This past Thursday was Intern Appreciation Day, a special opportunity to thank the young people who spend their time supporting my work in our Washington, Lincoln, and Omaha offices. Last week, the Nebraska delegation dedicated our weekly Nebraska Breakfast, where we meet with fellow Nebraskans visiting our country’s capital, to thanking our interns. This summer, my Washington office was glad to have Emalie, Jack, Justin, and Madison join us in serving the people of Nebraska.
Emalie Wightman is a Nebraska Wesleyan student from Omaha, though she also spent time with her grandparents in Columbus and Lexington growing up. Emalie hopes to attend law school when she graduates with an economics and English double major next year.
“During my internship, I’ve loved getting to know Nebraska constituents through leading Capitol tours and putting my Economics major to work while watching hearings for the Committees on Finance and Small Business,” Emalie said. “I am grateful for this experience and am looking forward to bringing what I’ve learned back to Nebraska.”
Jack Barrett grew up in West Omaha and is now studying political science at Colorado State University. He hopes to attend law school as well, and would love to work on Capitol Hill in the future.
“This summer has completely exceeded my expectations and I have seen this internship opportunity as a great privilege to be able to represent Nebraskans and Senator Fischer in Washington, D.C.,” Jack said.
Emalie and Jack were joined by Justin Schnurr, a business law student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Justin aspires to a career in foreign relations working with our nation’s allies.
“My time on the Hill has been nothing short of extraordinary! Senator Fischer and her incredible staff have been instrumental in shaping my legislative understanding and broadening my perspectives on the political landscape,” said Justin.
Madison Stracke rounded out our phenomenal team of Washington interns. Madison is from the community of Stuart, where she grew up on her family’s farm and ranch. She recently graduated from UNL with degrees in agricultural education and biology and hopes to attend law school to learn more about how to help and protect local producers.
“I especially enjoyed listening in and taking notes on hearings related to issues in the agricultural industry,” said Madison. “I’m grateful to Senator Fischer and her staff for providing this wonderful opportunity and the exceptional experiences it brought me.”
This summer, our Washington interns were especially excited to attend the U.S. Capitol unveiling ceremony of Nebraska’s Willa Cather statue, which they consider the highlight of their time in my office. Each state may place two statues of exceptional representatives in the Capitol, and the interns were present for the historic entrance of the Willa Cather statue in June. Madison said that she left the ceremony “feeling pride and gratitude for Nebraska.”
This summer’s interns were instrumental to our work here in the Senate. Back home, several interns provided valuable assistance in the Lincoln and Omaha offices: Caden Erickson, Jackson Gualke, Mark Meyer, and Mikayla Gross, who also interned for us in the spring. My staff and I are grateful for each of these gifted young people. Thank you Caden, Emalie, Jack, Jackson, Justin, Madison, Mark, and Mikayla for the good work you’ve accomplished this summer!
For more information about our internships and the application process, please visit our website: https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/internships.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you next week.