By Jonathan Hiser
Fast talking and a quick wit can be valuable qualities for a political science major, as senior Bryan Hockaday found out.
Upon running into Sam Adams, Portland's commissioner of public utilities, during an Urban Plunge, Hockaday cornered the politician, refusing to let Adams go until he promised him an internship. Proving that persistence can pay off, Hockaday created his own summer internship with Sam Adams.
Hockaday is not alone in his political experiences - every year roughly a quarter of political science majors participate in some type of internship, according to political science professor Gary Malecha, who coordinates and informs majors of political internships.
Internships range from local positions to a semester-long program in Washington, D.C. Malecha said the department encourages students to get involved, as the internships provide much-needed on-the-ground experience in political affairs.
"It opens up new avenues for them." Malecha said. "Some students who went to D.C., enjoyed it so much that they went back and ended up working there."
Reflection and self-growth are encouraged and to a degree even required from some programs. Students who participate in the Washington, D.C., program must combine academics and the internship into a project-like reflection paper.
"You learn by doing," Malecha said. "Many students found it to be quite informative as it's connected to some of their academic work as well."
Hockaday said that there is always a divide between classes and internships, noting that most of what he is learning on the job was not taught by professors.
"You don't get taught how to go to meetings or how to interact with government officials," Hockaday said. "It's all part of the learning curve. That's what internships are for anyways."
Although Hockaday said he thought the classes were more theoretical than practical, he conceded that a theoretical background is still needed.
"What I learn in class reminds me why I do what I do," Hockaday said. "It reminds me how the system of democracy works."
According to Ken Koopmans, internship coordinator for Career Services, two political science majors are earning credit for their internships this semester. But other political science students can intern with organizations unrelated to the field and still receive CAS credit. Others simply intern and don't receive college credit.
Senior Sarah Finney, a double political science and history major, interned for Bread for the City, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Finney had many typical intern responsibilities, like writing letters, contacting donors and public figures, and soliciting donations. She said her big project was planning the organization's fund-raising auction, which was cochaired by retired U.S. Sen. Bob Dole and former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle.
Although Finney considered the position to be an atypical internship for a political science major, she said that, at times, she used basic writing skills and knowledge of the current political climate that she learned in class. But ultimately her internship was different from her class curriculum.
"It as such a different experience from school that it's hard to separate the two," she said.
Koopmans agrees that some skills learned at UP are transferable to real world jobs, such as the practical training engineering majors receive. But students majoring in more theoretical fields, like political science, will also learn how to do a job through direct experience.
Koopmans also said that political science majors have more freedom in choosing a career than those pursing degrees in nursing and education.
"The common belief is that political science majors go into politics or get their Ph.D.s and teach," he said. "When you look at the numbers, that's definitely not the case.
To Finney, work in the nonprofit sector seemed like an equally apt way to create change as a career in government or politics.
"I didn't want to spend my time answering phones and constituent mail," she said. "I wanted to use my time to help out the community and learn more about nonprofits."
Finney thinks that any internship is a valuable foray into future career options.
"You're getting experience, and sometimes it helps give you an idea of not necessarily what you want to do, but what you don't want to do," she said.
Malecha said political organizations tend to hunt down political science departments, which means there tends to be a steady flow of new and changing internship opportunities.
"It can unfold in a number of ways," Malecha said. "Students can come to me for an opportunity or bring their own plans."
Hockaday was one such example. Hockaday said he personally prefers the idea of coming up with his own internship opportunities.
"You have to make your own opportunity," Hockaday said. "In the political world, you have to go out there and make a name for yourself. It's up to you to be successful - nobody is going to just hand you an opportunity."
Anna Walters contributed to this report.
