Big Turn-out for Interns' Farewell Reception
Most interesting times in the Scottish Parliament - well, the nineteen American interns who finished their stint in the Scottish legislature seemed to have had a ball of a time in Edinburgh. Being close-by as the first SNP budget was steered through the Chamber, experiencing first-hand how minority government works, contributing research and interacting with their MSPs has offered an unparalleled insight into the way of Scottish politics. And being in Scotland while the preliminaries at home in America were making headlines clearly added to the pizzazz.
On behalf of the Institute, Profs Charlie Jeffery and David McCrone congratulated the interns on their achievements. The interns themselves are, as David McCrone said, "the best ambassadors for our programme."
Ten MSPs attended the farewell reception on 22 April, and they were full of praise for their individual interns who were a credit to the Parliament and to the internship programme which, according to cross-party consensus, benefits not only the students but also enriches parliamentary life. "Long may it continue," Robin Harper MSP concluded.
Here are a few voices of the interns themselves:
"I think that all interns would agree with me that this opportunity has been a fantastic one and has perfectly meshed together classes, an internship, and a study abroad opportunity all together. … This has truly been an amazing experience that I do not believe I would have been able to get any other way. I have gotten a tremendous amount of experience being in a work setting like I have not been before." Justine Gray (Intern for Rob Gibson MSP)
"The Parliament has become a sort of home from home in Edinburgh, and though the adjustment back to American life will prove difficult, I know I will always look back to these past 10 weeks as one of the best times of my life." Cait Barnett (Intern for Richard Simpson MSP)
"I think the reception was a great way to bring closure to the program on a symbolic level. … Although I am looking forward to going home, I am going to miss Scotland and especially the Parliament dearly. I really enjoyed the experience and would recommend the program to anyone interested in politics." Tom Byrne (Intern for Rhona Brankin MSP)
"My overall impression of the internship has been an immensely positive one. My MSP managed to keep me on my toes and frequently engaged me in thought-provoking political discourse. I thoroughly enjoyed approaching hot-button issues from a distinctly non-American perspective. Memories of heated discussions about American politics will certainly be among my fondest. Most importantly, though, this internship proffered me the opportunity to consider the political process in a different light and, hopefully, apply what I have learned to my studies back home. " Cameron Abbott (Intern for Michael Mathieson MSP)
"This has been a great experience and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to do it. I wasn’t going to do it at first, since I tend to be a little shy, but I am glad I changed my mind. I would have much rather interned here than in Washington for a semester. I had actual work to do, as opposed to just answering mail or the phones. I really enjoyed seeing the difference between the two political systems up close. And I don’t think I could have asked to work with better people." Shannon Baglole (Intern for Jackie Baillie MSP)
"I really liked the close relationships between staff and MSPs in the Scottish Parliament which is very different from the Senate where it is more formal and reserved. The internship program was such a memorable experience and I really enjoyed every aspect of it." Christina Collins (Intern for John Lamont MSP)
"I have had a wonderful time here at the Scottish Parliament and would not change anything about it. I would love to do this all again." Nancy Draper (Intern for Jamie Stone MSP)
"Most of us were so well-matched. When we were toasting in my office, I was at a complete loss for words. I could only think of adjectives like ‘amazing’ and ‘incredible’ and ‘fantastic’. Those three words pretty much sum it all up." Rebecca Rehr (Intern for Robin Harper MSP)
Interns Spring 2008
Interns
Cameron Abbott
Shannon Baglole
Caitlin Barnett
Thomas Byrne
Christina Coillins
Timothy Conroy
Nancy Draper
Justine Gray
Sarah Hawkins
Elizabeth Hormann
Robin Jenkins
Sandra Krogulski
Pamela Lachman
Jonathan Patton
Joanna Raab
Rebecca Rehr
Michael Ross
Joshua Sharp
Andrew White |
MSPs
Michael Matheson (SNP)
Jackie Baillie (Labour)
Richard Simpson (Labour)
Rhona Brankin (Labour)
John Lamont (Conservatives)
David Whitton (Labour)
Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrats)
Rob Gibson (SNP)
Sandra White (SNP)
Sarah Boyack (Labour)
Iain Gray (Labour)
Nigel Don (SNP)
Margaret Curran (Labour)
Bill Aitken (Conservatives)
David McLetchie (Conservatives)
Robin Harper (Greens)
Jamie McGrigor (Conservatives)
Dave Thompson (SNP)
Patricia Ferguson (Labour) |
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