experience opened my eyes to the variety of career options that would still allow me to help the public,” Evans said.
After the internship, Evans’ perspective changed on the legislative process.
“I definitely have a better appreciation for how the legislative process works and for some of the added things that I would not have considered,” Evans said. “Having a book knowledge on the legislature gave me an idea of what to expect, but getting the hands-on experience really deepened my understanding.”
For more information on this internship opportunity or the Department of Social Sciences, please contact Dr. Kay Decker, chair, at (580) 327-8521 or kldecker@nwosu.edu.
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