KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 18, 2025

Each spring semester, students from Kennesaw State University and Georgia’s other institutions are selected to participate in the Georgia Legislative Internship Program (GLIP) to assist during the yearly General Assembly session.

The GLIP students work with legislators, their committees, and their staff during the annual 40-day legislative session, tracking the progress of bills, assisting with constituent requests, organizing and attending committee meetings, writing bill summaries, and more. The program, for which students receive course credit, is open to juniors and seniors of all majors.

During the current General Assembly session, four KSU GLIP interns shared their highlights, expectations and motivations for participating in the program.

Kiara Johnson

Kiara Johnson, a senior psychology major from Sugar Hill, Georgia has collected data for representatives as they work to write legislation. She has also performed administrative work and assisted with community programs.

“I wanted to work in the Capitol to understand more about the legislative process and build connections,” she said.

That knowledge could be valuable for her long-term career goal, which is to be a criminal defense attorney and advocate for creating more rehabilitation centers, while reducing the number of people who are incarcerated in Georgia’s prisons.

Johnson is open to the idea of serving in elected office someday but is most interested in advocating for policies she supports, such as criminal justice reform.

Nahomy Limon

Nahomy Limon, a senior majoring in political science and international affairs, was born in Marietta, Georgia, but grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. She is considering a career in corporate or international law.

“Understanding how laws are crafted, debated, and passed is crucial, because these decisions affect so many aspects of people’s lives,” she said. “I am passionate about public service and wanted to immerse myself in an environment where I could observe and participate in this process firsthand.”

Limon has been working as a Senate aide for the Governor’s Floor Leader’s office, where she tackles a broad portfolio of tasks that has included constituent services, helping prepare legislative summaries, drafting letters of support, analyzing bills, and tracking legislation.

Working with legislators has planted the thought that she might consider a run for state Senate someday.

“I believe it would be a great platform to make a meaningful impact on policy and work toward solutions that benefit my community and state,” she said.

Anna Stephen

Anna Stephen, a senior from Alpharetta, Georgia majoring in international affairs, has been working with the state House Ways and Means committee, responsible for shaping tax law in Georgia.

“I’ve been working with the policy analyst to track bills, record changes, and track fiscal notes,” she said. “I wanted to work as a Capitol intern to gain hands-on experience and expand my knowledge of the political world.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree, Stephen would like to work toward a master’s degree with an eye toward a career in the Central Intelligence Agency.

Because of her desire to work in the intelligence community, Stephen said any chance she would consider running for elected office would wait until after that service.

Graham Stewart

Graham Stewart, a junior from Canton, Georgia who is majoring in political science, wanted to be a legislative intern because of his passion for issues advocacy and negotiation, while getting to see that process up close.

“Each day allows for a new learning experience, whether that is through developing strong relations with constituents or clerical work to support my office and make my representatives’ lives easier during the bustling legislative session,” he said.

Following graduation, Stewart wants to work internationally with the U.S. Department of State.

“I aspire to be an ambassador in the Foreign Service, who specializes in international humanitarian law, peacekeeping negotiations with foreign governments, and human rights advocacy,” he said.

After seeing state legislators in action, Stewart said he could see himself standing for election in the future.

“Through this experience, I could see myself running for office as a representative or senator on the federal level,” he said.

– Story by Gary Tanner

Photos by Judith Pishnery

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.