Five undergraduate student interns are supporting the staff of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics with its research and programming for the 2022-23 academic year. In addition, four student voting engagement champions worked with center director Karen Kedrowski and research/outreach coordinator Carrie Ann Johnson throughout the fall in preparation for the 2022 midterm election.
“Our interns are fun, talented, and a joy to work with. We’re grateful to all of them,” said Kedrowski.
Undergraduate interns play an essential role in the Catt Center’s work. The salaries of the interns are supported in part through private gifts to the Catt Center, for which the center is very grateful.
The student interns are:
“I enjoy working for Catt Center because it gives me an opportunity to examine intersections of identity in communication on a scale and in contexts I wouldn’t have examined on my own,” Bequette said.
Bequette is also secretary of the Pride Alliance, a student assistant with the Language Studies Resource Center, and working on reorganizing the Tri Iota Women and Gender Studies Honor Society.
“The Catt Center is where I first learned about my interest in research,” Burns said. “I love coming to work and having the opportunity to explore that interest.”
Burns also is involved in the Kappa Delta sorority, Student Alumni Leadership Council and Honors Program.
“I enjoy working at the Catt Center because of all the amazing people I have met,” Hannon said. “Interning at the Catt Center has allowed me to work on projects I am passionate about while developing important professional skills.”
“Working at the Catt Center has been an absolute dream,” O’Brien said. “I am able to apply my passion for women in politics as well as my scholarly writing and research skills to advocate for the enhancement of women in politics all over America. I truly feel as though I am making a difference for future generations, and there is no greater feeling than that.”
O’Brien is president of the African American Studies Society, and a member of the College Democrats and the Tri Iota Women and Gender Studies Honor Society.
“I enjoy working with my Catt Center co-workers and getting the opportunity to try new things,” Vilmont said.
Vilmont is also involved with the ISU student-run advertising agency Cardinal & Gold and is a peer mentor at the Greenlee School.
The student voting engagement interns are:
Photo credit: Liliann Hatting, student photographer for the Ivy College of Business
Calvetti said, “I enjoy working for the Catt Center because I can make my own schedule and educate students on campus about voting.”
“Becoming a member of Cyclones Vote has been a great experience for me,” Heard says. “I’ve enjoyed all the work I’ve done in trying to increase the number of civically engaged students we have on campus.”
Heard is also a Save the Children’s Action Network student ambassador.
“Working with the Cyclone Votes team, I enjoy that everyone at the Catt Center is so supportive of their student interns!” said Rodriguez.
“I love working at the Catt Center because I get to work alongside many hard-working and smart individuals who have the same goals I do for our campus and its future,” said Rush.