Every summer, a variety of La Follette students head to Washington, D.C., interning or working in different roles to get hands-on experience with the issues they care about most. Students often make the move to DC with support from scholarships or programs like Wisconsin in Washington. Here’s what La Follette students are working on this summer in the nation’s capital, and why it matters.
Undergraduate student Josie Gardner is interning with the Congressional Hunger Center’s Zero Hunger Internship Program. From DC’s Food Research & Action Center, she researches state agency outreach materials and turns findings into resources for partners across the country.
Through the work, she’s learned how critical clear communication is in policy. The strongest programs can miss families if materials aren’t accessible and clear. Her La Follette training helped her approach this internship with a policy lens that considers both program design and real-world implementation. Josie has also discovered her passion for macro-level policy advocacy through this opportunity.
Gardner was able to seize this unique opportunity thanks to support from the Ascendium and Krings scholarships.
“Because summer internships often come with added costs like housing, travel, and living expenses, this support allowed me to focus more fully on gaining policy experience rather than worrying as much about the financial burden,” Gardner said. “As a first-generation student, this scholarship also helped me overcome barriers that may have otherwise limited my ability to access this kind of opportunity.”
MPA student Anna Spahn is interning as a health policy intern at the Niskanen Center, where she’s learning that DC and policy work itself are far less intimidating than she imagined. Through the Peter G. Peterson Foundation Internship Program, she’s toured the U.S. Capitol and the Office of Management and Budget, and she’s been learning firsthand what policy analysts do: research, write both short and long-form content, and communicate directly with policymakers.
Spahn’s favorite part has been making connections and growing her professional network in health policy. Her La Follette coursework in public policy analysis and public management has prepared her well for the writing-heavy nature of the work. Now that she has DC experience under her belt, the incoming president of the La Follette School Student Association looks forward to mentoring other La Follette students considering the same path.
“This time last year, I was eager to learn from La Follette students who had interned in DC because I had never been myself,” Spahn said. “Now that I have DC experience, I am so happy to serve as a resource for La Follette students who have questions and want to learn more.”
Undergraduate student Samantha Dombar is interning in the Office of Congressman Greg Landsman (OH-01), where she’s discovering the real-world impact of policy work.
“It’s been meaningful to see how my conversations with various constituents and stakeholders are translated into real-world policy solutions,” Dombar said. “Coalition and relationship building is also an extremely important part of the job, which just goes to show the importance of strong communication skills.”
Her favorite part has been attending briefings, speaker events, and networking opportunities on the Hill, plus giving Capitol tours. Her La Follette training in creative policy solutions has been invaluable. Many of the problems legislators tackle have been discussed for years, so thinking outside the box is essential to getting strong, effective bills passed.
Her scholarship through Ascendium has helped to make it all possible.
“My scholarship has helped me take advantage of all the career and networking opportunities in DC,” Dombar said. “I’ve had so many chances to connect with professionals and learn more about policy-making. This wouldn’t be possible without the financial freedom to learn and grow here.”
Whether on Capitol Hill, at a major DC-area nonprofit, or in a federal agency, La Follette students are showing up, working hard, and proving that Wisconsin talent belongs at the table when it comes to shaping national policy.
Students interested in experiences like these can seek support from the Wisconsin in Washington program. More information can be found on the study abroad website. To connect with an advisor, students can reach out to Kerry Strader (kstrader@wisc.edu) in the International Academic Programs office or the La Follette School’s director of career and employer services, Marie Koko (marie.koko@wisc.edu). The deadline to apply to the Spring 2027 program is September 11, 2026.
– Story by Outreach Assistant Ana Massoglia