Students taking part in the USF College of Arts and Sciences Legislative Internship Program (LIP) within the School of Public Affairs were part of a group of 100 students and alumni who made a trip up to Tallahassee, Fla. for USF Day at the Capitol held on Feb. 8.
LIP intern and USF CAS student Christian Sabbagh. (Photo courtesy of Sabbagh)
The annual gathering allows students to gain more knowledge of the legislative process and brings together legislators, alumni and students to raise awareness about the university and its priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
“USF Day at the Capitol and the LIP Tallahassee trip was an unforgettable experience,” said LIP intern Christian Sabbagh, a junior double majoring in biomedical sciences and political sciences. “I was able to further improve my understanding of the legislative system in Florida. The mock Senate session was an immensely enjoyable experience because it left me with a newfound appreciation for the democratic process and how they are truly making changes that impact people.”
Sabbagh is one of eight LIP interns participating in the internship program this semester. The program is open to students of all majors and aims to give them insight into how their field of study applies to the public sector.
LIP students spent some time with Florida Rep. Linda Chaney during USF Day at the Capitol. (Photo courtesy of Christian Sabbagh)
LIP students work nine hours per week in the offices of federal, state, and local legislators or policy agencies for representatives actively involved in solving regional issues.
“I joined the program to gain a better understanding of how the legislature works in Florida,” Sabbagh said.
He’s currently interning with Florida Representative Linda Chaney taking part in initiatives to include writing his own health policy bill, conducting research on hot topic issues that matter to her constituents and reviewing existing legislation she seeks to change.
“I enthusiastically recommend this program to any individual who seeks to gain a better understanding of how our government works and to see firsthand the amazing work our public servants do on a daily basis,” said Sabbagh, who hopes to attend an MD, JD program working in health policy in the future. “This experience was a true testament to the value of hands-on learning.”
Dr. Jack Philips, assistant professor of instruction in the School of Public Affairs, works with the LIP internship program.
LIP students interacting with Florida Rep. Fentrice Driskell. (Photo by Dr. Jack Philips)
He said USF Day at the Capitol is one of the many unique experiences for LIP students.
“The trip to the Capitol helps them develop many skills such as the ability to network, talk with people, learning how to talk about themselves and their accomplishments, and how to market themselves as professionals in the field of politics and government,” Philips said. “For many of them, this is their first time being in the Capitol and meeting such high-ranking officials. That can be intimidating, so this is a nice introduction to the environment of politics before they are on the job market post-graduation.”
Philips said that even as a faculty member he still gets “starstruck” meeting with elected officials.
“The LIP program at USF is an amazing opportunity for any student who may want to pursue a career in politics, government, law, policy, or any field that comes into contact with government. USF interns are highly sought after because we take the prestige of this program very seriously. We have a very high rate of graduates from this program who go on to work in all levels of government immediately after graduation. This program is a great first step to a successful career in government, and I feel a very high sense of responsibility to all of my students in this program to set them up for that success in the best way possible.
Learn more about the program by visiting the Legislative Internship Program website.