On Saturday, November 16th, a group of political science alumni who work at the Capitol or with the legislature held their fifth annual homecoming tailgate. About 30 Capitol Cats Alumni attended the event along with dozens of their friends, family, and current students. This was the first year of officially partnering with Texas State University through the Capitol Cats internship program, which seeks to empower students by providing them with support necessary to participate in internships in the state capitol in Austin, TX. Students actively participating in the program as well as those interested in doing so were able to connect with the alumni, build networking relationships, and seek advice for job opportunities and internships for the coming spring semester. Additionally, attendees could celebrate the significant anniversary of 125 years of TXST while cheering on the Bobcats.
Notable alumni attendees included:
- Sergio Rey (Chief Financial Officer for the Texas Lottery Commission)
- Harold Stone (Chief of Staff to Senator Pete Flores)
- Julie Frank (Senior Advisor for Governmental Affairs for Texas Parks & Wildlife)
- Mike Wintemute (Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications for the Texas State University System)
- Jeff Burdett (Texas State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business)
- Tom Holloway (Partner – Cross Oak Group).
Morghan Armenta, a K-12 Policy Analyst with the Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott who attended the event, said, “The demographics of TXST University’s student body most closely mirror the population of Texas more than any other public university in the state. It’s time we provided those students an official partnership to demonstrate their uniquely Texan skills and leadership in our state’s Capitol. I’m sure they will undoubtedly bring success to any office they choose to join for the spring legislative Session.”
The event was coordinated by Vanessa Cortez Tanner, an alumnus who serves as Chief of Staff for State Representative Brad Buckley.
For more information about the Capitol Cats internship program, see the webpage here. Undergraduate and graduate political science majors interested in receiving academic credit for an internship should contact Dr. Vance McMahan at tvm20@txstate.edu. Undergraduate public administration majors interested in doing so should contact Dr. Susan Johnson at sj16@txstate.edu.
