For more than 20 years, Salem State University’s Department of Politics, Policy, and International Relations has provided our students with the unique opportunity to intern in the Washington, D.C. offices of members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation as well as congressional committees and caucuses.
Between 2003 and 2012, Senator John Kerry's office set aside funding for one internship each summer for a political science student. Since then, the generous support of donors, including former Congressman Michael Harrington ‘81H and the Nellie Mae Foundation, has enabled the department to continue the tradition of sending our students to Washington. The Congressional Internship Program was renamed the Rich Levy Congressional Internship Program to honor Professor Emeritus Rich Levy’s decades of work to provide students with opportunities to experience politics, policy and advocacy through internships.
Nearly 30 political science students have participated in the program. Former interns have gone on to elected office, Fulbright Scholarships, law school, graduate school, jobs on Capitol Hill and Beacon Hill, and many other significant achievements. Congressional Interns also have enriched our student body as they share their experiences in class discussions and with the larger campus community when they return to Salem.
The deadline for Rich Levy Congressional Internship Program applications is December 1. For information on how to apply for the Congressional Internship Program, contact Professor Jennifer Jackman.
Hear About Congressional Internship Experiences from Salem State
Several Salem State students have shared stories about their internship experiences. Hear their stories in their own words:
Past Congressional Interns
Senator John Kerry
2003 Matt Frank ‘05
2004 Jennifer Ritter ‘09
2005 Joseph Fritz ‘06
2006 Janeen Castetter
2007 Moses Karugu ‘08
2008 Tim Stankus
2009 Alex Soto
2010 Nardos Abebe ‘11
2011 Kesley Utne ‘12
2012 Marissa Condon ‘12
Senator Elizabeth Warren
2013 Michael Carney ‘13
2013 Alex Booker ‘14
2014 Victoria Chase ‘16
2016 Elizabeth Cabral ‘17
2018 Paul Wilkens ‘20
2018 Kimberly Barboza ‘19
2022 Christine Belitsky ‘23
Senator Ed Markey
2016 Elizabeth Cabral ‘17
2019 Abigail Mariano ‘20
2021 Molly Hornby Finch ‘21
Senate Finance Committee
2017 Kelly Govoni ‘18
Congressman William Keating
2017 Amanda Mark ‘17
Congressional Caucus for Black Women and Girls
2018 Erinn Douglas ‘18
Congressman Seth Moulton
2019 Sabrina Mohammed ‘20
2020 Marie Hawwa ‘21
Congressman Richard Neal
2022 Cassidy O’Connor ‘23
Congressman Jim McGovern
2024 Jessie Wilson ‘24