Indiana Senate honors Mays for service during session

Thursday, April 28, 2011
Renisha Mays of Coatesville, right, was an intern for Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson, left, for the 117th Indiana General Assembly. She was honored for her services last week.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana State Senate recognized 11 interns last week with a resolution honoring their outstanding efforts as Senate Democrat Interns during the 2011 session of the 117th Indiana General Assembly. Authored by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, the resolution was approved unanimously by the Indiana Senate.

Among those honored was Renisha Mays, a native of Coatesville. Mays is a 2009 graduate of Ivy Tech-Wabash Valley earning her Associate of Science in criminal justice. She is currently a senior at Indiana University-Bloomington with a major in political science, criminal justice and political and civic engagement. Her future plans include attending IU Law School with a focus on criminal and family law. She hopes to work in the judicial system focusing on law and politics with a strong concentration on juvenile justice.

As a legislative intern, Mays worked full time for Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson (D-Ellettsville) throughout session, which convened in January. Her duties included constituent correspondence, staffing committee hearings and working closely with senators researching legislative issues.

The annual internship program is designed to provide valuable experience for students who are integrally involved in the legislative process.

"I'm very appreciative to have had the opportunity to observe and apply what I've learned through political science coursework at IUB to a professional hands-on experience working for the Indiana Senate," said Mays. "I can say with great enthusiasm that I learned something new every day."

The Indiana Senate Democratic Internship program is open to all college juniors, seniors and graduate students in good academic standing. The program is open to Indiana residents enrolled in a higher-education institution in or out of state or out-of-state residents attending Indiana colleges or universities. No specific major is required.

Interns work full time for the duration of the session and earn a stipend as well as academic credit. The internship provides students with a unique educational opportunity to gain hands-on experience in Indiana state government.

Applications for the internship are available online in August as well as through the career centers and political science departments of most Indiana colleges.

For more information on the internship program, contact Elise Shrock-Mannies, Intern Director, at (317) 232-9496, eshrock@iga.in.gov or visit the internship website at www.in.gov/legislative/senate_democrats/internships.htm.

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