Student interns dive in
Underneath the surface of a political campaign lies a ton of hard work and countless moving pieces. With this year’s mayoral race, candidates Ms. Shelley Brindle and Mayor Andy Skibitsky have been working with many high school interns on their respective campaigns, providing these teens with a unique, real-world experience.
Although many students chose to pursue internships with the campaigns on their own, some of these interns got involved with their campaigns through the WHS course AP U.S. Government and Politics, which requires students to complete an internship after the AP exam.
Many students who took the course last year started becoming involved in the candidates’ campaigns: working publicity and charity functions, assisting with social media, distributing lawn signs and much more. Many of the students were eager to continue even after the school year was over.
WHS senior Julia Clifford, an intern on the Skibitsky campaign, said, “After my requirements were fulfilled, I really loved it and loved everyone I worked with … so I stuck with it throughout the summer and up to now.”
These internships have allowed students to get involved and feed a growing interest in politics, no matter what their role is on the campaign’s team. Senior Katie Clark now even has a role managing event scheduling of the Democratic candidates in town.
“I have a big list of every candidate’s events and I sort them by what type of event they are and when they are,” said Clark. “I’m interested in public service and wanted to use my skills to make a difference, and I understand how important local politics are.”
The internships have been a learning experience for everyone involved, and senior Jordan Lipkind has learned lessons in social interactions along with political campaigning during her time working with Brindle.
“I learned how to interact with people because you always have to be friendly even if people don’t share your views,” Lipkind said. “I’ve made so many new friends, where everyone is working for the same cause and everyone is really amazing.”
Similarly, working on the Skibitsky campaign has helped senior Emma Conlon develop a sense of what it’s really like to be part of a political campaign.
“I was clueless before, but the internship really helped me learn how a campaign runs and appreciate everything that goes into it,” Conlon said.
Interning has also been a way for students to get involved in the community, which is especially important to senior Tani Horton, an intern on the Brindle Campaign who moved to Westfield just last year.
“Seeing that we’re going away to college soon, I wanted to feel like I can make a difference in the town in the short period that I have, and this is the perfect way to do so,” Horton said.
If there’s at least one thing the candidates agree on, it’s that collaborating with student interns has been a positive experience and a great way to inspire community involvement.
“If anything reflects my campaign, it would be the high school interns, and they really are a big reason why I wanted to run for office,” Brindle said. ”I also want to inspire people to become engaged in the local government.”
Skibitsky summed up his appreciation for his intern staff when he said: “I enjoy working with interns because they are so energetic and eager to learn. I also feel that I am able to provide the student interns with a solid lesson in civics and the importance of participation in a democracy, especially by voting.”
Many students who took the course last year started becoming involved in the candidates’ campaigns: working publicity and charity functions, assisting with social media, distributing lawn signs and much more. Many of the students were eager to continue even after the school year was over.
WHS senior Julia Clifford, an intern on the Skibitsky campaign, said, “After my requirements were fulfilled, I really loved it and loved everyone I worked with … so I stuck with it throughout the summer and up to now.”
These internships have allowed students to get involved and feed a growing interest in politics, no matter what their role is on the campaign’s team. Senior Katie Clark now even has a role managing event scheduling of the Democratic candidates in town.
“I have a big list of every candidate’s events and I sort them by what type of event they are and when they are,” said Clark. “I’m interested in public service and wanted to use my skills to make a difference, and I understand how important local politics are.”
The internships have been a learning experience for everyone involved, and senior Jordan Lipkind has learned lessons in social interactions along with political campaigning during her time working with Brindle.
“I learned how to interact with people because you always have to be friendly even if people don’t share your views,” Lipkind said. “I’ve made so many new friends, where everyone is working for the same cause and everyone is really amazing.”
Similarly, working on the Skibitsky campaign has helped senior Emma Conlon develop a sense of what it’s really like to be part of a political campaign.
“I was clueless before, but the internship really helped me learn how a campaign runs and appreciate everything that goes into it,” Conlon said.
Interning has also been a way for students to get involved in the community, which is especially important to senior Tani Horton, an intern on the Brindle Campaign who moved to Westfield just last year.
“Seeing that we’re going away to college soon, I wanted to feel like I can make a difference in the town in the short period that I have, and this is the perfect way to do so,” Horton said.
If there’s at least one thing the candidates agree on, it’s that collaborating with student interns has been a positive experience and a great way to inspire community involvement.
“If anything reflects my campaign, it would be the high school interns, and they really are a big reason why I wanted to run for office,” Brindle said. ”I also want to inspire people to become engaged in the local government.”
Skibitsky summed up his appreciation for his intern staff when he said: “I enjoy working with interns because they are so energetic and eager to learn. I also feel that I am able to provide the student interns with a solid lesson in civics and the importance of participation in a democracy, especially by voting.”
