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Millersville University senior Mackenzie Wrobel, of Bloomsburg, Pa., is currently interning at a Pennsylvania State System for Higher Education (PASSHE) funded program, The Harrisburg Internship Semester (THIS), until she graduates in December.
“With an international business major and political science minor, I knew completing an internship was crucial for job placement,” Wrobel said. “While browsing the PASSHE website, I noticed an internship that was offered to students each semester.”
According to Wrobel, THIS is an internship that enriches academia through a hands-on program. One student from each PASSHE school is selected to represent their school at a semester-long internship in Harrisburg. The placements are with policymakers on the executive and the legislative sides of state government including the Pennsylvania Department of State, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Governor’s Office of Policy and Planning and the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. The internship allows students to earn 15 credit-hours from their university, provides a $6,500 stipend to cover living expenses in Harrisburg and lets the students form an appreciation for the operations within state government.
“My placement is within the Pennsylvania Department of Health. On September 7, I began duties as a part of the Legislative Affairs team,” said Wrobel. “The Office of Legislative Affairs acts as a liaison from the department to the General Assembly and the Governor’s Office.”
The department works with other state agencies to ensure that legislation moving through General Assembly is beneficial to the people of the Commonwealth. It completes bill analyses to understand the bills and assist the department in forming a supportive, neutral or opposing position on the legislation.
“I look forward to interacting with state legislators, policymakers and others that take part in state government until mid-December when I will complete my internship,” said Wrobel. “This opportunity has allowed me to experience a whole new learning environment and is preparing me for what is just around the corner.”
