Our
2005 Interns Comments
“This internship is a much needed bridge
between young Indian Americans and politics, even for students who are not
studying politics, working in a public office can be an eye-opening experience.
If more of us become aware of and involved in our system of government, we
can pass it on to others in our generation. I hope we can make Indian Americans
a bigger part of the political system in
But at a smaller and more personal level,
it is pretty cool to work in a beautiful and historical building
and work with people who are capable of making big changes.
Even when you are filing papers or answering the phone, you are playing
some small role in the system. I felt lucky to meet Governor Romney and have
the chance to speak personally with some important state officials about
their jobs.”
Priyanka Dayal
Internship:
Governor Romney's Press Office
"This internship has been fundamental to
my development as a student of
the political process and my identity as an
Indian-American. Prior to my involvement
with IAFPE, I held a somewhat pessimistic view of
Indian-Americans'
willingness to achieve political standing. However, because
of my internship with IAFPE, I have become part of a core community of
involved, young Indian-Americans like myself who have a sincere desire to be a
part of local, state, and national politics. Not only have I gained
personal fulfillment from this internship, but I have become a more astute
student of the American political scene and the role that ethnic communities
have to play.
I encourage anyone interested in activism and
politics to become involved with IAFPE to build connections and develop
leadership ability.”
Aliya Khalidi
Internship:
MA Congressman Ed Markey and MA State Senator Susan Fargo
“In Representative Jay Kaufman’s office I was
asked to do research on electronic voting and paper verification. This
was a hot topic with Rep. Kaufman as he wanted a bill that would create a paper
trail for voters who use electronic voting machines. After doing much
research I wrote a report on it giving my opinions to the matter and then was
given the opportunity to write the actual legislation for this bill. I
wrote the actual language of the bill to require paper verification and an
audit system. I was able to develop the audit system after contacting
organizations like Voter - Verified. Rep. Kaufman presented my testimony
and bill to the Elections Committee and is still before the Massachusetts
Legislature for review.
Overall, the experience that IAFPE gave me
would never been attainable without this internship program. I have learned
invaluable lessons in working with people and ideas. I am extremely glad
I chose to do this internship due to everything I learned and experience I
gained.”
Kevin Thakkar
Internship:
MA State Representative Jay Kaufman
“IAFPE has been a valuable tool for me in
that it has allowed me to practice writing and access to politics, my two
primary fields of interest. In obtaining hands-on experience, by working for
both a community-based newspaper and a gubernatorial campaign, I have gained
insight into these careers and developed a greater sense of my own aspirations
within these disciplines.’
Jaya Mathur
Internship:
Deval Patrick Campaign for MA Governor Office
I had a great experience working on the
Bloomberg Re-election Campaign in
Sheila Bharucha
Internship: Mayor Bloomberg re-election campaign