Hannah Boyum ’20 uses CPP grant to intern in Minnesota

Hannah Boyum ’20 of Peterson, Minnesota, was a research and communications intern with the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party in Minneapolis during the summer of 2018. Her experience was supported by a $2,000 Internship Supplemental Grant from the Center for Politics and the People (CPP).

The grant money enabled her to find and rent an apartment in the Twin Cities as she interned in her home state. Her internship duties included writing press releases, social media posts and newsletters, as well as running press conferences.

Boyum, a politics and government and anthropology double-major, is an active member of her sorority, Kappa Delta, and the Environmental Group of Ripon. She also is a member of the student advisory board for the CPP and works with the college’s Summer Orientation Committee.

“The most rewarding thing about my internship was being able to see the difference I was making,” she says. “Between press conferences and rallies, I met so many great people whose stories reaffirmed my love of politics.”

Because of the internship, Boyum says she has made lifelong personal and professional connections. She says that an internship may not be an “ideal workplace, what you want to do with your life, or your area of expertise, (but) the growth, real job experience, and connections will be worth it.”

Upon graduation, Boyum would like to pursue a career as a campaign manager.

Boyum and four other CPP grant recipients will speak about their intern experiences Monday, Oct. 1. “Dream Internships in Public Policy” will run from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Kresge Little Theater, East Hall.

(Photo: Hannah Boyum)