In the second installment of our summer field experience series, JMC students show the many places public affairs work can happen. From a migration nonprofit in Argentina and law offices in Michigan to a statewide campaign, corporate security work and federal policy meetings in Washington, D.C., Madisonians are using research, writing and critical thinking skills in real-world settings.
Katherine Kling
Internship with Norsk Hydro in Washington, D.C.
Majors: Social Relations & Policy and Politics, Rights & Cultures
Minor: Environmental Economics
Expected Graduation Year: 2027
What were some of your regular responsibilities during your internship? I write weekly updates on activities within Hydro's Government Affairs office and developments in U.S. politics and policy that may impact the company. I also prepare meeting invitations and briefing materials for meetings with Members of Congress and have written one-pagers on key company issues for congressional offices. Throughout the summer, I have attended meetings on Capitol Hill, with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and with other aluminum industry stakeholders, giving me firsthand exposure to how companies engage with policymakers and navigate federal policy issues.
What kind of public affairs issues or problems did your internship focus on? My internship focused on trade, manufacturing and critical mineral policy issues affecting the aluminum industry. I also researched issues related to tariffs, supply chains, domestic manufacturing and critical minerals, including materials that are important to the clean energy and defense sectors.
Which JMC skills showed up most clearly in your internship? The ability to synthesize large amounts of information into clear, concise briefings has been the most valuable thing JMC has taught me to prepare me for this internship.
Which JMC course, assignment, professor or discussion helped prepare you? Surprisingly, Econ. I never saw myself working somewhere so involved in trade and manufacturing, but being able to understand the basics has helped me keep up.
How did the experience shape how you're thinking about your future career path? Although I work primarily with government affairs professionals and lobbyists, my supervisors know I am interested in law school and have emphasized the role law plays in shaping business decisions and public policy. I am most interested in finding solutions that balance environmental and economic priorities. My time in D.C. has strengthened my interest in attending law school to study environmental law and pursue a career focused on addressing complex energy and environmental challenges.
John Lobron
Internship with Stacer PLC and Squires Estate Planning in Plymouth, MI
Majors: Political Theory & Constitutional Democracy and International Relations
Minor: German
Expected Graduation Year: 2028
What were some of your regular responsibilities during your internship? Drafting legal documents to be filed, filling forms, drafting settlement agreements and plea deals, drafting wills, trusts and estate plans. I also provide notes on discoveries received from the prosecutor’s office, formulate arguments and assist in developing case strategies.
What kind of public affairs issues or problems did your internship focus on? My work focused mostly on the criminal justice and immigration systems in the US. I enjoyed learning so much about them.
Which JMC skills showed up most clearly in your internship? Analytical reading and reading comprehension, critical thinking and strong writing skills are invaluable in the legal field, and I find myself using these skills both in my internship and in classes at JMC.
How did the experience shape how you're thinking about your future career path? It has been good exposure to the legal field, and has introduced me a bit more directly to federal courtroom litigation and policy than my previous experience.
Mahdiyat Neehat
Internship with Amazon in Shreveport, LA
Majors: International Relations and Criminal Justice
Minor: Law, Justice & Public Policy
Expected Graduation Year: 2027
What were some of your regular responsibilities during your internship? Working on a high security project, talking to stakeholders about theft reduction, monitoring cameras and different systems to protect assets.
What kind of public affairs issues or problems did your internship focus on? Protecting company assets, reducing inventory "shrink" (loss), and mitigating physical security and safety risks. Policy and Procedure Compliance and protecting public property from misplacement and theft were the public affairs issues the internship focused on.
Which JMC skills showed up most clearly in your internship? Research skills, forming arguments and using public policy and theoretical analysis to solve problems were pivotal for the internship which I learned from JMC.
JMC course, assignment, professor or discussion that helped prepare you? The International Security course with Prof. Kristin Brathwaite helped a lot. On the other hand my Senior Seminar with Prof. Komori gave me a lot of confidence and taught me to articulate my thoughts.
How did the experience shape how you're thinking about your future career path? I am really interested in corporate security and being an intelligence analyst and this experience created a pathway for me to pursue that.
Emily Littlejohn
Social Work and Migration Intern for CEMI (Comisión Episcopal de Migrantes e Itinerantes) in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Major: Politics, Rights & Culture
Minor: Spanish and History
Expected Graduation Year: 2027
What were some of your regular responsibilities during your internship? My main role as a Migration and Social work intern for CEMI is to get a grasp of the migrant reality here in Buenos Aires. I focus on assisting with tasks such as conducting intake and recurring interviews, making and conducting publications for CEMI’s social media, direct contact with migrants in need that reach out to CEMI, the systematization of migrants who reach out to CEMI to connect them with the resources/assistance they request, and engaging in and organizing events to connect with the local migrant communities and fellow organizations that share similar missions and/or work alongside CEMI. In addition, I am working towards greater proficiency as a student of the Spanish language, in a full-time Spanish speaking environment.
What kind of public affairs issues or problems did your internship focus on? Migration and refugee issues, including social integration, access to employment, housing, documentation and public services. The work also addressed the challenges faced by organizations that support migrants, particularly in the context of economic instability and changing migration patterns in Argentina.
JMC course, assignment, professor or discussion that helped prepare you?: MC 390, an Advanced Public Affairs course that I took this past spring with Prof. Florencia Rojo. While Argentina has a distinct migration process, working toward a deeper understanding of the lived realities of migrants and the dynamics surrounding immigration politics this past spring prepared me well to absorb and engage with the work being done during my short time at CEMI in Buenos Aires. Additionally, the research I presented on female migrants and their children at the end of the MC 337 course on Global Public Health that I took with Prof. Linda Sayed set me on the path to explore immigration politics more closely.
How did the experience shape how you're thinking about your future career path? Overall, I would say that my time in Buenos Aires has only strengthened my interest in pursuing immigration law after law school. This experience deepened my commitment to public service and international issues while giving me a more nuanced understanding of migration, community-based advocacy, and the challenges faced by immigrant populations. I hope that this formative experience has brought me closer to the immigrant community and will help me refine what is currently a broad interest in immigration politics into a more focused professional path. At a time when immigration remains one of the most significant and debated public issues in the United States, I am especially grateful for the opportunity to learn from and work alongside those directly affected by these policies and realities.
Ava Jackson
Internship with Eli Savits Campaign for Attorney General (mostly remote with some in-person events)
Majors: Political Theory & Constitutional Democracy and Social Relations & Policy
Minor: Philosophy & Law
Expected Graduation Year: 2029
What were some of your regular responsibilities during your internship? Donor research, making calls on behalf of the campaign, speaking at events, finding ways to get voters to the Democratic convention and making the convention as accessible as possible.
What kind of public affairs issues or problems did your internship focus on? Progressive policies such as abolishment of ICE, prison reform, LGBTQ rights, etc.
Which JMC skills showed up most clearly in your internship? Reading and writing skills, as well as the ability to have a cohesive discussion of our current political climate in a way that is understandable to the common people.