CSUMB interns will spend a semester on Capitol Hill

By Mark Muckenfuss

Two Cal State Monterey Bay students will be heading to Washington, D.C., next month, part of this year’s class of the Panetta Institute Congressional Internship Program. 

Rylee Jue and Mitchell Provencher will spend 12 weeks in the nation’s capital, engaging in the work of government. Each will be paired with a California congressperson, working on everything from answering phones to attending and reporting on committee meetings. 

“I’m really excited,” said Jue, a junior majoring in social and behavioral sciences, and health and human services. “I’ve been looking at the program since I committed to CSUMB. I’m hoping to broaden my experience in policy making.”

Mitchell, a business administration major in his senior year, said he thinks the internship will be helpful in his planned career in public service.

“I want to deepen my understanding of how the government works on a day-to-day basis,” he said. 

The Panetta Institute was founded by Leon Panetta – a former congressman, White House chief of staff, CIA director and U.S. secretary of state – and his wife, Silvia Panetta. In addition to the internship program, the institute also hosts an annual lecture series on timely political topics, which features nationally recognized experts. It also sponsors a number of public policy education programs. 

Richard Kezirian, a lecturer with the institute, said this is the 28th year for the internship program, which was created specifically for the California State University system. The institute chooses one student from each of the 23 CSU campuses. Because of an additional funding source, two students are typically chosen from CSUMB. 

“It always bothered Secretary Panetta when he served in Congress that interns had to have wealthy parents to serve in that position,” Kezirian said. “Our internship is based on merit, and all expenses are paid.”

Provencher said he feels an affinity for organizations like the institute.

“My family has always been deeply rooted in public service,” he said. “I recently completed an internship with the Salinas district office of Speaker Robert Rivas of the California State Assembly. This was a natural next step.”

His main goal in working for Congress, he said, is “just getting a better true understanding of how it works and how I can continue to serve the public.”

Jue has been involved in student government since she was in seventh grade and was the vice president of external affairs for CSUMB’s Associated Students during the last academic year. She’s anxious to see how government functions at the highest level. 

“I don’t have any aspirations to hold public office,” she said. “But I would potentially enjoy being a staffer. I’ve had some experience with environmental policies with [working at] the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I know for sure I want to go into public policy for my career.

“Regardless of anything,” she added, “just being in D.C. and interning in an office during this wild time will be an incredible experience.”

The two students say they also hope to do some sightseeing around the capital. Before leaving, however, they will go through two weeks of lectures, giving them a crash course on government and selected topics of U.S. history. 

The long-running internship not only brings regular attention to CSUMB but, Kezirian said, “it should be attractive to students considering enrollment.”