By Makenzie Winkler
Jeffrey Bates
The Colonels at the Capitol Internship Program (CCIP) allows Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) students the opportunity to gain hands-on knowledge of the state’s political process while developing professional skills through research, communication and networking. Participants work alongside Kentucky legislators, spending Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort throughout the spring semester.
One of this year’s CCIP interns is Jeffrey Bates, a political science and international relations major from Grayson, Kentucky. Through the internship, Bates works with Representative Patrick Flannery.
“Everything that we've been taught at EKU about how the government functions at the state and local level created a strong background for this internship,” said Bates. “It has helped me understand the process that I'm watching now as an intern.”
EKU juniors and seniors with a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.2 major GPA and who have completed POL 101: Introduction to American Government are eligible to apply for the CCIP.
“I was honored to be able to be an intern for the 2023 session,” said Bates. “This program has helped me learn so much about the state legislative process, and it has given me the connections to have a successful future in the field of government.”