Florida State University undergraduate students had the chance to connect with FSU alumni working on Capitol Hill this summer thanks to FSU’s Department of Political Science APPLE program.
This event marked the conclusion of the second year of the Applied Politics and Policy Learning Experience (APPLE) program, a year-long experiential learning initiative that offers students unparalleled insights into career opportunities in politics and policy.
“We have had a great two years, and we’re only getting better,” said founding co-Director of the APPLE program Amanda Driscoll. “There is no other program like it in the country, and we know that our students will only continue to grow and to shine, to be the next generation of local, state and national leaders.”
APPLE provides a select group of FSU Political Science undergraduate students with training in active citizenship and civic governance, combining three semesters of experiential learning opportunities at the local, state and national level.
“FSU has a large and vibrant alumni base in the Washington, D.C. area with a wealth of expertise on Capitol Hill,” said Department of Political Science Chair Brad Gomez. “It is vitally important that we connect our current students with those alumni. This is a way of fostering Florida’s next generation of leaders.”
APPLE students’ day on Capitol Hill featured alumni speakers and a personalized tour of the Capitol and the White House, an opportunity that was generously facilitated by the Office of Senator Rick Scott.
Featured alumni speakers included Senior Policy Advisor Katie Weissert (’09, ‘10) and Legislative Assistant Jared Honts (‘18), both of whom work in the office of Senator Rick Scott.
Students also heard from Zachary Jones (‘18), chief speech writer for Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (LA-4); Jaryn Emhof (‘13), chief of staff for Rep. Daniel Webster (FL-11); Marcus Garza (‘10), chief of staff for Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-4); and Morgan Cintron (‘13), deputy chief of staff for Rep. Jared Moskowitz (FL-23); among other noted officials.
“Participating in the APPLE program is the best experience I have had in my time at FSU,” said senior Alyssa Singletary. “It has granted me more opportunities than I ever could have imagined, and fostered a love for policy that now guides me in my future career endeavors.”
During the fall semester, students engage with challenges and opportunities facing the Tallahassee-Leon County community in a course on local politics that puts students in direct contact with city and county officials as well as local stakeholder groups. Recent students worked to address the problem of food insecurity, eventually pitching a policy proposal to Leon County officials that would establish a food distribution program at local public libraries.
“The students did remarkable work identifying a gap in our community and developing an innovative solution for that unmet need,” said APPLE Co-Director Bradley Kile, who is also the director of the Masters in Applied American Politics and Policy.
In the spring, APPLE students gain invaluable practical experience through internships in the Florida Legislature and political arena, facilitated by FSU’s Office of Governmental Relations Legislative Internship Program.
With the generous support of the Florida Institute for Governance and Civics, the 13 APPLE students then spent the summer in Washington, D.C., interning in various roles that touched on national and federal policy issues. Some student interns worked in member offices on Capitol Hill and other internship sites included the D.C. Bar Association, the National Labor Relations Board, and a variety of interest groups and advocacy organizations. While in D.C., they lived and took classes at The Washington Center, located in the heart of the nation’s capital.
For more information about the Department of Political Science, visit cosspp.fsu.edu/polisci/.