Rawlins Gifts $25,000 for Missouri Government Internship Program
Randa Rawlins (left) stands with Harry Hill (right) during a special reception commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Missouri Government Internship Program. Rawlins interned for Hill, a former legislator, during her tenure as a Missouri government intern.
The chair of Truman State University’s Board of Governors has made a $25,000 gift to benefit the Missouri Government Internship Program.
Randa Rawlins ’79, the general counsel for Shelter Insurance Company in Columbia, Mo., designated the gift for the Missouri Government Internship Program endowment. This fund was established last year and is designed to provide a permanent source of revenue to support and expand one of Truman’s most distinctive co-curricular programs.
A special reception, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the program, took place Jan. 30 in Jefferson City. The event was attended by nearly 200 people and included current and former legislators, current and former Truman internship participants, other government officials, and members of Truman’s Mid-Missouri Alumni Chapter. Marie Gladbach, ’72, Truman’s first Missouri government intern, attended the event.
The program offers juniors and seniors a unique opportunity for a semester internship with a legislator, public official or state agency in Jefferson City. The experience provides students with an inside view of state government, and has special appeal for students anticipating careers in business, law, public relations, government service or public affairs. The program originated in 1972, and since its inception, an estimated 500 students have participated.
The Missouri Government Internship endowment was created in 2006 with a $40,000 gift from Advantage Capital Partners of St. Louis, and two of the firm’s partners, Scott Zajac ’85 and Ryan Brennan ’95, both former participants.
Earnings from the endowment will be used to support stipends for students who participant in the program. Students receive course credit, but must make arrangements for housing and other living expenses during the semester. The Truman State University Foundation grants a $2,500 stipend for each participant from its unrestricted gift pool, and the endowment is designed to provide a perpetual resource for future stability and growth.
