Since 2011, the University of Dayton’s Department of Political Science has sent students 70 miles east to Columbus, not just to observe state government but to work inside it.
For Mia Cappuccitti-Gutierrez, a senior education and English major from Toronto, Ontario, being a UD Statehouse Civic Scholar provided a path into the policy work she hopes to pursue after graduation. After learning about the opportunity from UD Distinguished Research Associate and former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, she applied and was placed with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, where she worked closely with their policy and legislative affairs team.
“I spent my time working on the new budget and ensuring that schools and students would have what they needed going into the next cycle,” Cappuccitti-Gutierrez said. “It definitely affirmed that this is what I want to do with my life.”
UD's Statehouse Civic Scholars program is a 10-week summer residential internship experience that places 12-15 students annually in Ohio state government offices. Students live together at Capital University, receive a stipend and paid housing thanks to support from AES Ohio, the state of Ohio and UD donors.
Although the program is housed in the University’s Department of Political Science, it is open to all students with an interest in public service or government work. Students submit a written application and complete a two-part interview process.
For UD Senior Lecturer Daniel Birdsong, who has been involved in the program since 2016, this opportunity is more than just a resume builder; it intentionally connects course concepts to real-world policymaking. The scholars often write blog posts, press releases and memos for a supervisor or public audience, instead of a professor.
“They’re not just going to get coffee with these internships,” Birdsong said. “They are working on real-world projects. They have to think about how to best organize their work, and ask 'does the practical side of doing this align with what we talked about in class, or to what degree'?”
This level of responsibility as an intern stood out to Hana Evans, a senior criminal justice studies major with a pre-law minor from Springboro, Ohio. While working with the Ohio Supreme Court’s children and families section, she was actually part of something bigger.
“I was trusted to research and help with projects that were connected to real courts and real families across Ohio,” Evans said. “That was kind of a shift for me. Knowing the work could impact how courts support kids and families made it feel really meaningful.”
Nancy Martorano Miller, professor and chair of UD's Department of Political Science, said the program is central to the department’s mission. Currently, 30 to 40 former Statehouse Civic Scholars are working in state government-related positions in Columbus.
“Statehouse Civic Scholars is one of several things we do to expose our students to career options in public service or even in the private sector, where they can use their degree and skills they get in classes,” Miller said. “It really is impactful in helping students identify where they want to work.”
Miller said the program’s stipend and housing support make it stand out from other political science internships, particularly in public service, where students may be paid but are still responsible for covering their living expenses. She said those costs can make government internships difficult, or even impossible, for some students.
“What I really love about this program is we can break down some of the inequity that sometimes happens,” Miller said. “In this case, students walk away at least breaking even after completing the program. So, a student doesn’t have to say, ‘Boy, that would be a great thing to do, but I have to work in the summer for my living expenses.’”
After the internship, students participate in a public service practicum, where they reflect on their experiences and make connections to classroom concepts.
Evans said this reflection helped her better understand the impact of her work and think more deeply about what she learned during the summer.
“We talk a lot in my criminal justice classes about things like discretion, fairness and systemic issues, and sometimes it can feel very abstract,” Evans said. “During the internship, I saw how those ideas actually show up in policy discussions and court practices. Even just general knowledge about state government and the Ohio Supreme Court was helpful. It made me realize what we learn in class really does matter.”
The program also helps students build professional networks. Mairin Wessner, a senior international studies major from Northville, Michigan, interned with JobsOhio, where she researched industries targeted for growth and presented findings to organizational leaders, confirming her interest in a business development career.
“Networking with alumni and professionals in Columbus was a central part of my experience,” Wessner said. “It has been great to have a big network somewhere that I am interested in living and working in the coming years. UD Statehouse Civic Scholars played a major role in setting me up for professional success in the future.”