Public Policy BDP Student Soni Shukla interned with Texas Appleseed, where she conducted literature reviews, reports, and briefs to further analyze policies and best practices regarding criminal justice.
"The critical thinking, logical reasoning, and love for challenges I have developed through working for a policy-driven organization validated my pursuit of a legal career.”
Where did you intern?
I interned at Texas Appleseed in Austin, TX.
How did you find this internship?
I became acquainted with Texas Appleseed through my previous internship, where I met my current supervisor when he came to the office of the Representative that I was interning for at the time. I then applied for the Criminal Justice Policy Intern after seeing it on Handshake.
What kind of work did you do as an intern?
As a Criminal Justice Policy Intern, I created literature reviews, reports, and briefs analyzing policies and best practices regarding various aspects of criminal justice, such as consumer reporting and higher education in prison. The written materials were used to inform grant reports, offer technical assistance, and presented to stakeholders across industries.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your Connecting Experience?
The most rewarding aspect of interning at Texas Appleseed was the applicability of my work, and the sense of empowerment doing the work gave me. The briefs, reports, and projects I worked on directly furthered the mission of the Criminal Justice Team--there was no busy work. For example, I contributed to a technical assistance report, which was sent to a criminal justice advisory council, who will implement the recommendations researched by our team, and in part, by me.
In what ways has this Connecting Experience shaped your plans for the future?
Through interning with Texas Appleseed, I have affirmed my desire to attend law school. Many of my assignments required policy analysis and gaining a deeper understanding of the implications of certain legislation. The critical thinking, logical reasoning, and love for challenges I have developed through working for a policy-driven organization validated my pursuit of a legal career. Approaching higher education and criminal justice reform through a political framework encouraged me continue learning about the different facets of policy, and how intersectional it really is.