Legislative Internship Program: Jacqueline Gonzalez
Jacqueline Gonzalez was one of only 12 students selected to participate in the 2017 Legislative Internship Program at the North Carolina General Assembly. Now in its 26th session, the program is administered by and includes classes from NC State’s Department of Political Science. The program is open to students from all North Carolina colleges and universities.
Jacqueline graduated from NC State in 2018 with a degree in political science and is currently the Finance Director for the campaign to re-elect Chief Justice Cheri Beasley of the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Why did you want to be a legislative intern?
I wanted to learn more about state politics. I also wanted to get to know our state’s politicians better and thought this would be a good opportunity to learn more about all of them and the state’s political process rather than interning for one individual political campaign.
What was the most valuable part of the internship program for you?
Getting to know the day-to-day operations of the General Assembly was very helpful. Understanding the personalities, procedures, and legislation upfront was a valuable experience that has helped me in my career on campaigns.
Each legislative intern cohort consists of students from schools all over the state. Did you like that aspect of the program?
I really enjoyed getting to know students from other universities. We still have a group message where we send each other updates on politicians and the General Assembly. I frequently run into other students from my cohort when I am working downtown.
What is your current position and what is a typical day like?
I currently work as a Finance Director for Chief Justice Cheri Beasley’s campaign. This is my second job fundraising for judicial candidates. My job entails making sure the campaign has enough money to reach its goals. A typical day before COVID-19 included managing interns, preparing research for candidate’s calls, and traveling across the state with the candidate. Now I do most of my work from home, managing interns virtually, brainstorming online fundraising ideas and planning virtual fundraisers. I really enjoy campaign fundraising, because it’s straightforward enough to see results, but fun in that you get to interact with a lot of people, communities, and think of fun ways to connect with donors. I specifically enjoy getting to work on judicial races because not a lot of people know what our court system and our judges do every day. Getting to communicate the importance of a fair and just judicial system is very important to me.
How did the Legislative Internship Program and your degree program at NC State prepare you for your current position?
This internship saved me a lot of time in getting to know the landscape of North Carolina politics. I got to know a lot of our state politicians, General Assembly staff, and journalists because I interacted with them frequently during my internship program. Nothing can quite prepare you for a job on campaigns, but my degree helped me come in with a general understanding of political theory and policies while the internship program helped me apply them as a member of the staff at the General Assembly.
Were you involved with any campus organizations as a student?
Yes, many. I was in student government and served as the Student Body President from 2017-2018. I was also in the University Scholars Program from 2014-2018, and a CHASS Ambassador.
Did you have a favorite professor who influenced your education or career goals?
Professor Jim Zink was a great mentor to me. He helped push my writing and helped talk me through different post-graduate and career choices.
Do you have any advice for current students who are considering applying for this internship program?
I really encourage you to apply because there is something for everyone. Going in, I was interested in women’s reproductive rights and education. I took that initial desire to learn more about those policies and came out with a much deeper knowledge of them on a statewide level, and, as a result, I also became increasingly interested in our judicial process. My cohort was such a diverse group of students. This internship program helped launch some of us into careers in our lobbying interests, some into law school, and others into local government work. There are endless opportunities to come out of this internship experience.
