Students Intern at the Capitol

Five UNM students are getting firsthand experience as interns in Washington, D.C. this semester.Deborah Baker, Moanna Wright, Christopher Miller, Angelina Gonzalez-Aller and Marcus Romero are the first group of students selected for the fall semester of the UNM Fred Harris Congressional Internship Program. "I believe it to be a chance of a lifetime," said Wright, a cultural anthropology major, in a telephone

interview.They will earn 12 credit hours, receive scholarships of $4,500 and intern for one of two senators or three of the House representatives from New Mexico.

Baker said the opportunity allows her to pursue something she's passionate about."I love politics," Baker said. "I was amazed I would be in the middle of it."While in Washington, D.C., the students work eight hours a day for four days and attend classes on Fridays in addition to studying independently. Fred Harris, UNM political science professor emeritus, will travel to meet with the students in Washington, D.C. four times this semester. Ellen Grigsby, intern coordinator of the program, and Michael Rocca, assistant professor of political science, will fly to Washington, D.C. at least once to teach political science courses.Miller, a political science and Spanish major, said being in Washington, D.C. allows him to network."It's definitely a route to getting a job," Miller said. "I want to meet as many people as I can.

"Another positive aspect of the program is the location, Miller said."A big part of the experience, too, is the whole D.C. thing," he said. "It's wild to get up in the morning to go for a run and not be down Central (Avenue) and to be by the White House." Harris, a former senator from Oklahoma and director of the UNM Fred Harris Congressional

Internship Program, said the idea of students living and working near Capitol Hill is part of the learning experience."They get to see our national government up close," Harris said. "It's just terrific exposure."Harris said having the students in Washington, D.C. benefits

UNM."It's helpful for us to have students

and alumni to know how the government works," he said. Grigsby said she is glad to have been appointed to work with a group of highly motivated students. "Students see the reality of having a place in politics. I think it's empowering," Grigsby said. "There are things you can learn in an internship that you can't learn in a classroom." Having the program open to all majors gives students who aren't majoring in political science a chance to look into it, Grigsby said."Whatever their [students'] major is, they're citizens," Grigsby said. "You connect with the politics of the government."With the internship and school, Wright said she's sure it'll be an experience that benefits all the interns."It's amazing to be in a place where things that affect our everyday lives go on," Wright said. "I would do it again in a heartbeat."