Shippensburg University junior Bailey Haines has been selected for an exclusive internship at the capitol in Harrisburg. 

For 15 weeks, Haines will serve as an intern in the lieutenant governor’s office, a program sponsored by Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) through The Harrisburg Internship Program (THIS).

THIS, allows students to work in all arenas of the state government while still earning a full semester’s worth of credits. Students have the opportunity to work with dozens of state agencies and in the offices of the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the attorney general.

Haines, a Hermitage, Pennsylvania native, is majoring in political science with a minor in international development-youth development. 

She is just one of 12 students participating in the program this spring.

According to PASSHE, since the implementation of the program in 1989, more than 600 students from the state system have participated in this program.

These include Dave Reed, Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

PASSHE described the THIS program as an opportunity to “learn from Pennsylvania’s policy makers and leaders, enhance your academic experience and prepare for life outside of the classroom.”

In a press release, PASSHE Media Relations Manager Kenn Marshall wrote, “She [Haines] and the other students participating in the program also will attend several academic seminars during their spring semester internship. Each of the students will complete an individualized research project as part of the program’s requirements.

Throughout the internship, Haines and her peers will also participate in several academic seminars.

Marshall wrote of the value of this internship, “each student gains valuable insight into the workings of state government at the policy-making level.”

The THIS program is open to students in any major who wish to learn more about public policy. 

Students interested in participating in the THIS program in a future semester can speak with their local campus coordinator or visit www.passhe.edu/this for more information.

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