The students will serve as 麻豆原创 Legislative Scholars, conducting research, assisting with constituent relations, tracking bills and supporting other daily operations of a legislative office during the聽session, which runs March 4 to May 2. They will work full-time and receive a stipend and housing in the state capital for a minimum of three months.

麻豆原创 established the Legislative Scholars Internship in 2005 to provide students with insight into the workings of state government and the Florida Legislature. To be eligible for the internship, students must be a junior, senior or graduate student in a communication, legal studies, political science or public administration academic program.

Students are selected for the internship through a rigorous application and interview process led by Fred Kittinger, associate vice president of state and local government affairs. Kittinger appoints a committee of 麻豆原创 faculty and staff members and representatives from local legislative offices to select the interns.

Successful candidates exhibit strong communication skills, including speaking, writing, research and computer skills; an interest in or knowledge of the legislative process; and a demonstrated ability to work with others in a fast-paced, highly visible environment.

鈥淭his year鈥檚 field of candidates for the internship was the strongest to date,鈥� Kittinger shared.

The 2014聽interns include聽seven legal studies majors,聽two communication majors, a political science major聽and a graduate student in public administration. Ten have been assigned to state senator聽and representative offices, and one has been assigned to the government relations office of a law firm. (For the intern placements, see http://bit.ly/1j2Zk5u.)

Kathy Cook, instructor of legal studies, is especially proud so many students in her program are participating this year. 鈥淭hey are very professional students and well-prepared for this experience,鈥� she said.

Legal studies junior Mikaela Duffy moved to Tallahassee last weekend to聽intern in Senator Alan Hays’ office.聽She will room with聽Jessica Sirianni, a legal studies and finance junior who heads to Tallahassee next month聽to intern at the Gray Robinson law office. Both plan to attend law school and are thrilled to be part of the legislative process.

鈥淭his will do nothing but help us learn how to work in the legal and legislative fields,鈥� Duffy said excitedly.

Duffy’s excitement is understandable. Alumni of the internship program have been hired by both state and federal聽legislative offices and other government聽offices, and several have been accepted to prominent law schools.

The gold award is given to organizations that provide at least 15,000 volunteer hours a year to Junior Achievement projects. 麻豆原创 volunteers more than doubled that mark by donating more than 35,000 service hours.

The university joins 11 companies in receiving the award, including Walt Disney World, AT&T, General Electric and Bank of America.

鈥溌槎乖� through its service-learning unit is the largest volunteer source of any JA in the world,鈥� said Craig Polejes, president of Junior Achievement of Central Florida.

The award was created in 2003 by the President鈥檚 Council on Service and Civic Participation for people who donate significant time to volunteering. In 2006, Junior Achievement became the certifying organization for the award.

Through the 麻豆原创 and JA service-learning partnership in 2011-12, there were 2,079 classes taught by 麻豆原创 students at 160 Central Florida schools, reaching 37,676 children, Polejes said.

麻豆原创 students teach children in schools about entrepreneurship, work readiness, how to become successful and to stay in school. In return, university students learn leadership, communication skills and critical thinking.

Polejes said 麻豆原创鈥檚 volunteers come from the College of Arts & Humanities, College of Business Administration, College of Education, College of Health and Public Affairs, College of Medicine, 聽 Interdisciplinary Studies, Nicholson School of Communication, and the Burnett Honors College.

For example, in the College of Business Administration JA is incorporated into the Cornerstone course curriculum. Students spend at least 25 hours teaching JA classes and completing projects at elementary and middle schools.

麻豆原创 Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop and Fred Kittinger, associate vice president and director of state and local government affairs, also serve on the board of Junior Achievement of Central Florida.

鈥淲e鈥檙e extremely proud of this relationship,鈥� Polejes said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of work and effort from many over 20 years, and we don鈥檛 take it for granted.鈥�

麻豆原创 will officially be recognized at the President鈥檚 Volunteer Service Award presentations in New York in March.