Schaeffer Fellows were tasked with representing their elected official or office to the public through important communications such as constituent correspondence, social media, press releases, and memos.
Jonah Simon – Harvard University, Internship: U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary
“In my internship, I was responsible for the management of Secretary Buttigieg’s personal correspondence. This involved drafting, editing, and preparing letters to members of the Biden-Harris administration, federal and state level elected officials, as well as constituents and key stakeholders.
Additionally, I helped to prepare aspects of the Secretary’s daily briefing book, editing memos from various modes within the Department and creating action items for the Secretary’s review.
Finally, I performed archival work, preparing three years of briefing book records for submission to the U.S. National Archives. My supervisors made a deliberate effort to include me in as many aspects of the Department’s operations as possible, even if just in an observational capacity. Getting to hear how decisions are made within a top office within the executive branch was a rare experience.”
Tenzin Gund-Morrow – Harvard University, Internship: Press Office for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Tenzin utilized unique skills and interests in art and photography to make meaningful contributions to the Leader’s social media. These efforts helped commemorate important milestones, such as the anniversaries of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act.
“The office is very lively. I was the only Press intern in my direct office, but there were more than ten interns for the Leader. I completed press clips every morning on print and broadcast news, then I worked on variable tasks including drafting remarks, compiling briefing memos, putting together social media proposals, tracking comments about impeachment, and internally distributing New York news updates.”
