Dana Cyze, Class of 2009

1. Where are or did you intern? Briefly, what does/did your internship entail?
   I interned recently at the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. I focused primarily on assisting Congressional districts in receiving their federally appropriated funds, gathering knowledge for my supervisors on community policing in various local communities, and implementing a marketing strategy for the information produced by our office.
   
   
2. What aspects of your internship do/did you enjoy most? Find most challenging?
   I really enjoyed attending Congressional hearings that were checking the status of our office or the programs run though our office. It got me out of the office and onto Capitol Hill for the day!
   My primary responsibility there was to implement a marketing strategy for the several resources we produce. This was the most challenging part of my job because I have no business like background. However, we had been successful with a few new strategies I had tried by the end of my semester there.
   
   
3. How does/did your internship relate to what you have been studying at Illinois Wesleyan?
   As a political science major, I had focused heavily on American politics, and really enjoyed studying our legislative branch. This internship allowed me to understand how the bureaucracy and the legislative work together in order to implement programs drafted in laws passed by the legislative branch.
   
   
4. Has your internship given you any insight into what you would like to do upon graduating from Illinois Wesleyan?
   I still want to go to law school, and I did beforehand. I wouldn't say this internship has given me any more insight. However, I am currently an intern at the Public Defender's Office for McLean County. I have only been here about a week though, so I didn't think I could talk about it too much in depth. I feel as if this internship will reaffirm my desire to attend law school in the future and help prepare me for it.
   
   
5. What advice, if any, would you give to Political Science majors looking for, or even just considering, an internship?
   Going to Washington D.C. is an amazing opportunity! Our partnership program with American  University allowed me to be there for the semester. I think this is definitely something all political science majors should consider and are probably interested in. Locally, I have found a few internships through e-recruiting so definitely check there.