City Fellows

Students Participate in Mock City Council
Students Debate a New Park in a Mock City Council Meeting
Alejandra Galvan Meets with Chief Justice Tom Gray
City Fellows will have the opportunity to meet with leaders from diverse fields.
Students Tour Huntsville, Visit Sam Houston's Grave
Interns Learn Huntsville's Major Landmarks at Orientation

A New and Enriched Internship

The LEAP Center's "City Fellows" Program is designed to provide students an enriched internship experience, one that provides the skills acquisition and resume-building of a paying job, but which also provides students with training, education, and professional networking opportunities. Students selected for this internship will be paid an hourly wage, will earn academic credit, and will receive regular training throughout the semester. Training includes a mock City Council, tours, and virtual/in-person mentorship from local leaders. The program is open to student of all majors, but students will need to be able to use POLS 4094 in their degree plan.

Experience and Programming:

Students selected for the City Fellows program will attend a mandatory orientation, begin work with the City of Huntsville (or other internship), and will participate in programs such as:

Mock City Council, where students take on the role of City staff and councilmembers while debating budget and policy priorities;
Behind-the-scenes tours of community foundations, non-profits, parks, and museums;
Mentorship opportunities with city officials, non-profit leaders, and University officials;
Volunteer and organizational opportunities with local and state organizations;
Career workshops including budgeting, policy-building, and resume creation.

Eligibility and Applications:

All majors are eligible for the program, but students will need to sign up for POLS 4094 and be able to use this class in their degree plan, while also taking no more than 15 hours in the semester. This allows students to earn academic program for the course. In general, students are expected to have at least a 2.8 GPA and selected students are likely to have a much higher GPA. Students should not have any academic red flags or evidence of academic misconduct on their record.

Students should submit a resume using MS Word (use this template) and application (here) by email to Professor Mike Yawn (mike.yawn@shsu.edu). The application for Spring internships opens November1, with the application deadline being November 15. But interviews may begin as soon as the LEAP Center receives qualified applications, so earlier submissions are encouraged. Students will be paid $10.00 an hour, and students who complete the program successfully will receive a modest scholarship.