Student selected for ‘career maker’ internship in D.C.
By Nyshicka Jordan
Staff Writer

While many students are hanging out with friends this summer, Keon Montgomery will be hanging out with members of Congress.

Montgomery, a senior political science major, will intern with the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program May 27 to July 31. It is a nine-week internship program for minority students interested in health care policy that was established at Howard University to honor Rep. Jordan, program manager Jomo Kassaye said.

The program is open to students of all majors and 80 applied for this summer’s program, Kassaye said. He said 13 were chosen.

Montgomery is involved in Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Tarrant County and the political science honor society, Phi Sigma Alpha. However, he said he was surprised to be selected because of the nationwide pool of candidates.

Mary Volcansek, dean of the AddRan College of Humanities, worked with Montgomery on the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee. She said she was “delighted” when she heard Montgomery was selected.

“I find him to be an unusually thoughtful, articulate and a passionate young man,” Volcansek said. “I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving.”

Kassaye said the program gives students exposure to policy-making through practical experience and allows them to develop contacts.

Kassaye said an average day for students includes attending congressional hearings, writing constitute leaders and reading proposals for laws. He said students also work with members of Congress from both parties.

“Our philosophy is to expose them to the process and not to get into any political ideology,” Kassaye said.

Montgomery said it is an honor to be able to work with members of Congress. He said he is most interested in health care policy.

As part of the application process, students had to submit an essay about a health care issue they felt strongly about. Montgomery said he wrote about Medicaid.

“Seeing how prosperous our nation is, there shouldn’t be people lacking health care,” Montgomery said. “No one in the United States should lack decent health car.”

He said he is interested in politics at the state and local level in areas such as city management or working in the governor’s office, and that he would like to see how this internship shapes his future goals.

Charles Lockhart, professor of political science, said this internship can help a student’s future career.

“This is a career maker,” Lockhart said. “It gives them a resume item and a set of contacts that can help facilitate that.”

Montgomery said he is excited about the whole experience this summer.

“My goal is to gain as much knowledge as I can and experience while I am out there,” Montgomery said.

During the program, students will stay on Howard University’s campus and the program pays students’ fees, including transportation and provides them a stipend, Kassaye said. The program is sponsored by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Kassaye said exposure for the interns to health care policy is important because it is a field of study where there are few minorities.

From her knowledge, Volcansek said, this is the first time she has known a political science student to be selected to this program.

“This shows that TCU students stand up well in competition,” Volcansek said.

Nyshicka Jordan