Priyanth Manjooran '10

Senator Tom Harkin's Office, Cedar Rapids, IA

In January of 2009, Priyanth Manjooran interned at Senator Tom Harkin's office in Cedar Rapids, IA. Manjooran performed many varied tasks, from answering the phone and taking legislative intakes, helping caseworkers with constituent cases, and coordinating projects with other staff members. He had the opportunity to learn about immigration, social security, flood relief and labor issues. The direct contact he had with constituents helped him to understand how government agencies work.

Manjooran found that "Cornell prepared me for this internship because many of the skills I have gained during the last couple of years were utilized through the course of the internship. First, the organizational skills I had acquired during my college career helped me keep track of the many projects and tasks I had to perform. Additionally, the many politics classes I have taken at Cornell provided great background information allowing me to better deal with any cases on which I had the pleasure of working."

"I enjoyed my time at the Senator's office. I learned a great deal of how our representative government deals with many issues. I had direct contact with many government organizations and can now better understand many government processes. I also gained a greater understanding of the relationship between the Senator and his constituents. The skills this internship has taught me are sure to serve me well in the future."

Click here to read Priyanth's internship blog.