Center for Law Engagement And Politics – Page 83 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Happy Birthday Sam, from Austin, TX!

By Beatriz Martinez

Austin Intern Beatriz Martinez shares her experiences at the Sam Houston Birthday party in Austin, TX.

In 1879, one of the greatest Texas universities was established to honor one of Texas’ greatest heroes. In 2017, current and former Bearkats traveled to Austin to pay tribute to this great hero, General Sam Houston. Even though his date of birth is March 2nd, we decided to party a little early. On February 28, a grand celebration was held in Austin to commemorate Sam Houston’s birthday.

Early that day, SHSU alumni banded together to visit fellow SHSU students that are a part of the Sam Houston Austin Internship (SHAIP), bearing gifts for their offices in the true Bearkat-giving spirit. In total, there are 10 different SHSU interns working in different offices: Alejandra Galvan with Senator Kolkhorst, Beatriz Martinez with Representative Armando Martinez, Christina Perez with Representative Jim Murphy, Brian Aldaco with Representative Will Metcalf…

Representative Will Metcalf, Brian Aldaco, Sam Houston Austin Internship Program, SHAIP, LEAP, SHSU

…Kaitlyn Tyra with Senator Charles Schwertner, Mitchell Sanchez with Representative Todd Hunter, Karla Rosales with Representative John Zerwas, Vincent Melore with Representative Tom Oliverson, Spencer Copeland with Representative Larry Phillips, and Kimberly Roach with The Texas Association of Counties.

Later that evening, the SHSU Alumni Association sponsored and hosted a reception to invite Legislators and their staff to join in the Bearkat celebration at the Austin Club. Guests included SHSU professors and staff, Texas State University System (TSUS) Regents, administrators, legislative staff, and legislators. The LEAP Ambassadors had the pleasure of meeting with former-Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Gib Lewis…

Gib Lewis, Sam Houston Austin Internship Program, SHAIP, LEAP, SHSU

…TSUS Chancellor Brian McCall, Vice Chancellor Mike Wintemute, TSUS Vice Chancellor Sean Cunningham, and former Regent and SHSU alum Trisha Pollard. Some of the legislators in attendance were accompanied by their interns: Beatriz Martinez with Representative Martinez, Christina Perez with Representative Murphy, and Brian Aldaco with Representative Metcalf.

Fur us, it was a lot of fun, one of the most pleasant events in which we participate. In addition to the Austin interns, Professor Yawn brings in volunteer students from SHSU to assist the President’s Office and the Alumni Association. Several of these students were selected because of their promise as future Austin interns, and it’s a chance for them to meet with the current Austin interns and learn more about the expectations and responsibilities of the job.

As guests mingled, President Dana Hoyt spoke to the audience, thanking the guests for attending. She shared some “fun facts” about SHSU, including the University’s retention rates in school districts around the state; employment rates for Bearkats; and rankings of various departments in SHSU.

President Dana Hoyt, Sam Houston Austin Internship Program, SHAIP, LEAP, SHSU

SHSU alum Todd Kercheval (and President of the Alumni Association) also spoke, highlighting more of the University’s achievements.

Todd Kercheval, Sam Houston Austin Internship Program, SHAIP, LEAP, SHSU

And Chancellor Brian McCall spoke, illuminating some of the accomplishments of SHSU and the entire TSUS system.

Chancellor Brian McCall, Sam Houston Austin Internship Program, SHAIP, LEAP, SHSU

As a Ph.D., a former Representative in the Texas Legislature, and as Chancellor, McCall has a unique perspective on realistic goals and the means to achieve those goals.

It was a fun event, with SHSU freshmen and sophomores serving as volunteers; Austin interns who are mostly juniors and seniors; and alumni on hand. It was a great chance for Bearkats of all generations to spend time together and with legislative staff.

Sam Houston Austin Internship Program, SHAIP, LEAP, SHSU

By Allison Faith

SHSU freshman Allison Faith shares her perspective of participating in the Sam Houston Birthday.

As a freshman and new student to the LEAP Center, I was fortunate to volunteer at this fun-filled event. After driving from Huntsville to Austin in the early afternoon, we arrived at the beautiful Austin Club. One of our main tasks at the Sam Houston Birthday Celebration was to hand out name tags.

Attendees of the event included The Board of Regents, Chancellor Brian McCall, LEAP Center ambassadors, Austin Interns, SHSU alumni, Texas legislators, and University faculty. While handing out name tags, we had the opportunity to meet many of these individuals in a short amount of time. Once the event started, we were able to mingle and network as well. I took this time to also chat with the Austin interns about their experiences working at the Texas Capitol. They provided valuable insight to what the internship was like as well as advice for what I can do now to prepare for the upcoming session in 2019.

My favorite part of the event was getting to meet Mike Wintemute, the Executive Director of the TSUS Foundation. As a student interested in pursuing a career as a communications officer or press secretary, I greatly enjoyed learning about his background and job opportunities in this field.

But the whole evening was wonderful, and it was a great opportunity to meet senior students, alumni, legislators, and staff, all of whom went out of their way to make the evening enjoyable for the novices in the crowd.

SHAIP, Sam Houston Austin Internship Program, SH Alumni Association, Dana Hoyt, LEAP Center

The LEAP Ambassadors would like to thank President Hoyt, Charlie Vienne, Charlene McWilliams, Riley Kleppelid, and Meagen Korenek for including us in the event.

LEAP Center Hosts Second Bocskor Workshop: “Paths to Public Service”

By Kaitlin Tyra: Paths to Public Service

The LEAP Center has enjoyed having Ms. Nancy Bocksor in Huntsville for the week to encourage students to become engaged in politics and take action to make a change. During her Paths to Public Service lecture, Ms. Bocksor stressed the importance of gaining a sphere of influence before deciding to run for office. For students, this tip prompted many to think about their current sphere of influence, and what steps they could take to help position themselves for a career in public service.

Ms. Bocksor also discussed the importance of brand management when pursuing a path to public service. She defined brand management by calling on a definition offered by the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos: “Your brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” To underscore this point, Ms. Bocskor encouraged students to act professional, be engaged, and clean up social media accounts–all of which can constitute a personal brand. Generously, Ms. Bocksor was extremely helpful to students by giving ample advice on a variety of topics ranging from thank you notes to tips for internships.

To the students’ delight, Ms. Bocksor discussed some of her successes and her many experiences traveling the world to help women become engaged in politics. Students were amazed by the amount of traveling Ms. Bocksor gets to do and how unique her career is. However, the majority of the lecture Ms. Bocksor opened up for questions, giving students the opportunity to interact directly. Ms. Bocksor’s energy appeared contagious to the students and many thought her stories were inspirational, driving them to pursue a career in public service.

Students enjoyed getting to learn from Ms. Bocksor this week. For many, she helped instill a zealous attitude and helped give students a sense of direction in pursuing a career in public service. After enjoying some refreshments, Ms. Bocksor hurried over to the Wynne Home (with students in tow) to co-host a Film Festival with Dr. Carl Rollyson, a continuation of the learning process for students of the LEAP Center.

LEAP Center Hosts Nancy Bocskor Workshop: “Women in Politics”

By Constance Gabel:

“Listen, learn, help, lead.” No better words could stir a group of young ladies interested in the political realm than those spoken by Nancy Bocskor, “democracy coach” and mentor, at the LEAP Center’s Women in Politics Workshop held Thursday afternoon. One of many events attended by Ms. Bocskor during her time in Huntsville, the informal workshop focused on (1) Bocskor’s experience on the Hill–and her path to getting there–(2) her accomplishments of helping international women “and a few good men” become more politically active, and (3) how this generation of women really has the chance of being the change they wish to see in their communities by running for public office.

Ms. Bocskor began the discussion with her worldview that “If you don’t have a place at the table, you’ll end up on the menu.” After spending her entire career walking the walk of what she believes, Ms. Bocskor now strives to inspire young women by putting the world into perspective. Women have the capability and empathy to run for office and change the world, but too few women, according to Bocskor, have the confidence to do so. Ms. Bocskor, impassioned by the global war on women, reaches out to women everywhere by speaking and teaching the skills it takes to achieve public office. She has done extensive research on and experienced firsthand the injustices suffered by women in places like Moldova and Jordan, where women in the past could not even run for public office, but with the help of Ms. Bocskor can now run and even win. LEAP students learned of the differences between how men and women see public office, from egos to empathy and everything in-between.

Nancy Bocskor, who worked with Newt Gingrich at the ripe age of twenty-one, has proven her idea that “in politics, you aren’t measured by your age, but instead by your capabilities.” Ms. Bocskor made the point that women have not stepped out to lead because “you can’t be what you can’t see.” Without visible role models, young women struggle finding appropriate aspirations for leadership positions.

But anyone that has had the chance of being in her presence and hearing of her impressive accomplishments, cannot help but agree that Nancy Bocskor makes one incredible role model to young political activists everywhere. All it takes is a conversation with Ms. Bocskor to completely change one’s path for good. With such a remarkable resume, Nancy Bocskor inspires young women because she has truly made a difference in the world and now she has changed lives here in Huntsville just as she has across the world. From simply listening and learning about our stories, Ms. Bocskor taught LEAP students the steps necessary to become successful in the ever-changing political spectrum, such as simple steps of doing research and asking questions. Armed with the idea that they could conquer the world by simply caring, the young ladies of LEAP left the workshop prepared and motivated to explore the political journey that lay before them.

LEAP Center Students Gain Close-Up View of Legislature

It was a nice day at the Capitol building. LEAP Center students visited the Texas Legislature to learn more about the operation of the Texas Legislature. With the help of Scott Jenkines, Representative Armando “Mando” Martinez’s Chief of Staff, they learned quite a lot.

Most House offices, according to Jenkines, have a Chief of Staff positions, a District Director/Administrator, a Policy Director, and a Staff Associate, although these positions may be fully filled only during the session. There are also committee staff positions available. Senators, with five times the number of constituents as House members, have additional staff. Both the House and the Senate offices offer internships, and an SHSU student, Bianca Kyle, worked for Jenkines during the last session (Spring 2013).

Jenkines spent considerable time discussing expectations of interns and their duties. He praised Kyle, whom he indicated was more of a “Staff Associate than an intern,” noting that she was “a natural” with constituents. Jenkines, who has worked with more than sixty interns in the legislature, expects interns to be on time, to be professionally dressed, and to maintain a good attitude with both staff and the public.

As Chief of Staff, Jenkines allows interns to represent the office at various functions and even attend committee meetings on behalf of the office (Rule: “If you go, you have to stay the entire time”.) For more technical skills, he trains the student and, in fact, typically offers them the chance to initiate research in a policy area.

SHSU Business Major Jessica Rodriguez, who is interested in becoming an Austin Intern, asked Jenkines what kind of policy work a student might be engaged in. Jenkines allows interns to attend Committee hearings, but he does have a rule: “If you go, you have to stay the whole time.” Moreover, Jenkines typically allows students to initiate research in a policy area.

“We’ve had great support from the offices in which we’ve placed interns,” noted Mike Yawn, Director of the Austin Internship Program. “Students have had the chance to work on policy, plan events, and see the process up close. We’re very grateful for the offices that have helped us place the SHSU interns.”

Note: Sam Houston’s Austin Internship Program, which began in the 2013 session, has placed students in the following offices:

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