Media Contact
Jennifer Ellen French
Public Relations Manager
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
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ATLANTA—Hermela Assefa, a third-year public policy major from Lilburn, was curious to see the legislative process in person and gain valuable experience.
“The Georgia Legislative Internship Program (GLIP) interested me because it provides interns with an up-close and active role in taking what was previously just course material into real life,” she said.
Thrilled at how legislators and Capitol staff are open to sharing their experiences with interns, Assefa said she “appreciates how we’re being utilized and entrusted with tasks that are building our skills and experience.”
Assefa’s internship duties with the State Properties Committee vary from day to day. They include handling constituent issues, preparing materials for committee meetings and distributing notices, just to name a few.
On-campus, Assefa is an ambassador for Vote Everywhere, a nonpartisan organization under the Andrew Goodman Foundation that encourages civic engagement and voting among college students. Off-campus, she enjoys reading, puzzles and playing video games with her friends.
After graduation from GSU, Assefa will look into different career avenues in the public policy field. Ultimately, her career goal is to work as a foreign service officer.
She is inspired by a quote from her father, “You can do anything in life as long as you’re happy and healthy.” Her favorite book is “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker.
- By Debbie Jones, Georgia State University Office of Government and Community Affairs