It’s springtime and we students know what that means… the hunt is on for jobs and internships. For Batten students, each with their own policy interests and passions, there are so many incredible opportunities to explore and pursue within the realm of public service, policymaking, and advocacy. Whether it's conducting research, interning at government agencies, or participating in community initiatives, there are truly so many ways to get your foot in the door. Lucky for us, our Batten students already provide a wealth of knowledge regarding the multifaceted landscape of working in policy. As a part of our Student Highlight series, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Amelia Walker, (BA ‘24) to discuss her experience working last summer for the Virginia Department of State Police as a Policy Research Analyst. 

Q: What were your main responsibilities at your internship and the projects you got to work on? 

I spent most of the summer working on  a few large projects. One assignment was to create a database of the department’s budgetary history. This included going back into the Virginia General Assembly’s archives to find what money had been allocated to the Virginia State Police (VSP) each year. I then categorized this information by year and type of budget item. 

Another project I worked on was refining a database that the department uses to study trends in traffic stops. In 2020, an initiative began to track these stops in order to identify bias in policing. Each local agency in the state has to submit monthly reports on every stop made, and VSP enters these numbers into a larger database to review for broader trends. I was able to help streamline the form that local agencies use and clean the data that gets submitted by VSP to an outside agency that generates the annual report. I really appreciated how, rather than coming up with “intern projects” or busy work for me, my supervisors added me onto pre-existing projects with full-time employees in order to give me real experience.

Each day of the internship looked different. I had a desk in the Legal Affairs office, and ended up becoming close with all of the folks who worked there. We would watch Jeopardy! together everyday at lunch, and they threw a party for the other intern and I at the end of the summer. My supervisors would take a walk with us outside everyday around the VSP campus; lots of people I worked with really enjoyed getting to be outside every day. I say that every day was different because while I spent a lot of time at my desk working on projects, my supervisors put a LOT of time and effort into giving me experiences outside of the office, and showing me what the rest of the department did. 

I also got to travel all around the state! I sat in on a crime scene investigation training, did police ride alongs, learned about how drug dogs are trained, was taught how to drift a car, trained on a shooting range and shot a gun for the first time (a little scary!), and even went out with the search and rescue team on a boat to look for a missing person (he was found safe)! Many of the best and most memorable experiences from the summer were made by my supervisors involving me in so many “extracurriculars.”

Q: What are some highlights from your time working there? Most impactful things you got to work on/people you got to meet?

One major highlight was getting to go to the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia. The head of the Legal Affairs Office took me with him to a meeting involving VSP’s role in providing security for the Monacan Nation during their upcoming election. I learned more in an hour about tribal sovereignty and the role of law enforcement in providing protection than I had ever known before. It was so interesting to see the crossover between institutions and think about problems that I wouldn’t have otherwise been aware of. 

I also was able to write a few decision packages for the most recent General Assembly session. Decision packages detail certain positions or funding allocations that the department hopes to receive from the legislature. For example, the department may ask for a certain amount of money to acquire new Medevac helicopters and a certain number of positions for people to operate them. I was able to write multiple of these documents for the department to use during session. I didn’t realize before the internship just how much involvement state police had with the legislative side of state government. It was interesting to see the lobbying and policymaking process from inside an executive agency and play a real role in trying to push initiatives along.

Q: What inspired you to take on this position? Any specific classes or Batten professors?

I would never have found or applied for this position if I hadn’t taken “Police-Community Relations: Problems and Prospects” with Professor Brian Williams. He forwarded the position along to our class, and after a great semester in his course, I was inspired to apply. I greatly enjoyed Dr. Williams’ course and all that I learned about policing. After learning more about some of the challenges of operating a law enforcement agency, I wanted to involve myself in the problem-solving process. I also thought that I could gain a lot of new perspectives on what is such a complex issue by working within policing myself. I was able to talk with so many different people with vastly disparate opinions all summer, and I am incredibly grateful for that. Without Professor Williams and his course, I probably would have been too intimidated to apply for the position.

Q: Any advice for Batten students as they begin or continue their internship search?

Look for something that genuinely sounds fun! I know that that is hard to keep in mind while you’re stressed and searching for a job, but your summer internship does not dictate where you will work for the rest of your life. I am so glad that I tried something new and that I would never have said was my chosen career path before. Summer internships should be for learning more about an organization and yourself. Don’t pick a position for prestige if it seems like you would be miserable the entire time. Also, you can still make friends and have fun at an internship if you find a place that is the right fit for you. I was terrified to spend my summer working a 9-5 and thought that I would not enjoy myself. However, I had a lot of fun forming relationships with my coworkers and learning from their experiences and careers. I ended up enjoying the little things like going out to lunch and taking walks with people and have even gone back to visit since the summer ended!

Q: What skills and lessons from your time in Batten helped you be successful in your position?

Batten helped me with all of my projects throughout my internship. I felt that I was able to tackle a complicated assignment quickly and effectively because of the writing skills I have developed in my classes. My writing and research skills were even above what was expected of me because of how much that is emphasized in Batten courses. I also felt more confident approaching my supervisors with questions because of the collaborative nature of Batten classes and faculty. I enjoyed the process of creating a work product I was proud of and was not scared to receive feedback from others. I felt that Batten had equipped me for a work environment.

Q: How has this position informed what professional pathway you want to pursue after Batten?

I was planning on attending law school before this position and am still planning to do so following graduation. However, this experience helped me to see the great variety of directions I could go following earning my J.D. 

I hadn’t even realized before that executive agencies all have their own in-house legal staff, and that many times those individuals get to directly draft policy themselves. I have wanted to enter the public sector after law school for a long time, but now I really have a specific interest in working for the U.S. Department of Justice or another government office. I love the intersection of law and government and think that this internship allowed me to refine that interest and instilled confidence in me that I am on the right path.

Q: What are you most excited for in your final weeks at UVA and in the Batten School?

I am most excited to spend these last few weeks enjoying being an undergrad and being around my friends. I have really loved being in Batten because of the community it has provided me within classes, and the confidence it has given me to pursue my interests after school. These last few weeks feel like a victory lap and the time to celebrate all of our success and fun memories together as a cohort. I’m just trying to soak it all in.