On Wednesday, September 25, Pi Sigma Alpha sponsored a panel featuring Bobcats who work in the Texas Legislature or have had internships there. The panel consisted of Vanessa Cortez Tanner, a Texas State alumnus who serves as Chief of Staff to Texas State Representative Brad Buckley; Jacob Graybill, former Legislative Aide to State Representative Erin Zwiener and current MPA student; and Xavier Millan, a former intern for House Speaker Dade Phelan, who is a current MPA student and Assistant City Administrator with the City of Martindale.
Dr. Vance McMahan opened the event with a brief presentation exploring the department’s new legislative internship program, how to earn academic credit for internships, and financial assistance the department can provide to legislative interns through the university’s new “Capitol Cats” initiative. Pi Sigma Alpha officers then facilitated the panel, which offered insight into how to find internships, what makes a successful intern, and what it is like to work an internship during a Texas legislative session. Panel speakers shared their personal experiences with internships on both sides of the process and offered advice for optimizing the benefits of an internship. More than 30 students and faculty members attended the panel event, and following the event, students were given the opportunity to network with the speakers about internship opportunities while enjoying pizza, cookies, and drinks.
President of Pi Sigma Alpha, Sofia Hernandez, expressed how excited the organization’s leadership team was to be able to introduce current students to individuals working in or with the Texas Legislature. She shared the importance of fostering meaningful relationships through networking opportunities such as this panel, highlighting how these events contribute to civic engagement and education while promoting methods for professional development and experience.
Undergraduate and graduate political science majors interested in receiving academic credit for an internship should contact Dr. Castillo at cr09@txstate.edu. Undergraduate public administration majors interested in doing so should contact Dr. Mora at sm43@txstate.edu.
Chapter Rho Eta of Pi Sigma Alpha is the national political science honor society chapter at Texas State University. Open to eligible political science, public administration, and legal studies majors and minors, Pi Sigma Alpha’s goal is to connect those interested in politics and policy with a wide variety of professionals from across the state and help its members get jobs, internships, and experience before and after college. Those interested in learning more about the Rho Eta Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha should check out the chapter’s page on the department website.
