Posse Scholars Intern with U.S. Senator Gillibrand
Four Posse Scholars from three different partner colleges served as summer interns in the New York City office of Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator for New York. The Scholars hadn’t planned on interning together; only two knew each other from campus. However, they found they were delighted to be working alongside fellow Posse Scholars, sharing common interests in civic engagement, public policy and social justice.
Leo Loyola, now a sophomore at Babson College, has been interested in public service and government since the 2016 presidential election.
“As a son of immigrant parents from Lima, Peru, I realized that I should be more aware of the nation’s politics regarding immigrants,” he says. “I want to be sure to take advantage of the vote I have, that my parents do not.”
“I wanted more insight about what goes on in a senate office.”
At Babson, Leo has reconnected with his passion for music and helped to organize a benefit concert for Puerto Rico.
Yazmin Baptiste and Jonathan Sosa are both Posse Scholars at Lafayette College. Yazmin, who is majoring in anthropology and sociology, is now in her junior year. Jonathan is a sophomore majoring in economics, government and law who says his passion for public service led him to the internship with Senator Gillibrand’s office.
“I wanted more insight about what goes on in a senate office,” he says. “I wanted to learn how they communicate with their constituents.”
Jacqueline Grogan, a junior at Vanderbilt University, is majoring in political science and cinema and media arts with a focus on pre-law studies. She says the internship in Senator Gillibrand’s office taught her more about public service on a local level.
“I realized the potential of politics and the impact that local service can have on others,” Jacqueline says.
As interns, the Scholars gained first-hand knowledge of the breadth and depth of the responsibilities of a U.S. Senator and the tremendous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. They assisted staff in a range of areas including press, scheduling, correspondence and legislative policy.
All four Scholars received Summer Leadership Awards from Posse, which provided financial support as they pursued their internships.
