Interning at the Utah Legislature: More than glorified Diet Coke runs

USU has nearly two dozens interns scrambling in the halls of the Utah Legislature, and they aren't just fetching Diet Coke for their bosses.

In the frenzy of the 45 day session, legislative interns become many things for their legislator(s). They become a second set of eyes that can research the dozens of bills that will be considered by a standing committee. They become a second pair of legs that can run errands, an extra hand to greet visiting student groups, an extra set of ears of to listen to constituent concerns. In other words, they have a deeply immersive experience that moves at the speed of, well, the speed of the Legislature.

For those interns helping members of leadership, they become something immensely more valuable.

"I'm often a fly on the wall in major meetings, discussing major issues," said junior Sierra Tilley of Brigham City, who is the intern for House Majority Leader Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville.

Those meetings, in particular, have revolved around the Healthy Utah proposal and include all of the political heavyweights in Utah. By way of example, as she talked to us about her experience, Gov. Gary Herbert, Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox and other cabinet members arrived for a meeting she would soon join, as a fly.

"The biggest thing I've learned as an intern is just how well people work together. They really collaborate to accomplish things. It's a beautiful thing to watch," Tilley said.

Legislators work extremely long hours during the session, which provides interns a lot of opportunities to learn on their feet.

"They can't hold your hands through the process. You need to anticipate their needs, and be willing to jump on a project without them telling you what to do every step of the way," said Sarah Clark, a senior from Mt. Pleasant who is working with Sen. Kevin Van Tassel, R-Vernal.

Some interns, such as junior Hailee Housley of Richmond, work for multiple legislators; in Housley's case, it's Rep. Steve Chew, R-Jensen, and Rep. Jon Cox, R-Ephraim. That has kept her very busy, something that somewhat surprised her.

"I didn't expect to be as involved as I am," she said. "I thought I'd be more in the background, but instead I've been really involved. It gets you excited, and really makes you want to become more active in the whole process."

You can learn more about internship opportunities in state government, Washington D.C. and other places.