This summer, a group of La Follette alumni stepped into the supervisor’s role, taking on student interns and discovering what they already knew: that the next generation of La Follette students is exceptional.
MPA student Andrew Lindaas is serving as a legal intern at the Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office under La Follette alum and Outagamie County District Attorney Mindy Tempelis (MPA ‘02). Through the internship, Lindaas is learning to draft criminal complaints and motions, make bond and sentencing arguments, and apply prosecutorial discretion in real courtroom situations.
“My favorite part of the internship is applying my classroom education to real, consequential situations in the courtroom. I receive feedback from Mindy and other attorneys on ways to improve. It makes the work I do feel meaningful, both at a personal level and at a community level,” Lindaas said.
The La Follette perspective has shaped how he approaches the work, using public policy thinking to guide prosecutorial discretion toward diversion, treatment, and smarter juvenile justice approaches rather than incarceration alone.
As a dual graduate of La Follette and UW Law School herself, Mindy recognized that value immediately. She was thrilled to have Andrew, another dual degree candidate, intern in her office.
“Rather than viewing these degrees as separate programs, Andrew recognizes them as complementary tools for addressing some of the most complex challenges facing our communities,” Tempelis said. “He understands that meaningful change in the criminal justice system requires not only an understanding of the law, but also the policy, leadership, organizational, and analytical skills necessary to create systems change.”
Gabriella Feaman, an undergraduate student, is working as a student researcher at UW Health’s BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine under the mentorship of Clark Benson (MPA ‘25). Together, they’re researching Medicare’s Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) program, which focuses on enhancing caregiver resources and education to improve health outcomes for people living with dementia.
“My favorite part about this experience has been sitting down with my mentor, Clark Benson, and further discussing the topic and who is impacted,” said Feaman.
The La Follette skill of questioning has been essential to her work, helping her and Clark communicate and identify aspects of the research they might otherwise have overlooked. Through their collaboration, Feaman is gaining deep knowledge of dementia care while learning how to think critically about policy impact and implementation.
“La Follette students are highly attuned to the broader policies and institutions that impact our lives and are provided with the tools to help critically evaluate and improve them,” Benson said. “Ella impresses me with her thoughtfulness, curiosity, and genuine care for the people that are affected by the policy we are studying. For my role as a dementia researcher, I find this skill to be able to ask questions about macro-level policies to be invaluable. To be afraid or discouraged to ask these questions is a disservice to the people living with dementia and the people who care for them who are impacted.”
Finally, MPA student Sydney Radwin, is working as a graduate policy intern at the City of Milwaukee Mayor’s Office under the mentorship of alum Claire Zautke (MPA ‘19). Throughout the internship, Radwin has gained a deeper understanding of how local government functions at the executive level. She has observed how policy priorities are established and recognizes how effective departmental collaboration advances city initiatives. She’s applied statistical methods, including hypothesis testing and odds ratio analysis, to identify trends that inform policy recommendations, directly fulfilling one of her professional goals with support from her La Follette training.
“One of the most valuable aspects of the experience is having coffee chats with city employees, where I learned about their career paths and the impact their work has on the community,” Radwin said.
Zautke sees that impact firsthand and recognizes the value in La Follette’s broad educational training that makes student interns ready to tackle real-world situations.
“Sydney came onto the team and immediately took on a few large policy research and data analysis projects that we needed done but did not have capacity to accomplish. Her skills in policy research, statistical analysis, and data visualization have been particularly helpful in advancing projects and expanding the overall capacity of our team,” Zautke said.
“I love working with La Follette students. It’s rewarding to both give back to my alma mater and support these students at the beginning of their careers,” Zautke added.
These La Follette alumni aren’t just hiring talented students. By modeling what it looks like to strengthen connections and pay if forward for the next cohort of young professionals they are teaching invaluable professional skills that perfectly complement the rigorous policy analysis skills honed in a La Follette classroom.
– Story by Outreach Assistant Ana Massoglia