Trio Gain Valuable Experience as NYS Assembly Interns

April 4, 2025

Hudson Valley Community College students Anthony Cervera, Alex Jambunathan and Tommy White have landed coveted spots in the New York State Assembly Internship Program this spring semester. The program includes students from colleges and universities throughout the state who work in Assemblymember’s offices and learn about the New York State Legislature first-hand.

While no two days look the same, the students say their responsibilities include working with members and their staff, responding to constituent concerns, working to gain co-sponsors for bills, drafting legislation, scheduling meetings, attending budget hearings, and tracking legislation, among other tasks.

Hudson Valley has offered internship opportunities at the Assembly for nearly 20 years, according to Dr. Robert Whitaker, a political science professor who oversees HVCC’s connection to the program.

Students can apply for full-time paid or part-time unpaid internships during the legislative session. Those who are accepted serve in different Assemblymembers’ offices in the Legislative Office Building in downtown Albany, just steps from the State Capitol. In addition to their work with elected members, students collaborate with other interns in mock proceedings and simulated budget hearings as well.

White is interning with Assemblyman Matthew Simpson who represents parts of Essex, Warren, Saratoga and Washington counties; very rural areas compared to the Capital Region. “There’s more emphasis on the environment and blue-collar issues,” he said. “It’s really interesting seeing the differences and how these issues intersect with the district.”

He also has gained some “big picture” lessons that everyone involved in politics should know. “When you come to work, you’re here to work for everyone, not just people who voted for you or people who align with you,” said White. “You work for the people you represent and that’s everyone. This really is public service.”

For Cervera, who is working with Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, seeing the concepts he’s learned from classes applied in real world situations has been an essential part of the internship experience. “You can only learn so much about politics in a classroom. Politics is a very hands-on type of career. Classes are good for theory, but getting hands-on experience is great for the pragmatic aspect of politics.”

Cervera sees himself working in the state legislature or with the federal government one day. As a self-proclaimed “political junkie,” he has always valued how politics impacts society and individual lives on a daily basis. “Politics is everything. It impacts your water, your food. It’s all politics,” he said. “There’s been a bill about probably everything you can think of. The best thing anybody can do is to stay informed and keep participating in politics.”

Jambunathan, who works with Assemblyman Keith Brown, is also gaining communication skills critical to his future career. “Just being in this environment, you learn how to be professional, you know how to talk to lobbyists, how to talk to politicians, how to talk to really any kind of person in a professional setting,” he said.

He also enjoys learning about the origin of bills and laws introduced in the Assembly. “My favorite part has probably been reading about all the different types of laws that are being introduced and hearing people advocating for those laws,” said Jambunathan. “There’s often an interesting rationale or story behind a bill or law that the legislators are trying to pass.”

“Internships are a great way to gain valuable professional experience for advancing your career or applying to a four-year institution or graduate school,” said Dr. Whitaker. “The Assembly internship is a fantastic opportunity to network and build your resume. Many former interns have been hired as legislative staff, joined advocacy organizations, or gone on to law school or graduate school. The internship is a great launching pad for careers in a number of different fields.”

Students who would like more information about Assembly internships or similar internship opportunities can contact Professor Whitaker at r.whitaker@hvcc.edu.