Major: Political Science
Minor: Law and Business
Hometown: Loveland, Colorado
Grace grew up in Colorado and then moved to Nebraska to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
She initially pursued an advertising and public relations degree as a first-year student. But in the fall of her sophomore year, Grace switched to a political science major, with a law and business minor, to better align with her goal of going to law school.
When not in the classroom, she enjoys keeping busy in a variety of ways. "I am involved in the Salt Company, which is a college ministry connected to Citylight Lincoln Church, and I currently work at the Tazza coffee shops on campus," Grace shared.
For her spring 2025 spring internship, she chose to apply at the lobbying firm, Jensen Rogert Associates, as she was interested in interning in the capital. Her duties as a Legislative Intern included attending public hearings on bills, taking notes of proceedings, delivering items to the offices of state senators, and attending meetings on policy objectives and strategies.
"My job entailed sitting in on the legislative bill hearings that best correlated to my boss's clients represented and transcribing the hearing to then send to my boss," Grace said. "My boss was often in many places at once, so it was helpful for him to have me and my other coworkers be able to relay information back to him."
On her very first day, Grace had an especially impactful learning moment.
"I was in the Health and Human Services Committee hearing, and the bills being discussed included reallocating stamp taxes for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence cases. Several women went up and testified, most of whom ended up in tears over their experience, and they urged the committee to vote the bill into a general file," Grace recounted. "I knew I was going to enjoy my job due to the impact the bills being discussed would have on people in their everyday lives."
She also valued the opportunity to learn about a wide range of things, and added that the time she spent in the Revenue Committee was particularly illuminating.
"I had to listen intently to each word both the senators were saying as well as the testifiers, so I quickly learned it was going to be an educational job," Grace said. "I truly had never put much thought into how states allocate their funds and how impactful it is for a legislature to make decisions that will benefit not only the larger cities in Nebraska, but greater Nebraska as well."
Grace is grateful that this experiential learning experience helped her narrow down what path she may pursue next in life. She discovered that she was not interested in becoming a politician, but that she would consider a career providing legal counsel or aid to senators.
"After undergrad, I plan on attending law school. This internship helped me tremendously with both opening new avenues through networking and showing me what I do not want to do," Grace said. "Overall, this job was an amazing opportunity to be a small part of something that affects so many people."
