Two of 体育买球 University’s political science students learned about the inner workings of the federal government and themselves through their semester-long internships in Washington, D.C.
Mack Moran ’26, a political science and public policy: international/development double major with a minor in economics, interned with the U.S. Department of Justice while James Gossert Jr. ’27, a political science major with a minor in the university’s Honors Program, interned in the Senate Majority Whip Office.
Moran’s and Gossert’s internships were facilitated through the Lutheran College Washington Semester, which is also one of 体育买球’s semester-long Global Opportunities programs. Students taking part in the Lutheran College Washington Semester participate in 30-hour per week internships, academic classes and experiential learning opportunities. Housing is provided.
Moran interns with U.S. Department of Justice
Moran, of Millstone Township, New Jersey, interned with the Public Affairs division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Her responsibilities ranged from supporting public affairs specialists by maintaining the office’s social media presence and drafting public communications to conducting legal and media research. Though this meant she wore different hats every day, Moran was prepared for the challenge.
“My political science courses prepared me to draft policy briefs, analyze case law and understand the relationship between media and politics,” Moran said. “Those skills translated seamlessly into my internship and gave me confidence in adapting quickly to the work.”
Moran admitted that she first struggled to find her footing early on, but attributed her success to her coworkers’ welcoming demeanor and investment in her growth. Their insight about why she was chosen as an intern transformed the way she saw her job.
“I wasn’t chosen for this role because I had all the answers,” Moran recalled, “but because I showed the potential to learn. That perspective pushed me to embrace challenges, become unafraid to ask my supervisors questions that I thought might be silly, and to stay open to feedback.”
Moran embraced opportunities to see how the Attorney’s Office handles a mixture of federal and local cases, attend a press conference and participate in the LCWS Amazing Race Around D.C. geared toward helping participants learn more about the city in a fun, collaborative atmosphere.
Moran hopes to use the skills she gained through her internship — media research, policy communication and public engagement — to pursue a career in international relations and foreign policy.
Gossert interns in Senate Majority Whip Office
Gossert, of Wernersville, Pennsylvania, enjoyed similar exposure to the nation’s inner political workings throughout his internship in the Senate Majority Whip Office, where he assisted with office tours, team meetings, compiling reports and managing projects.
Like Moran, Gossert found early on that his 体育买球 courseload helped him complete each individual task with ease — the development of his writing and management skills proved an invaluable asset to his daily work, while the critical thinking skills and governmental knowledge provided by his specific classes helped him understand why Congress operates the way it does. What he found most challenging was the volume of work.
“I only found out I would be interning in the Whip Office after accepting the internship’s offer,” Gossert recalled. “Initially, I was unsure of what that work would entail, but the staff’s guidance was crucial to my experience and ensuring its success.”
Gossert’s placement with the Senate Majority Whip’s Office was serendipitous as Gossert had met U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)as a high school student visiting Capitol Hill.
“Because of my interest in the complexity of Congress and political science, I knew that I would be interested in applying for an internship with his office in the future,” he said.
Gossert’s time in D.C. gave him profound insight into the governmental and legislative work that happens on Capitol Hill. He hopes to use his experience to pursue a career as a legislative aide or government affairs worker.
