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Dominic Harkness set his sights on a highly competitive New York State Senate Internship after learning about the opportunity during his second semester at Russell Sage College. He’s achieved his goal and is spending his final college semester in the office of State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, who represents District 23, including the North Shore of Staten Island and southern Brooklyn.
A History major from Morrisonville, New York, Harkness credits the encouragement of Professor Harvey Strum and coursework that strengthened his writing with helping him stand out for the selective internship.
Keep reading to learn more about his internship and how Sage prepared him.
How did you learn about the state legislature internship, and what set you apart in the selection process?
I first became aware of this internship opportunity during my second semester of my freshman year at Sage. I had just changed my major from psychology to history, and during my first class with Professor Strum, he mentioned the program. From there, I was convinced this was something I eventually wanted to do.
The application process has multiple writing requirements, which is where I feel like I stood out. Being a History major, I have been given the opportunity to constantly improve my writing ability, and I consider myself a strong writer. Other than that, I was a student-athlete on the track and soccer teams at Sage, and I’ve also noticed that many of my fellow interns hold or have previously held leadership positions on their campuses and in student government. I would say the more campus involvement, the better.
What are your responsibilities?
Every office is different from one another, so responsibilities will vary. I happened to get placed in one of the busier offices, so my responsibilities tend to be more than some of my peers. My responsibilities include, but are not limited to, preparing a daily legislative report for my assigned Senator, which consists of co-sponsorship requests and memos of support or opposition we have received; note-taking at advocacy and constituent meetings; writing and preparing sponsorship and co-sponsorship memos; and preparing and sending out lists of recently returning veterans to each Senator. My Senator is the chair of the Veterans Committee.
How has your coursework and/or other experiences at Russell Sage prepared you to succeed in your internship?
I feel as though the general knowledge regarding government and how the federal and state governments interact has given me a good foundation for this internship. Having a good foundation of professionalism is important, as well. Additionally, this internship involves interacting with lots of people from very diverse backgrounds. I feel as though college in general has made me more self-confident and extroverted, which has been beneficial through these interactions.
What would you like to do after you graduate?
My plan after graduation is to eventually go on and get my Ph.D. in History. My dream is to become a leading modern historian, identifying historical trends that have created the world as we know it. I like my work at the State Senate, so I hope to continue working here while I complete an online or part-time master’s program before moving on to my Ph.D.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
The last thing I would like to add is my commendation of Professor Strum. Professor Strum is deeply passionate about history and has helped me immensely throughout my college journey. He has been wonderful, and I don’t think I would be where I am without his guidance.