HWS News
8 February 2023 Oswalt ’24 interns with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
Executing press conferences and talking with constituents of U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer provide inside view of government for Katelyn Oswalt ’24 during summer internship.
Katelyn Oswalt ’24 interned for U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer in his Syracuse, N.Y., office for four months last summer. In the position, Oswalt helped execute press conferences, fielded calls from constituents and tracked news coverage of the Senate Majority Leader. The experience she says allowed her to develop skills in the areas of constituent services, advocacy, media literacy and local government.
“The most rewarding part of the internship was helping with press conferences and getting to meet Senator Schumer,” reflects Oswalt, a political science and psychological sciences double major.
Oswalt says many of the courses she took at HWS prepared her for the position. “My ‘American Foreign Policy’ class helped me to have a greater understanding of world issues and how they pertain to policy decisions made in the Senate,” shares Oswalt. “By having us complete projects on real-world issues and solutions, Professor [of International Relations Kevin] Dunn gave me a greater breadth of knowledge of the decisions Senators must make when weighing foreign policy decisions.”
On campus, Oswalt serves as co-president of HWS Votes, a civic leader for the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning, staff writer and copy editor for the Herald, and is a member of PLEN and the Laurel Society. She also works as a student writer in the Office of Marketing and Communications.
“My different roles on campus have prepared me to interact with individuals across a wide spectrum of political viewpoints and lived experiences, which prepared me for my role at Senator Schumer’s office,” says Oswalt. “By being exposed to these viewpoints, I was able to understand constituent concerns, and find the best possible solutions to assist them.”
Oswalt has also served as a programming intern for the Sing Me a Story Foundation, and a summer camp counselor and pre-k director at Camp Talooli. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland in the Fall of 2022.
Looking ahead, Oswalt plans to attend law school and work as a family or public interest lawyer.
“Both of my internship opportunities allowed me to develop valuable skills for my legal career, especially if I decide to work for the government or a nonprofit agency,” says Oswalt.
