AU students make career connections with Capitol internships

The Office of Government Relations at Augusta University proudly offers both federal and state internships for students in the U.S. Capitol and the Georgia State Capitol.

These internships provide students with the opportunity to get an up-close view inside the federal and state governments to gain unique insights into the legislative process.

“Such internships can have a tremendous impact on the future careers of AU students,” said Augusta University President Russell T. Keen.

“These internships at both the state and federal levels allow
students to gain hands-on experience in government operations,
policymaking, budgeting and relationship building,” Keen added. “These skills
and experiences prepare students for careers in public service and provide
knowledge that they can apply in the private sector.”

Ruhaan Pannu, an alumna of Augusta University’s James M. Hull College of Business, was the Government Relations intern in the spring of 2022.

“I’ve always been interested in politics, but I majored in business, so I did not
fully know what all went into the legislative session,” Pannu said. “But once I
got to the Georgia Capitol and I saw everything the Government Relations
team does for Augusta University there, I realized that this is sort of the field
that I wanted to go into.”

During her experience, Pannu had the opportunity to attend the
House and Senate committee hearings and help plan Augusta
University’s Capitol Day.

“Honestly, I loved it, and I made so many connections in Atlanta,” Pannu said. “A lot of the interns that I met while I was there I’m still friends with to this day.”

After graduating from Augusta University, Pannu said her internship with the Government Relations team led her to her current job with a Washington D.C.-based company called Advocacy Associates.

“We’re more so a political advocacy group,” she said. “If a company wants to have a Capitol Hill Day and they want to schedule meetings with their representatives and senators, instead of them doing it themselves, they come to us, and we basically execute their whole Hill Day for them.”

Pannu believes that had it not been for her internship at the Georgia State Capitol, she wouldn’t have the position she has today.

“The main reason that I got involved in this company was because of the internship that I had,” she said. “They saw that internship on my resume and realized that I was very good at managing multiple things at one time, as well as multiple people at one time, and that is one of the biggest reasons that I got this job. So I’m very grateful to the Government Relations team for picking me to be their intern that year.”

Now entering her third year with Advocacy Associates, Pannu said she continues to grow in her role each day.

“A few weeks ago, I was on a walk, and me and this other person were taking the same path, and we just struck up a conversation,” Pannu said. “It turns out their company actually used me for one of their Hill Days.”

“So, as big as the city of D.C. is, it’s also very small. You always know someone who knows someone who knows you. It’s just wonderful,” she added. “I can honestly say that I love what I do, and I probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my internship with the Government Relations team. I’ll always be grateful to them.”

Over the last 12 years, the Office of Government Relations has recruited more than 20 outstanding students to participate in these competitive internships. For more information about these internships, visit the Government Relations website.