Meet COSSA’s Fall Policy Intern: Paige Kirkham!

How did you learn about COSSA and the opportunity to serve as a policy intern for the fall?

I am a student at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and was given the opportunity to come to Washington, DC through a program called “Wisconsin in Washington” in which the university brings a group of about twenty student-interns to DC for a semester. The coordinators of this program provide us with a list of opportunities to apply for when searching for internships, one of them being COSSA, which stood out to me as an opportunity and ultimately led me to apply.

How did the internship fit into your academic or career planning?

I am a current senior at UW-Madison studying psychology, criminal justice, and political science, and have been exploring the possibility of careers in politics or the potential to go to law school. Coming to DC in a cohort of predominately political science students, it can be hard to find a niche where I can utilize my psychology major, which is something I am passionate about. COSSA was the perfect opportunity to combine my psychology background and passion with my career goals of working in policy to make changes in this area I am so passionate about. Doing this the semester before graduation has been very illuminating and has influenced me to apply to law schools this cycle.

What stood out to you most about your internship?

I learned so much during my time at COSSA, but one stand out was the deep knowledge I gained of the legislative process and the importance of federal agencies’ role in social science. I enjoyed going to hearings on the NIH, gathering news on these topics that are so important to COSSA, and being given the opportunity to write up articles for the newsletter. Another important part of my time at COSSA was the 2024 election cycle. I was responsible for tracking congressional elections and writing a post-election analysis. I thoroughly enjoyed these tasks as it was a way to keep me closely engaged with those congressional races that matter not only to me personally, but to COSSA as well. Lastly, I enjoyed all the team meetings with Wendy, Kenzie, and Elyse. COSSA is a team of smart, driven women that I had the honor of learning from this semester which is an opportunity I am so grateful for. 

What would you tell future policy interns about the opportunity and/or about interning in-person in Washington, DC?

I would tell any policy interns considering the opportunity of interning in DC to absolutely do it. While my time in DC was relatively short, this is the single semester of my collegiate career I consider myself to have learned the most academically and grown the most personally. DC is an amazing city, full of people that are passionate change-makers, and it is unlike any city anywhere else in the world. If given this opportunity, it will certainly teach you much about government, grow your professional network, and enrich your educational experience in a way that could not be done elsewhere. This experience has put me on a professional trajectory that I feel confident in and am excited to explore. 

What’s next for you?

This Spring, I begin my final semester at UW-Madison and will be graduating in May. I am currently in the midst of applying for law school and am hoping to attend next Fall where I will focus on law and the government, and hopefully continue to build my knowledge of how I can advance the social sciences through the legal field.