1. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is Cady Armstrong and I just finished up my sophomore year of college. I am majoring in Law & Public Policy through O’Neill and I am from Carmel, IN. I hope to one day pursue a career in some level of the government, whether that be local, state, or federal. I also plan on going to law school. In my free time, I love to go for long walks and hang out with my friends.
2. Can you give an overview of your time interning for the Indiana Senate? What were your daily tasks and expectations?
This past semester, I interned for the Indiana Senate Democrats. Specifically, I worked for Senator Breaux and Senator Vinzant. In my role, I handled constituent services for my two senators. I would answer calls and emails when a constituent would write in voicing their opinions on bills. I also handled casework for both Senators. Outside of this, I also staffed senate committees and took notes. I was assigned to the agriculture, natural resources, utilities, and commerce and technology committees. I would also write weekly policy summary reports for the senators. The internship was from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday-Friday.
3. How did you come across this internship? Do you have any advice for students seeking similar government experiences?
I came across this internship initially on Handshake during second semester of my freshman year. Then, Ethan Hudson, an alumni of the Civic Leaders Center LLC came and talked to the CLC about his time at the State House later that semester, and this got me very interested and excited about the opportunity. Later, during my first semester of sophomore year, I came across it again on Handshake and decided I couldn’t pass up this amazing opportunity. My advice for students seeking similar opportunities is to reach out to people who work where you want to work. Everyone at the state house is so supportive of each other and they truly want you to succeed. They like when you show interest and initiative and would definitely be willing to talk to you. Ethan was very helpful for me as he was able to tell me what the state house was like. Another thing you could do is ask to shadow a representative. This allows you to come in for the day and see what it’s like on a day-to-day basis.
4. How did your O’Neill education prepare you for this role? Did any of your classes make it easier, such as a class that discussed how government processes work?
My O’Neill education set me up for success because it laid the foundation for understanding how the government works. Specifically, my Introduction to Public Budgeting & Finance class really helped me get a background level of information on taxes and fiscal impact, which helped me significantly and gave me a leg up at the state house. My Law & Public Affairs course and Legal History & Public Policy course both gave me a better understanding of the intersection of law & policy, which also was very helpful. Additionally, two of my letters of recommendation came from my O’Neill professors. Further, O’Neill has a class where you can get credit for your internship, which allowed me to stay enrolled full-time in courses while working full-fine. The O’Neill Career Hub also helped me as two of the Peer Educators looked over my resume and gave me advice on how to improve it. All in all, O’Neill really helped me both prepare for my internship as well as support me throughout it. I am very grateful for my O’Neill education for that.
