NOTE: David really wrote this and while Citizen Sarah might have put him up to it, she didn’t tell him what to say — just to write about his experience. The moral of the story is: interning at Public Citizen is awesome. Apply today (or tomorrow, if you already have plans for today). But soon!
I began my Public Citizen internship in May of this year and it has been one of the most rewarding and enjoyable work experiences of my life. I finally feel like I’m really fighting the good fight and doing something that matters, not just selling my labor to the highest bidder. The staff here are wonderful. They share a knowledge and passion about the issues they work with that I have only occasionally seen any place else. They also all come from diverse backgrounds and each have their own sense of humor and areas of amazing knowledge and know-how. There is no drama or conflict in the Public Citizen Texas office: we work hard and we have fun doing it.
I have gotten to work extensively with Tom “Smitty” Smith who is one of the most influential and well respected environmental lobbyists in the state. Smitty is a relentless, uncompromising fighter for the causes of clean energy and better policy and it has been amazing honor to work with him. He is willing and able to boldly stand-up to anyone, but much of his success comes from his ability to clearly articulate his positions and bring others over to his side. As a young aspiring political reformer, I have made connections working at Public Citizen Texas that will benefit me for years to come. I have met several major players in Texas politics and the clean energy as well as the environmental movement. I am also a lot more knowledgeable about Texas politics and a host of energy and environmentally related issues as a result of my stay here than I ever imagined becoming.
Working here gave me the opportunity to do research that was actually used in policy debates. I have also helped contribute to media and outreach efforts, and have had multiple opportunities to appear before important players in Texas energy issues like the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact Commission and the board of CPS energy. Other interns at Public Citizen Texas have made presentations to legislators and many of them have gone on to have careers in government reform.
APPLY APPLY APPLY APPLY FOR REALS. (Citizen Sarah again)
