[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 42 (Thursday, April 6, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S2341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    NATIONAL STUDENT EMPLOYMENT WEEK

 Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of National 
Student Employment Week. I would like to show appreciation for the good 
work that the past and present interns in my office have done, and say 
a few words about the mutual benefits of a congressional student 
internship program.
  These days, as people turn to government more frequently for answers, 
it is especially important for young people to learn about government. 
If is crucial that they know how it affects their lives and the lives 
of others and what they can do to improve it. There is no better way 
for a student to discover how government works than by participating in 
the legislative process. Real-world experience helps a student develop 
optimistic, practical expectations of government.
  An internship is often a student's first brush with the professional 
world. The congressional office gives them an opportunity to develop 
their professional skills. Each year, after working on Capitol Hill or 
in a state or district office, thousands of former student interns 
commit themselves to public service or choose a career path in the 
private sector. These young people bring the high standards with which 
they were trained to their first job.
  Internships also allow students to gain experience specific to jobs 
in a congressional office. They allow students to try out different 
tasks, which gives them the chance to discover jobs they are well 
suited for and would not know about without hands-on office experience.
  Many of us who hold office today credit a student internship as the 
inspiration for our commitment to public service. In fact, I believe 
that right now there are many young people who are planning to devote 
part of their careers to public service because of their student 
internships. Although not all former interns pursue a public service 
career, these young people are usually left with an ongoing interest in 
politics. The result of a student intership, is at the very least, an 
informed and thoughtful citizen.
  I have the great fortune to work with some of the sharpest and most 
eager minds to come out of our colleges and universities. Among them 
this spring are Melissa Simpson of Blackfoot and Boise State 
University, Richard Andrus of Rexburg and Utah State University, Sarah 
Bonzer of Boise and Boise State University, Laura Atchely of Ashton and 
the University of Idaho, Melynda Topelian of Herndon High, Herndon, 
Virginia, and Holly Sonneland of Hailey and The Community School in Sun 
Valley, in my personal office in Washington, DC. The interns in my 
Republican Policy Committee office include Elisha Tiplett from 
Woodbridge, Virginia, and James Madison University, Nathan Johnson of 
Lewiston, Maine, and Brigham Young University, Carolyn Laird of 
Edmonton, Alberta Canada and the University of Alberta. The interns in 
my state offices are: Jose Melendez, a student from Northwest Nazarene 
University in the Boise office; Angela Nyland of Idaho State University 
and Mark H. Liedtke of Century High School in the Pocatello office; 
Kjersta Baum of Ricks College and Kristina Pack of Skyline High School 
in the Idaho Falls office. Past interns in the Idaho Falls office whom 
I would like to recognize include Pricilla Giddings of Salmon River, 
Jr./Sr. High School and Jared Lords of Idaho State University.
  These interns are a welcome addition to my Idaho and Washington, DC, 
offices. They have brought their energy and scholastic ability with 
them and helped make my office more responsive to constituents at home.
  In return for their effort, these students gain the satisfaction of 
helping their fellow citizens, the reward of being a well-trained 
worker, and the opportunity to make lifelong political contacts. Some 
have incorporated their study into their curriculum and will receive 
academic credit for their endeavors.
  For these reasons, I will continue to provide internship 
opportunities to Idaho students. Student internship programs are an 
excellent example that student employment is pivotal in the 
continuation of a well-trained work force.
  I commend my colleagues who have done their part by opening their 
offices to interns. I hope that they have seen, as I have, that student 
internships offer numerous benefits to both the congressional office 
and the student.
  I thank the students who have participated in an internship. Their 
time as interns has made them knowledgeable citizens on the subject of 
government, and their participation has enriched our nation's 
legislative process.

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