The Utah Military Academy has historically offered its upperclassmen an opportunity that every highschooler should look into. The Utah Military Academy has taken the initiative to let our cadets intern in the Utah State Capitol giving them the chance to grasp on the true nature of our local political structure. These cadets get the privilege to intern for a variety of people, including representatives, senators, lobbyists, and many more.
These cadets work to not only get the experience, but to earn an amazing letter of recommendation. This program is led by Matt Throckmorton, you may know him as the founder of the Utah Military Academy. Another title he has earned is a former state senator of Utah and current state senator of Tennessee.
Matt Throckmorton, excited with this year’s cadet count, speaks on the benefits of this internship.
“It is the only such program in Utah, and our cadets are working alongside university seniors. Past Interns have attended the Service Academies, Ivy League Schools, and currently operate in various high level capacities to include military interests and SpecOps.” He goes into depth of how one former intern was able to earn another internship with the state department due to her experience in the Capitol.
There are multiple phases to this internship. The first phase consists of virtual meetings where deep discussion occurs, and the readings are on the college lexile level. The initial phase “weeds out” cadets that are unmotivated and uncommitted who eventually fall out of the internship. Then, the real fun begins.
The legislative internship is a fantastic opportunity to connect with those who will be governing your state and will give you a much more up close and personal understanding of how the government works.” says Carsen Webb, an intern for Senator Heidi Balderre.
The work lasts for six weeks, starting the fourth Monday of January and ending at the beginning of March. This series of time is known as the General Session, where most of Congress is in the Capitol getting bills created, presented, and attempting to pass them, all in just 45 days.
The internship poses a big challenge to keep up with the work, having to write college level memorandums each week. Along with this, cadets are required to only attend one day a week. That day is typically on a Friday due to the lesser workload.
Depending on who you are assigned to, your workload during your legislative experience will fluctuate. One cadet, Lincoln Evans from the Camp Williams campus, has been assigned to a Lobbyist. His workload can show to be larger than some of those who were assigned a very busy Representative.
“The internship has given me a unique insight into the legislative processes of our government and the intricacies of politics.” says Jonathan Kaiser
Everyone interested in an internship should definitely look into it, and those who want to go to academies should absolutely apply next year. It is a fantastic opportunity to explore our government and grow your network with some of the greatest minds inside of our state. For any questions, please refer to Major Workman and the administrative staff.
