Internship in U.K. was a perfect fit for ad major
By John Paul George
J Alumni News staff
Betsy Garbacz knew she was doing something right when she chose political science as a second major.
Garbacz, a junior advertising and political science major, spent a semester interning in the British Parliament through a program called the Hansard Society Scholars Programme.
She first found out about the program from Kris Polly, her boss at the National Water Resources Association during an internship in the summer of 2002, she said. Polly had interned through the Hansard Society in the 1980s with Tony Blair before Blair became prime minister.
Although the reference helped, it only got her foot in the door, Garbacz said.
The application process included some tough essays, and she was the only one accepted from a state university, Garbacz said. The 13 other students were from Ivy League schools or small private schools.
Nancy Mitchell, associate professor of advertising at UNL, said she was proud Garbacz made it through the final cuts.
"That's really cool for Nebraska," she said. "I think it was really an exciting thing."
Garbacz said the demanding standards didn't stop with the admissions policy.
"It's one of the most rigorous study abroad programs I've heard of," she said.
During her stay in London, she shared a townhouse with six of the 14 other students in the program for the semester.
While they immersed themselves in the British Parliament, the interns were required to take two supplementary courses at the London School of Economics: Politics and Parliament and Politics and Public Policy.
Each student was teamed with a member of Parliament. Garbacz worked with Kate Hoey, House of Commons member from South London.
While she was with Hoey, Garbacz said she did everything from filing and office work to accompanying Hoey to parliamentary meetings.
"Hoey was famous for her interesting views," Garbacz said, referring to Hoey's support of fox hunting and of the monarchy.
Working with her had its benefits, Garbacz said. For instance, at one point Garbacz stood just a few feet away from Queen Elizabeth II during a jubilee event, a festival celebrating the queen's 50th year.
"She looked up and smiled at me. It was really special," Garbacz said.
Despite those exciting moments, the internship's rigor continued to the end. The third and perhaps most challenging part of the internship was a 36-page paper Garbacz wrote on political marketing, a subject combining her two majors.
Political marketing is an important part of the campaign process; it gives the voters what they want, Garbacz said. It provides a fundamental relationship between the government and its citizens.
Garbacz said the internship and the paper were real eye-openers and she really values her experience.
"I realize how well my majors fit together. I'm really excited."
