Texas A&M’s Public Policy Internship Programs, or PPIP, offer students interested in government and policy opportunities to gather hands-on experience in Washington, D.C.. While PPIP celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024 and its partner program, the Agricultural and Natural Resources Policy Internship Program, or ANRP, will celebrate their 35th anniversary this year, the programs continue to expand to other Texas A&M System campuses.

James Palacios ‘17 is the program manager for policy internship programs at A&M, and he has been guiding the first semester of the new Public Policy Scholars Program. The first round of scholars going through the program includes nine students from seven different schools within the System.

With connections to over 200 offices in D.C., including congressmen’s offices, lobbying firms and federal agencies, the program aids students with internship placement and provides housing during their time in the program. 

“This spring, in 2025, we launched the Public Policy Scholars Program,” Palacios said. “It is the newest of the three, and what’s unique about the scholars program is that it includes every Texas A&M University System school.”

Another unique aspect of the program is the addition of two upper-level political science courses that students take through the D.C. Bush School. According to Palacios, students spend three days on the internship and two days in class each week. 

“The fascinating part of our program is that students get to connect what they’re doing on their internships to the academic coursework,” Palacios said. “So whatever’s going on in the world right now, they’re talking about it in class and seeing the implications, or getting to analyze how that affects the world.”

Texas A&M Corpus Christi history senior Miranda Martinez is a policy intern for the A&M Federal Relations Office, aiding the System’s lobbyists in securing federal funding. The office focuses on appropriations for projects that professors and agencies are working on within the System.

“There’s 11 universities, eight agencies, some deal with engineering, some deal with the forest extension service, AgriLife, there’s a really broad range of things the university system does,” Martinez said. “I help them essentially cover congressional hearings, anything that’s going on in the news and just making sure that I can do my best as an intern to help them going through the new administration.” 

Martinez said that her time in the capital has been instrumental in defining her career path, and working alongside people from all different backgrounds who come together for a common purpose of impacting the nation through policy has been inspirational.

“Being able to come from any part of the state and make an impact in the city, as you’ve seen everyone in the cohort comes from different places, some of them aren’t even from Texas, and seeing how each of us has been impacting our country’s government has been really impactful,” Martinez said.

Prairie View A&M sophomore Raniyah Edwards works as an intern in the office of Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE). Her role includes setting up hearings within the Japanese Caucus and meetings with the U.S. ambassadors to Thailand and Japan. Being in D.C. has given her opportunities to get involved with organizations like the Congressional Black Associates and the Senate Black Legislative Caucus. 

Edwards said the biggest lesson she’s taking away from her experience is that connections and networks are everything. Despite having a few more years of school before being able to return to Capitol Hill, she believes her connections will go the distance. 

“I’ve just been maximizing the most of this experience,” Edwards said. “My connections with other interns alone, there are several different programs such as the UT Archer Program or Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, their interns, and I can see those people going really far. … But in 2027, I can see me reaching back out to my networks and being able to get a job.” 

West Texas A&M political science and legal studies junior Alison Sweeney  interns in the office of Congressman Keith Self (R-03). She said her time in D.C. has opened her mind to possibilities she never considered, and without the scholars program, she likely would not have had as many doors open to her as an applicant.

“I think the opportunities would have been much more slim,” Sweeney said. “There’s a few students I know in the past, but they worked exceptionally hard and had connections that I’ve never had, so this program definitely gave me an opportunity I never thought I would have.”

Texas A&M political science senior Brandon Rea is a former PPIP turned PPSP intern for Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-28). He said his biggest takeaway from the program has been learning about the complexities of the legislative process and the collaboration needed to create and pass policies. His goal is to work in higher education policy and be a legislative representative for Texas. 

“I have loved it, it’s been so fun,” Rea said. “I’ve loved the experience. It’s been a great time to learn about the legislative branch, government and being able to learn about different policy areas that affect us.”

PPIP programs are nothing new to A&M, but the new scholars program opens doors for students across the university system. Through policy internships, students gain crucial networks and experience in the fields they are passionate about, and Palacios said he hopes to see the program continue to grow and eventually enroll students from every campus.