Internship Location: Madison WI
Organization Type: State Government
Policy Areas: Financial and Fiscal Budgets and Expenditures
I learned a lot in my position as the Intern to the State Treasurer of Wisconsin. First, I learned a lot about time management and communication. In a professional setting, communication must be to the highest standard and is required or an expectation. I also learned a lot about writing to constituents or state residents. The tone in which you choose is representative of the authority you are speaking with and must be conveyed accordingly. I also learned a lot about general state government infrastructure. Because I am not a POLI SCI student, I learned about all the inner workings of Wisconsin’s state government. The skills and classes I have taken through La Follette were directly applicable to my work. A lot of the policy writing such as cost-benefit analysis and written testimonies gave me background experience when approaching drafting budget proposal in my position. There is also a lot of values, beliefs, and identities in politics. La Follette aided greatly in approaching these differing notions with respect and decency that are necessary in the political space. I would definitely recommend my internship to other students. If you have an interest in finance, economics, but also government, look no further. I gained hands-on experience with budgets, spending, and different accounts and funds that make states function and provide them with the ability to provide the services they promise to their residents. This internship helped me greatly when considering my future career prospects. I really enjoy working in the public sector and found that not every aspect of politics is always political. It also feels great to work towards things that have measurable differences in the real world. I came into this internship unsure about the public sector, and I am continuing my internship into the spring because of how valuable the experience is.