Internships ignite passion for making change through policy

Abbie Clements and Bridget Hawkins both came to KU determined to better understand the political and legal systems that shape our lives. As policy interns for the Topeka-based Kansas Action for Children (KAC), they developed ambitions to change these systems for the better.

KAC’s mission is “to shape health, education, and economic policy that will improve the lives of Kansas children and families.” With KAC’s focus on advocating for younger generations and KU Honors’ hope to establish internships with nonprofit organizations, a partnership made sense.

Clements, who began her undergraduate career as a political science major and history minor, laid a foundation for her knowledge of government through positions at KU's Dole Institute of Politics and internships in the U.S. Congress and the Kansas House of Representatives.

Her interests, though, went beyond just politics. In her first-year honors seminar, “Race, Memory, and Storytelling,” Clements dove into conversations led by communication studies professor and former Honors Faculty Fellow Dave Tell, who challenged students to engage with the ways people develop understandings — and misunderstandings.

Those conversations helped her identify a second major: digital marketing communications. She quickly put that double major to work with KAC.

"The way people receive information about politics is really important — it can really shape and move the needle on so many things,” Clements said.

During her internship, she received hands-on experience with communications, taking the lead in design projects and helping to create a social media campaign. Her work gave legislators context as they made big decisions about meaningful issues.

“Some counties are dealing with higher levels of poverty, which affects literacy rates and can have lifelong implications,” Clements said. “Giving data to legislators is really important. It helps ensure that they see it and understand how kids are doing in their counties.”

Bridget Hawkins, a sophomore English and global and international studies major with a Spanish minor, also understood the power of data to shape policy through early experiences in the honors program.

In her HNRS 195 seminar, “Connect, Learn, and Act for a Common Cause,” Hawkins conducted self-guided research related to environmental law in her home state of Oklahoma. She then trained her eye on campus, investigating KU’s recycling policy as a Common Cause Student Design Team member. Her questions raised a multitude more.

“It got me thinking: What specific policies are there on recycling? Is there a way to make it not cost so much?” asked Hawkins, whose drive to get close to policymakers led her to KAC.

“When I found out that there was an internship related to legislative policy,” said Hawkins, “I thought, ‘Maybe I can learn a little bit more.’”

And learn more she did. Hawkins’ KAC internship taught her about the intricacies of the lawmaking process, including how much consideration, creativity, and compromise are involved. It also showed her the possibilities of a nonprofit, public-sector career path.

 “Seeing what [policymakers] can do and how much they can fix things in communities was pretty inspiring,” Hawkins said. "It would be nice to be in a position where I can help correct the issues I see in these systems.”

Clements, who graduated in May, found herself in just such a position — with KAC. Based on the strength of her work as an intern, the organization offered her a full-time communications position, putting her degree to work immediately by making an impact for the youngest Kansans.

“It’s an amazing organization, and the job is perfect for what I wanted to start out doing,” Clements said.