Public policy students gain real-world professional experience with internships in Washington, DC

The Wisconsin in Washington program provides UW–Madison undergraduates with the opportunity to intern while taking courses in Washington, D.C., helping them develop practical professional skills and gain workforce experience. During the spring semester, several certificate students joined the program, applying their public policy knowledge in policy and government roles. Read more about the experiences of three of those students below.

Jake FreedmanPortrait of Jake Freedman

In the spring, Jake Freedman interned with the Office of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA). Freedman is a senior majoring in political science with certificates in sports communication and public policy. During his experience, Freedman was able to learn first-hand what life is like working on Capitol Hill, including the “not-so-glamorous” side. “There is so much work that the public does not see, all done by the staff on behalf of their elected official,” Freedman says. “When a senator gives a floor speech, you cannot comprehend how much work goes into those statements unless you have spent time in an office on the Hill.” Freedman says he had so many amazing opportunities in his role, including meeting all the country’s 100 senators. His favorite project as an intern was getting to write a cosponsor memorandum for Senator Padilla about an issue that was important to him, the Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2023. “While the senator did not cosponsor the bill, I felt it was an important issue to raise to him and his senior staff, who listened in on my presentation,” Freedman says.

As an intern in the Senate, Freedman was offered a deeper understanding of public policy and the difficulty of passing legislation. “I believe that everyone should understand the world of Congress and public policy before knocking the institutions for ‘not working,’” Freedman says. “As someone who has seen the inside, I know just how hard staffers work to pass legislation that will help people, and it hurts, at times, to hear the haymakers people throw at Congress for not working hard enough.” Freedman says his time in D.C. allowed him to pursue his career goals of working in political campaigns. One of his classes was taught by UW alum Sam Cornale, who is the executive director of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which made way for Freedman to work as a DNC intern over the past summer. Now, Freedman is working as a second gentlemen’s communications intern on the Harris-Walz campaign, an opportunity made possible by the connections he made while working at the DNC.

Freedman recommends that every student interested in getting into politics do a semester in D.C. through the Wisconsin in Washington program. “It gives you the opportunity to see what your future may look like, without having to commit to moving to a new city!” Freedman says.

Lucy WentinkPortrait of Lucy Wentink

A senior studying political science with certificates in criminal justice and public policy, Lucy Wentink interned with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia last spring. Wentink says that her experience taught her a lot about the legal system, as her work involved sitting in a courtroom at least two to three times a week to watch everything from jury selections to sentencing hearings. Her role also introduced her to legal writing and research, skills that she aims to apply to her final year of undergraduate classes. In D.C. Wentink built upon her public policy education, gaining a better understanding of how broad public policy spans. After looking at laws through the lens of those charged with upholding them, Wentink found a new perspective on policy. One memorable experience from Wentink’s time in D.C. was having statistics from a spreadsheet she helped manage used by the Solicitor General in Supreme Court oral arguments. “It was cool to know I had a small role in such a monumental case,” Wentink says.

In the future, Wentink hopes to go to law school and work in D.C. for the federal government, either as a prosecutor or as counsel for a government agency. Although she knew she wanted to pursue law school before participating in the program, Wentink’s D.C. experience helped her figure out exactly what she hopes to do as a lawyer.

Ella MitchellPortrait of Ella Mitchell

Ella Mitchell is a junior majoring in politics and policy in the global economy along with economics, with a certificate in public policy. During the spring semester, Mitchell interned in the Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), as a legislative intern on the foreign policy portfolio. Mitchell says that her time in the D.C. program helped her grow academically, professionally, and personally.

As an intern, Mitchell gained strong research skills in public policy. Responsible for attending Senate committee hearings, Mitchell learned active notetaking skills and synthesis of complex policy ideas with a tight timeline. As Senator Klobuchar is the Chair of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, Mitchell helped to staff the weekly meetings of Democratic senators to discuss policy with each other and experts. “My most memorable experience was taking notes for the office in a closed-door meeting about economic policy,” Mitchell says. “It was amazing to see the senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, discuss policy positions and messaging in real-time. It was inspiring to help facilitate the dialogue and listen to senators advocate for their constituents.”

Mitchell says that the Wisconsin in Washington program was the capstone of her public policy education at UW, and that her La Follette School coursework such as oral testimonies and policy memos prepared her well for the memo assignments from the foreign policy team supervisors in Sen. Klobuchar’s office. “I would highly recommend pursuing an internship in a congressional office for any public policy student. I learned so much about the system of lobbying, political strategy, and compromise that is necessary in the legislative branch. Working in Washington, D.C. made the world of policy come alive for me, and I found a new appreciation for the immense effort that goes into passing even the smallest bills that can improve the lives of Americans.”

Mitchell’s internship experience helped refine her interests in the foreign policy sector and connect her with professionals who have succeeded in those areas, including UW alumni working in the state department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. In the future, Mitchell hopes to work in international relations in D.C., New York City, and around the world. She is interested in foreign policy on humanitarian aid and food security, with the goal of working at USAID or in the nonprofit sector focused on distributing aid.

Students who are interested in the Wisconsin in Washington program can find more information on the study abroad website. To connect with an advisor, students can reach out to Joanna Poinsatte (joanna.poinsatte@wisc.edu) in the International Academic Programs office or La Follette School director of career and employer services Marie Koko (marie.koko@wisc.edu). The deadline to apply to the summer 2025 program is November 15, and the deadline to apply to the fall 2025 program is March 14.

– Story by Clare Brogan


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