Legislative internships offered for Spring 2008 semester

Staff from the West Virginia State Legislature will visit campus next week to inform students about internship opportunities at the legislature for the Spring 2008 semester.

A drop-in reception will be held Monday, September 24 at 4 p.m. in Room 400, Knapp Hall, on WVU?s Downtown Campus. The event is free and open to students, faculty, and staff from all academic disciplines who are interested in learning about the internships.

State Senator Roman Prezioso will attend the event, and several other legislators have been invited. Legislative staff members Sara Jones, Jason Wazelle, and Drew Ross will also be on hand to provide information and answer questions about the internships.

Senator Prezioso represents West Virginia?s 13th senatorial district, which includes parts of Monongalia and Marion counties. He serves as chair of the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee. Prior to his election to the senate, he served as a delegate in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 1989 to 1996.

There are five internship programs for undergraduate and graduate students in West Virginia. The Walter Rollins Scholars Program and Robert W. Burk, Jr., Student Intern Program give graduate students the opportunity to assist lawmakers serving in leadership positions of the Senate and House of Delegates. Six Rollins Scholars and four Burk interns are selected.

In addition to the Rollins and Burk internships, there is the Lewis McManus Fellowship, a year-long position that is open to a second-year master?s of public administration student who is committed to public service after graduation.

The Judith A. Herndon Fellowship is open to full-time undergraduate students of all majors who are interested in assisting a legislator for the duration of the 60-day legislative session.

The Frasure-Singleton Internship is a week-long program in which undergraduate students of all majors are assigned to one legislator in order to learn about the legislative process.

Finally, students may apply for the Legislative Information Journalism Internship, open to undergraduate or graduate journalism students who will work for the Legislature?s Reference and Information Center.

For more information, please contact Dr. Chris Plein at 304-293-2614,
ext. 3157, or at lplein@wvu.edu.