Students from the 推荐杏吧原创 enrolled in the Nevada Legislative Internship Program are working directly with Nevada State Legislators in Carson City during the state’s 83rd legislative session. Through the program, interns are paired carefully with legislators based on shared interests. From helping with research, writing speeches, assisting with presentations or testifying about bills in front of the legislature, the experiences are exciting and unique for each student involved.
This year, a record 31 students are interning through the program, the highest number since the program began in 1968.
“Thanks to the generosity of the legislators, more interns than ever have been able to see the legislature in action this year,” Amber Joiner, Ph.D., adjunct faculty in the Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts, who leads the internship program said. “We are lucky to have a longstanding relationship with the legislature that allows our students to participate. Not all states allow student interns access, either due to geographic or academic credential constraints.”
Joiner represented Reno’s Assembly District 24 in the Nevada State Legislature for two terms, from 2014 to 2018, serving as vice chair of the Committee on Health and Human Services and the Committee on Education. She also participated as a student intern herself in 1997 when she was an undergraduate earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and speech communication at the 推荐杏吧原创, before earning a master’s in political communication from the University of Maryland, College Park, and subsequently a doctoral degree in political science from the 推荐杏吧原创.
She knows first-hand how valuable the experience of being an intern in the legislature is for students and is passionate about continuing that tradition.
“This program helped shape the trajectory of my career. From my experience as an intern to later becoming a legislator, I have the privilege of knowing what it is like from all sides. That experience has helped me be able to train the interns so that they can get the most out of their experiences. I help prepare them for what it will really be like at the legislature so that they are ready to go from day one,” Joiner said.
Interns work with the legislator and the legislator’s staff through mentoring and shadowing. Students earning 3 credits spend about eight hours in Carson City and one hour in class per week, for a total of 144 hours during the semester. Some students work more hours for additional course credits. The students in the PSC490H course are carefully matched with a legislator who has similar interests – someone who may have a bill in the session related to the student’s studies or who is on a relevant committee – so the exposure to the legislative process is even more engaging and meaningful to the interns.
“Creating lifelong, career path-making connections for those involved is important to me,” Joiner said about how she structures the course.
Interns perform a wide variety of tasks and participate in activities throughout the program.
“They attend meetings with lobbyists and advocates, learning about the persuasive strategies implemented. They get to hear the pro and con sides of bills. They perform a lot of bill tracking – following a bill and any amendments – through both houses. It’s extensive," Joiner said. “They also learn a lot about the state budget, see how things are funded, and how the state operates. They will often perform constituent outreach, working with the legislator to respond to and address concerns.”
The class is an upper-level course, usually open to juniors and seniors. All majors are welcome in the course and usually students from a variety of colleges participate.
The student intern experience: Wolf Pack in the Chamber
The Office of Government and Community Engagement sends weekly update emails, many of which include profiles of student interns. A few of those profiles are included here.
Gabby Detrick is a sophomore studying political science and social research analytics at the University of Nevada. She is interning for Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett which entails keeping track of any proposed legislation and sitting in on strategy meetings before committee hearings. Detrick is from Vegas, and this internship is actually why she came to the University; she’s been wanting to intern for Assemblymember Torres-Fossett for a long time now and she is thrilled to get the chance to do so this session.
“My favorite thing about Nevada is the culture and diversity. It’s always growing and yet Nevada will always feel like home,” Detrick said.
Ray Madden is a junior studying economics at the University of Nevada. He is interning for Assemblymember Jauregui, which entails summarizing bills, writing a newsletter for her district, as well watching committee meetings and clipping certain parts for the Assemblymember’s social media. Madden was drawn to the internship because he has some experience with lobbying groups and was told to apply for this internship to get even more experience. So far, the internship has been a great experience as he is getting a lot of exposure to the inner workings of the legislative world.
“I love what I am doing. Every day is different and you don’t know what to expect, which is exciting,” Madden said.
Katherine Villaseñor is a junior studying political science at the University. She is interning for Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus, which entails completing a number of tasks, especially research assignments for anything the Senator needs more information on.
Villaseñor wanted to participate in the internship because she had interacted with the legislature before and wanted to pursue something more formal. She shared that she has really enjoyed her time with the Senator and is grateful for the opportunity to see another side of the legislature.
“I love how much Nevadans like being Nevadans. There is a good sense of identity here,” she said.
To receive the weekly email updates during the legislative session, .
The program has an extensive history of making an impact in the lives and careers of many individuals. A LinkedIn group has been established for alums of the program. If you have participated in this program before, Joiner encourages you to .
