"T.H.I.S. Is An Internship That Pays YOU!" written by:  Melissa Hreha Fall 2003 Harrisburg Intern

What is THIS all about?  You may be asking yourself, especially if you are a junior or senior ready to graduate Slippery Rock and need an internship.  What I am referring to is The Harrisburg Internship Semester, or THIS program.  My name is Melissa Hreha and I am a senior political science and history double major at Slippery Rock.  Currently I am undertaking an internship through the program in Harrisburg in Senator Jay Costa's office.  My friends in the same program have internships in other offices such as the State Attorney General's office, Department of Education, Department of Environmental Protection, First Lady's Office, and on and on.  Oh yeah, and we're getting paid for it as well.  Interested yet?

THIS is an internship program supported by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.  One or two students are selected from each of the fourteen state system universities to earn fifteen credit hours in Harrisburg each spring and fall semester; nine are obtained from your semester long internship, three are gained from a research project and three are rewarded to you for completing a seminar class one night a week.  While you are fiscally responsible for your tuition and housing in Harrisburg, THIS provides each student with $5500 in the form of a stipend, which ultimately approximates these charges and leaves you with some spending money.

So who qualifies for THIS?  You should have completed 45 credits while maintaining a 3.0 grade point average at the time you apply for the program.  That's it!  You do not need any scholarships, honor programs or prior work experience.  THIS accepts students from any major, although application deadlines and program selection vary from campus to campus.

To give you some insight on THIS, I will give you a typical week for me in the program.  I work from 9-5 every weekday in the state Capitol, while I also attend various seminars pertaining to education initiatives, committee meetings on House and Senate bills, and other items.  I have class on Tuesday nights lasting two and a half hours, which usually consists of one light work assignment a week.  I listen to whichever speaker is presenting that night.  I live in an apartment loft in Harrisburg, and so far I have gotten to meet presidents of various organizations, been introduced on the House of Representatives floor and met with Governor Ed Rendell.  And, I have networked like crazy and enjoyed myself in Harrisburg on my free weekends.

So if you want an awesome and meaningful intership experience, apply for The Harrisburg Internship Semester at Slippery Rock.  For applications or more information about the program, contact Dr. Sharon Sykora of the Political Science Department by calling her at x2431, or emailing her at sharon.sykora@sru.edu.  This is one of few internship programs offered to state system students-so apply now!

**More information is available at: Keystone University Network web site.