Internship Location: Madison, WI (Hybrid)
Organization Type: Higher Education
Policy Areas: Social Justice
I had the opportunity to intern at the Morgridge Center for Public Service as a Peer Advisor. Becoming involved with the Morgridge Center opened my eyes to the greater Madison area, and how I can take more responsibility for the wellbeing of my surrounding community. As a peer advisor, I am now trained on assessing a community’s presented strengths and weaknesses and match prospective students/organizations to their specific areas of interest. At the Morgridge Center, we believe that when working with a population or a specific cause you’re passionate about and interested in, you can perform the most supportive, and effective service work possible. I also learned the value of long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with community members to promote and sustain long lasting improvements. As a peer advisor involved in many different non-profit and community sectors, I used my public policy knowledge to assess existing disparities among individuals and the community and correlate it to macro level policies that produce or exacerbate these circumstances. I was then able to analyze these policies to determine possible solutions or interventions, whether that was proposing new legislation to the Wisconsin Legislature, canvassing to encourage youths and university students to vote, or conducting community outreach regarding available resources and programs. Through my internship at the Morgridge Center for Public Service, I was able to connect my public policy skills to direct service and community engagement.