Six UTM Students to Serve as Legislative Interns

Six University of Tennessee at Martin students will spend the spring semester in Nashville as legislative interns. Five students interviewed and accepted positions with the Tennessee Legislative Internship Program for the spring 2023 session of the Tennessee General Assembly, and one student will intern with the UT System’s Office of Government Relations and Advocacy.

Iman Ahmed of Memphis, Ethan Bledsoe of Jamestown, Patrick Davis of Jackson, Cindy Solis of Shelbyville, and Dezarai White of Bradford will be legislative interns for the Tennessee General Assembly. Ahmed and Solis are political science majors, Davis and White are criminal justice majors, and Bledsoe is majoring in agricultural business. Julia Law, a political science major from Memphis, will be interning with the UT System.

As legislative interns, these students will assist in tracking legislation, keeping records of committee meetings, researching policy issues and communicating with constituents. UT Martin has been represented through internships in Tennessee state government since 1973 when the late Dr. Ted Mosch, UT Martin professor of political science, helped start the Legislative Internship Program.

“These interns work hard, and leaders in state government will recognize their talents and potential and will support them in obtaining jobs,” said Dr. Chris Baxter, UT Martin professor of political science. “The most immediate benefits (from the internship) are enjoyed by the students who use the experience as a launching pad for their careers.”

For more information about the Legislative Internship Program, contact Baxter at cbaxter@utm.edu.