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UConn Students Gain Valuable Experience in Washington D.C. through Summer Internships

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Two students from UConn's Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs spent 10 weeks in Washington, D.C., immersing themselves in federal policy work. Samantha Valle '24 (CLAS), '26 MPP, and Rebecca Dorsey '25 (CLAS), '26 MPA, tackled issues ranging from higher education access to election integrity, gaining a front-row seat to how policy is debated, shaped, and implemented.

Key Takeaways:

  • Samantha Valle '24 (CLAS), '26 MPP, focused on higher education issues, including affordability, access, and support for underserved students, through the Postsecondary National Policy Institute (PNPI) Summer Scholars program.
  • Valle's internship work included exploring postsecondary education issues, such as predatory student loans, and conducting research on the Reconciliation Bill and its impact on financial aid.
  • Rebecca Dorsey '25 (CLAS), '26 MPA, spent the summer as an election protection intern for Issue One, a cross-partisan political reform organization, where she conducted research, joined legislative and policy team meetings, and contributed to the Faces of Democracy campaign.
  • Dorsey's internship helped her develop interview questions and speak with election officials from Hawaii, Virginia, and New York, highlighting state and local election administration challenges and advocating for better funding and cybersecurity infrastructure.
  • Both Valle and Dorsey credited their UConn professors and mentors for guiding them towards their internships and encouraging them to pursue careers in public service.
  • The experiences gained by Valle and Dorsey will shape their future career goals, with Valle eager to return to D.C. after graduation and Dorsey excited to complete her Internship and Professional Practice (IPP) with the Connecticut Land Conservation Council.

Statistics:

  • The Postsecondary National Policy Institute (PNPI) Summer Scholars program places students in internships on Capitol Hill, working on issues related to higher education policy.
  • The Reconciliation Bill aims to address predatory student loans and provide better financial aid options for students, a topic of personal interest for Valle as a Pell Grant recipient.
  • The Faces of Democracy campaign highlights state and local election officials, emphasizing the importance of civic engagement and election integrity.
  • Issue One's election protection work focuses on combating online disinformation and humanizing election officials to prevent threats of violence against them.
  • Both Valle and Dorsey remained connected to UConn, with Valle continuing as a graduate assistant in CAPS and teaching a First Year Experience (FYE) course, while Dorsey will complete her final year in the School of Public Policy, focusing on state-level advocacy and policy work.

Sources:

  • University of Connecticut news release
  • Postsecondary National Policy Institute (PNPI) Summer Scholars program
  • Issue One, a cross-partisan political reform organization
  • UConn's Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs
  • Handshake, a UConn job and internship platform
  • Connecticut Land Conservation Council

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