“I probably would not be able to do it without the help,” said Connor Reilly, who will be a senior at UD and is working in the Ohio Casino Control Commission this summer. “I would need to get a paid job.”
Reilly was selected among 60 applicants after rounds of interviews, he said. The history and political science double major plans to attend law school.
Unpaid internships are common — 48 percent of college seniors said their most recent experience offered no compensation, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
The UD students are living in an on-campus apartment complex at Capital University. Reilly said he will earn credit in a 300-level political science course.
“The opportunity itself is great. It’s also very nice that there are 12 of us all living together,” Reilly said.
The program is funded by the University of Dayton’s College of Arts and Sciences dean’s office, the political science department, honors program and government affairs.
Students this summer are working in the offices of:
• Gov. John Kasich
• Secretary of State Jon Husted
• Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine
• Sen. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering
• Rep. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo
• Rep. Jim Butler, R-Oakwood
• House Speaker William G. Batchelder, R-Medina
• Ohio Casino Control Commission
Former Gov. Bob Taft is a mentor to the students and serves as a distinguished research associate at UD.
“It’s going to bolster all of our resumes,” Reilly said. “It’s kind of an insider look at working in government position. It will just be a good eye opener to see if it’s a good fit for our future careers.”
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