“From this internship, I took away two key lessons.  The first is adaptability…The second and most important lesson I learned in this internship is that “no” is not  the end-all-be-all.”

“Throughout my experience with Combat Blindness International I gained valuable experience in navigating international healthcare policies and learning behind the scenes information pertaining to grant proposals regarding healthcare.”

“The role consists of reading through a specific amount of sections within the IRA (or whichever bill you are assigned to) and creating memos of each part that consists of a description of the sections, key amendments/components, health/equity/climate impacts, and a recommendation.”

“It was a great opportunity to get hands-on, real-world experience with policy and getting to draw on my La Follette coursework to make connections with challenges that Wisconsin is truly facing was an incredibly rewarding experience.”

“…the public policy certificate provided me with a foundation to succeed at my internship.”

“I learned that while it is important to think of the end goals, it is better to focus on the steps in between to reach the end goal…lessons I will take from my internship and from my future career as a physician and policymaker. I have learned to conduct proper research and use my findings to prepare for professional meetings in order to improve our communities.”

“I helped with many different initiatives that all revolved around improving outcomes for people and the environment in Dane County.”

“My time in the lab has helped me gain an interdisciplinary policy lens, developed my policy writing skills, and helped me gain first hand experience with real world policies.”

“As a policy intern, I researched and analyzed data from across the country, promoted research into the potential medical benefits of cannabis, wrote hundreds of letters to be sent to legislators, tracked hundreds of pieces of legislation, and interpreted how marijuana policy impacts public health and social justice.”

“As an undergraduate policy analyst for the Patz Lab, I am able to contribute to a multifaceted project that allows me to learn about many policy sectors.”