AU students join Georgia Legislative Internship Program this session

Approximately 35 students from universities across the state are chosen to participate in the Georgia Legislative Internship Program during each legislative session.

This semester, three students from Augusta University – Anna Carver, Avery Robinson and Lahari Kamabathula – have been selected to become GLIP interns with the Georgia General Assembly and will receive invaluable firsthand experience of the legislative process.

The students live in Atlanta during their paid internship and have the opportunity to perform a variety of tasks each day, which might include legislative tracking, constituent services, media assistance, attending committee meetings and writing bill summaries.

During their time at the Georgia State Capitol, interns meet state leaders, follow the legislative session and learn about state government, as well as build lifelong career contacts and friendships.

“I am immensely proud of these students and their selection for the Georgia Legislative Internship Program,” said Augusta University President Russell T. Keen. “The faculty and staff at Augusta University are deeply committed to positioning our students for experiential learning opportunities that translate their academic pursuits into real-world applications. Every sector and profession in our economy are influenced through the legislative process which highlights just how special this opportunity is for our students and how it will complement the life-changing, life-saving work they will engage in for years to come.”

Margie Miller, vice president of Government Relations at Augusta University, and her team in Atlanta help the GLIP interns navigate the 2026 legislative session.

“The Georgia State Capitol is an incredible learning environment, and these students will have a front-row seat to the legislative process,” Miller said. “Our team is excited to help them navigate the session, connect with elected officials and gain insight that will serve them well in their future careers.”

For as long as he can remember, Robinson, a junior who is majoring in political science, said he has been drawn to both history and government.

“I was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Growing up, I was always pretty good in two subjects: history and government. But one of the things that I want to do in life, in general, is to help people,” said Robinson, who is also part of Augusta University’s Honors Program. “So, I combined that desire to help people with being good in government, and I realized that this GLIP internship would be perfect in allowing me to move on to the next step. I want to see how government works and how our legislators implement policies that help people in their districts, in their counties and in their state.”

In order to become a GLIP intern, students must be a junior or senior at a university in Georgia and they must receive school credit for the internship. Next semester, all three Augusta University students will receive 12-credit hours for a social sciences undergraduate internship listed as course SOSC 4960 through Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. However, GLIP interns can be from any major offered at Augusta University.

“I’m really excited about returning to the Atlanta area and participating in this internship,” said Robinson, who has been assigned to work in the office of Senate Minority Leader Harold V. Jones II, D-Augusta. “My long-term goal is I plan on going to law school. But I am also interested in pursuing a career in public service of some kind, so I’m looking forward to what I will learn interning at the State Capitol.”

Carver, 22, is a senior majoring in political science and minoring in Spanish. While she hopes to one day become a lawyer and possibly a judge, Carver believes becoming a GLIP intern will give her a much better understanding of creating policy and legislation that impacts people across the state.

“I’m a big fan of absorbing information. I love learning and observing,” said Carver, who has been assigned to work with several members of the House of Representatives this session in Suite 401. “So, any opportunity that I have to shadow someone, or monitor meetings or see the process in action, I will be genuinely thrilled about because I’m a take-it-and-use-it-later kind of person.”

When Carver visited the State Capitol for the first time during her GLIP interview last fall, she was overwhelmed by walking into the Gold Dome.

“The room where I interviewed was right down from the governor’s office,” Carver said, smiling. “I remember passing it and going, ‘Wait a minute. That’s the governor’s office. I can’t believe I’m right next to him.’ In that moment, I truly realized where I was and what I was doing. The importance of what I was doing and what the actual internship itself meant hit me.”

Carver, who is also pursuing a legal studies certification, credits Augusta University Professor Martha Ginn, PhD, for giving her the support and encouragement to explore this internship and her future options.

“I’ve been wanting to be a lawyer since I was eight years old,” Carver said, laughing. “And it is so funny because I swore that I was never going to be a poli sci major, but professors like Dr. Ginn opened my eyes to the fact that there are politics in everyday circumstances all the time. So, while poli sci is still relatively new territory for me, the thought of being able to use my strong suits in new ways and through future forums and opportunities really excites me.”

Kamabathula, a native of Cumming, Georgia, is a junior studying criminal justice. When she opened the email confirming her position as a GLIP intern, she could barely believe her eyes.

“Cumming is a small town, so when I go to Atlanta, I feel very adult,” she said, laughing. “I mean, going to the State Capitol, you feel mature. And the Capitol itself is so beautiful and rich in history. As soon as you walk in, you know there’s an importance to what you’re doing. It makes you appreciate everything even more.”

Kamabathula, who also plans to go to law school, was assigned to the governor’s floor leaders’ office in the Capitol Building. She feels this internship will help put her future in perspective.

“I’ll watch or read about different cases that are happening in the world, and I have opinions about them and I want to voice those opinions,” she said. “However, voicing it is one thing, but putting action into it and making things happen is another.

“In school, I’ve been so academically focused with my courses, I haven’t had time to experience the actual field that I’m studying,” she added. “This internship will allow me to see bills become law and learn how those laws impact real people.”

For weekly updates on all legislative news, Government Relations invites those interested to subscribe to the Capitol Connection, an online newsletter that provides a legislative recap, budget updates and other details about the week at the Georgia Statehouse.