KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 24, 2026

Six months ago, Jada Barronton and Saideep Chilukuri answered phones in House and Senate offices under the Gold Dome. Over the summer, they both helped track legislation and conduct policy research for U.S. congressional offices on Capitol Hill.

The two Kennesaw State University students, who received the university’s D.C. Owls Scholarship, spent their summer interning in Washington, and both credit a semester at the Georgia State Capitol with helping them succeed.

Barronton, a junior political science major in the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences, spent last spring in the Georgia Legislative Internship Program (GLIP) assisting with the Senate Judiciary and Transportation committees. Barronton said the experience gave her a taste of constituent casework and the legislative process she didn’t fully appreciate until she used it to land her next opportunity: a congressional internship in Washington.

“I honestly know I would not be where I am today without GLIP,” Barronton said. “I gained hands-on experience working with two very busy committees, and I think that constituent services experience helped set me apart when I was applying for opportunities in D.C.”

She applied for internships in Washington without much expectation of hearing back. In late April, she received an interview request, and by the first week of May she had been formally accepted to serve an office in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Chilukuri, a sophomore finance major in the Michael J. Coles College of Business, began his government internship experience as a freshman at the Georgia State Capitol, where he tracked legislation and conducted research. He credits the pace of his statehouse experience with making the transition to the nation’s capital easier.

No two days on Capitol Hill looked alike for either student. Barronton attended meetings with advocacy groups and constituents who flew in from Georgia, drafted memos, and supported staff whenever needed. Meetings, she said, became her favorite part of the internship.

“Every time I sat in on a meeting, I walked away learning about an issue I had no prior knowledge of,” Barronton said. “Something I really enjoyed is being exposed to a lot of different policy areas, specifically international affairs and humanitarian crises outside of the committees my member serves on.”

Chilukuri split his time between common intern duties of constituent correspondence and giving tours, as well as tracking legislation related to his areas of interest: artificial intelligence (AI), pharmaceuticals, and financial services. He spent much of the summer working on what he called his most meaningful project: helping the office’s legislative team research an AI regulation bill.

Outside the office, both students made the most of a summer in Washington that coincided with the nation’s 250^th anniversary. Chilukuri leaned into the networking culture of the Hill, making a habit of at least one coffee chat a day with staffers, lobbyists, and lawyers.

Barronton took advantage of similar opportunities, adding that she and her friends made their way through the city’s museums and monuments and discovered a new coffee shop nearly every week.

“One of the biggest lessons I learned was that policy work is about people,” Chilukuri said. “Whether I was meeting staffers, lobbyists, or attorneys, every conversation taught me something new and showed me how important relationships are in this field.”

Now home and preparing for the fall semester, both are weighing what’s next: Barronton considering whether to return to Capitol Hill or apply what she’s learned elsewhere, and Chilukuri is eyeing law school.

The students’ advice to peers considering a Washington internship is simple: do it.

“Do it scared,” Barronton said. “You don’t have to have everything figured out. And don’t compare yourself to other people; you’re just as qualified as anyone else in the room.”

“These internships taught me that growth comes from putting yourself in unfamiliar situations,” Chilukuri said. “Every day, I spoke with people whose careers I hope to emulate someday, and it gave me the confidence to realize that those opportunities are within reach if you’re willing to learn and work hard.”

The D.C. Owls Scholarship helps fund living expenses for Kennesaw State students who secure internships with the federal government in Washington. For more information, students can contact KSU’s Office of External Affairs at externalaffairs@kennesaw.edu or visit go.kennesaw.edu/DCOwls.

– Story by Elyssa Reed

Photos provided

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 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.