September 2019 Student of the Month

Logan White

Senior

When and where was your internship experience?

This summer, I interned for Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) in his Washington, D.C. office from July to August.

Tell us about your internship.

Working as a Congressional Intern, I gave tours of the US Capitol building, attended briefings and hearings for the House Committee on Science, Space, & Technology, and responded to constituent mail regarding a range of policy and issue areas. I even attended a briefing on the act of Shark finning, it’s threat towards sharks as an apex predator of our ocean, and therefore how it will affect our most major oxygen source.

How did the experience benefit you?

My internship in Congress afforded me an incredible opportunity to gain first-hand experience within our legislative body. I learned about all of the legislation being passed from the House to the Senate, from horse soaring to foreign election interference to initiatives that will increase diversity in STEM. Additionally, working for the Congressman of my hometown gave me a unique perspective on the wants and needs of my community, and made me so appreciative of where I call home.

Do you have any advice for other students considering an internship or co-op?

I would highly encourage all engineering students to not be afraid to branch out and explore interest areas outside of engineering. I think you can not underplay the skills you gain from non-engineering opportunities that may still be utilized within engineering. Not to mention, we only have so many summers in college, and this is a wonderful time to soak up knowledge from every area available to us as students.

What else are you involved in?

During the academic year, I am an intern at Oak Ridge National Laboratory studying biofiber-enabled materials. I am also Chair of Material Advantage, an academic society that connects Materials Sciences undergraduates to Materials Science professionals. Through Material Advantage I have traveled to multiple Materials Science conferences, as well as an annual trip to Washington D.C. during appropriations season to advocate for STEM funding by meeting with Tennessee Congressmen and Senators.
Additionally, for International Intern Day, the Congressman tweeted about us. Here is the link: https://twitter.com/RepCohen/status/1154502935105167360. It can also be found on his Instagram, @repcohen.