Internships take two UNI students to Washington, D.C.

This summer, two UNI students are in Washington, D.C. working as interns for Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley. As an intern, they get to do policy research, attend committee hearings and votes, provide constituent services and so much more. When they’re not working, they’ve been exploring the city to study the artifacts and the history that D.C. holds.

The education provided to them at UNI allows them to achieve their dreams!

Maggie Miller

Moving to Washington, D.C. to work has always been the dream—and with a little help from UNI, it’s been made a reality.

I’ve always been active and engaged within the communities I am part of, but when I arrived at the University of Northern Iowa, my passion for government and public service grew. I was lucky enough to have so many opportunities for involvement present themselves, and I tried to take advantage of each one. Right now, I am the director of Governmental Relations for Northern Iowa Student Government, president of UNI’s collegiate chapter of 50/50 in 2020, president of both the Political Science Society and the Public Administration Student Society, and am involved in Alpha Sigma Tau and try to help out in the political science department as much as I can. All of these activities have helped to shape me in unique ways, but I can confidently say that they’ve each had a similar influence.

So much of the focus across UNI is on how to improve your community and grow personally, professionally and academically. In the classroom I’ve been able to have a hands-on experience learning about things ranging from Iowa politics to public budgeting to Aristotle’s politics. Outside of the classroom, I was mentored by students, staff and community members where I was shown what service about self really meant, and I was given the opportunity to build upon what had already been created for me at UNI.

This has been the experience of a lifetime, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer will bring!

Jared Riter

As a rising senior, I have been blessed with many opportunities at UNI. These opportunities have helped me grow personally and professionally to better help me with my career goals. On campus, there are many opportunities to get involved and be a campus leader. I am involved in GoodLife Ministries, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Northern Iowa Student Government and Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. I have invested a large portion of my time into Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity to help me grow into the best possible version of myself.

There are many faculty and staff members that I have built relationships with that I now consider mentors for me. With these relationships, I have been pushed to develop programs to help other students make the most of their experience at UNI and within their own student organizations. These personal relationships have pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and set my goals high. Each of my organizations has helped shape me into who I am today. They continuously help me grow by encouraging me to live a balanced lifestyle.

UNI has prepared me for my latest challenge, working as an intern for Sen. Grassley in Washington, D.C. This experience has pushed me to grow and will continue to push me over the next six weeks.