Influencing policy (training slides from Fast Track Impact)
Named Internship Profile Summary - Ishita Kala (Rosenwald)
1. [ROSENWALD PUBLIC POLICY INTERN PROFILE]
Ishita Kala ’13 is from Waterford, Connecticut, and
attended Waterford High School, where she was editor-
in-chief of her high school newspaper and played on the
varsity tennis team. At Dartmouth, Kala is pursuing a
double major in Government-- with a focus in
International Relations-- and Psychology. On campus, Kala
is on the executive board of the Dartmouth Parliamentary
Debate team and works as a research assistant in the
Government department analyzing non-traditional threat
data. She also works as an Undergraduate Advisor in her
dormitory and is a member of Milan-- Dartmouth’s South
Asian Organization-- through which she directed a
fundraiser for sustainable sanitation in South Asia. Kala
spent her freshman summer interning with the Mayor of
New London, CT. Kala will spend her sophomore spring interning with Congressman Joe
Courtney (D-CT) in his Washington, DC, office.
Ishita was funded by The Rockefeller Center for a Spring 2011 Internship, with generous support
from the E. John Rosenwald, Jr. 1952 Public Affairs Internship Fund.
Executive Summary from Ishita’s final report:
As a spring intern for Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT) in his Washington, D.C. office, I worked
closely with legislative staff members to provide administrative, legislative, and
communications support. Congressman Courtney is a third term member of the U.S. House of
Representatives from the second district of Connecticut and serves on the Armed Services and
Agriculture committees. Throughout the spring, I was responsible for handling constituent
correspondence and relations. This was done through telephone correspondence, written
communications, and guiding tours for constituents from
“By being proactive and working the district. I was also responsible for assisting legislative
hard on all work that I was assistants in research, such as shellfish farming and meat
assigned, I was soon trusted with
packing standards (for upcoming Agricultural committee
more difficult and important tasks,
legislation), submarine funding for the Armed Services
and greater responsibility.”
committee, procedures of I-9 audits, and aspects of the
2. 2011 federal transportation reauthorization bill. I also had the opportunity to write
congressional record statements for notable individuals and events in the district.
In addition to my work in the office, I represented Congressman Courtney at legislative briefings
and receptions and prepared reports on the information presented at these events that would
be helpful to our office or district. By being proactive and working hard on all work that I was
assigned, I was soon trusted with more difficult and important tasks, and greater responsibility.
I would like to end by thanking the Rockefeller Center and Mr. E. John Rosenwald Jr for the
Rosenwald Named Internship Award, which made this rewarding internship experience
possible.
Ishita Kala at her internship with Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT) in his Washington, D.C. office.