Name: Kelly Rogers
Year: 2010
Internship Site: Office of the First Lady of Pennsylvania, PA Governor’s Residence, Harrisburg, PA

Kelly with Pennsylvania First Lady, Judge Marjorie Rendell

The internship: Kelly’s internship was at the Office of The First Lady of Pennsylvania, Marjorie O. Rendell. Kelly worked on researching and coordinating parts of Judge Rendell’s civic-engagement and education initiative, called PennCORD.

Kelly got the internship because she approached Judge Rendell after a speech the Judge gave at Dickinson. “She mentioned that I should contact her office and she rattled off her email address. Afraid that I would forget her email, I went straight to the library and sent her an email with my contact information. The next day I was contacted by her Executive Assistant asking me if I wanted to intern in their office.”

The preparation: Kelly describes the skills that helped her in this internship by saying, “…I did notice how important strong writing skills are for a profession in government or public policy. The Executive Assistant to the First Lady noted this and commended Dickinson students for being strong writers.”

Favorite project: “My favorite project was when I was asked to sit on a panel for high school students who were visiting the Governor’s Residence. I spoke about the importance of getting involved in community and leadership activities. The project was so special because my high school was represented at the conference and my high school civics teacher and Model Congress advisor was in the audience.”

The future for Kelly: Kelly has continued to maintain a relationship with individuals on staff. “…though my internship is over, I still keep in touch with the Executive Assistant. We had lunch together and she offered me valuable advice about my career goals. Working with the First Lady and her staff was an educational… and mentoring experience for me.”

This internship has already been useful to Kelly with regard to her future. “… I decided to apply for the Finnegan Fellowship for summer [2008]. I was able to ask the First Lady to write on my behalf. Not only did I receive the Fellowship, but at the luncheon for the five winners the First Lady missed a trip to Philadelphia so that she could be there to present me with the grand prize. This was quite unexpected and re-enforced the importance of networking and following through.”

Tips from Kelly: “I’m just very fortunate to have had this opportunity and I strongly encourage other Dickinson students to do the same! It provided a really nice real-world application of the concepts I was learning in my political science and policy management classes. I would have never received this internship if I didn’t boldly approach the First Lady after her speech here at Dickinson. Also, it was important to follow-up with the initial meeting. Lastly, I think it is really important to always send thank-you cards when people take time to speak with you or help you. Good luck!”

Interested in interning in the Office of the First Lady? See www.dickinsonconnect.com and click on “Employers.” Type in “Office of the First Lady” (no quotes).

To find out more about how to get an internship, visit www.dickinson.edu/career/internships.html or make an appointment in the Career Center.