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Austin Evans is one of five UNM students who will get to spend the fall semester in Washington D.C. as a congressional intern.
Evans, a fourth-year English major with an emphasis in pre-law, applied for the Fred Harris Congressional Internship Program through the political science department because of his interest in politics.
The program has a competitive applications process, requiring applicants to have a minimum 3.0 GPA and a minimum of 60 earned credit hours.
The $4,000 housing costs are paid by the $5,000 grant provided through the program. The 12 hours of UNM credits interns can earn through the program cost the same as UNM’s on-campus courses.
Evans said he applied to the internship program on an impulse.
Evans will work in a New Mexico delegate’s office Monday through Thursday and take classes on Fridays.
“I applied on a whim and I’m still kind of pinching myself that I was accepted,” Evans said. “It’s going to be a great opportunity because I know people who have gone through the program and were granted jobs right after their internships. I’m hoping something great will come out of it.”
Evans said he thinks he was chosen because he expressed interest in LGBTQ rights and issues on his application. He said he made it clear that he wanted to work on policies to support LGBTQ health issues like HIV and AIDS.
“It was really affirming for me to know that if that’s what I talked about on my application then that’s something they know I would like to work on,” Evans said. “It was really affirming to know that they knew I was gay and that I wanted to work on gay issues, so that’s just really exciting.”
The Santa Fe native said he can see himself attending law school after graduation, which will allow him to work on civil rights issues.
“I love New Mexico,” Evans said. “If I were to go to law school, I hope to one day practice law in Santa Fe because I’m interested in environmental, immigration, LGBTQ, and civil rights issues.”
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This year, Evans became the co-president for UNM’s Queer Straight Alliance, which allowed him to help the organization find donations and sponsorships for the annual fall drag show. He said finding a community to belong to on campus is crucial for academic and social success.
“You have to put yourself out there,” Evans said. “I read this metaphor today that a ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are for.”
Evans has been involved with QSA since he was a sophomore in college. He said living in the dorms encouraged him to participate in campus activities.
“You can find your niche here and I found my really quickly and I feel really lucky,” Evans said. “Whether you’re queer, questioning, or straight, QSA is a great place for that, but there are so many clubs and organizations on campus that there’s a place for everyone.”
