With Final Exercises and graduation celebrations behind them, five students who interned with UVA’s Karsh Institute are preparing for what comes next.
Through their internships, these recent UVA graduates developed research, communication, and leadership skills while engaging directly with some of the most pressing questions facing democracy today.
Through their internships, they developed research, communication, and leadership skills while engaging directly with some of the most pressing questions facing democracy today.
For many, this internship experience also clarified future ambitions, from election law to health-care policy to other careers in public service. Just as important, they said, their time with the Karsh Institute reinforced the value of rigorous research and collaborating across difference.
In their own words, here’s what impacted them most during their internships—and how those experiences are shaping their future career paths.
CELIA CALHOUN
Batten, ’26
Research and Communications Intern
Student Representative, Karsh Institute Advisory Board (’25–’26)
Next year, I’ll be attending UVA School of Law, so I’m grateful to be remaining part of the UVA community. My focus is voting rights, election administration, and civil rights more broadly. I’d love eventually to work on major cases that shape democracy and representation in the United States.
Regardless of political perspective, people feel disappointed in how government and democracy are functioning for them. We can use this moment either as an opportunity to improve democratic systems and create institutions people feel represented by, or we can continue down a path where people become increasingly discouraged about democracy’s future.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of focusing not only on large-scale democratic issues, but also on the smaller institutional structures that support democracy. Strengthening the pillars of democracy can ultimately help address larger issues like polarization and distrust in government and media.
OLIVIA HAIMERL
Law, ’26
Research Intern
This summer, I'm studying for and taking the bar exam before heading to Washington, D.C. I'll be joining the law firm King & Spalding as an associate in the health care practice group, where I'll focus on Medicare reimbursement litigation and other health-related matters.
During my Karsh Institute internship, work on the 50 Constitutions project—a searchable database of state constitutions and their histories—was among the most meaningful projects. It gave me a sense of the collaborative energy that drives impactful research, and it gave me a chance to work on a large-scale research endeavor spanning multiple universities, collaborating with librarians and research faculty across institutions on how best to approach historical research.
That experience left me with a deep appreciation for the Maine constitution, including its historical background, how constitutional amendments are created and passed, and the vital importance of accessible, people-centered information about the constitutional process in every state.
HUNTER HOLDEN
College, ’26
Communications and Marketing Intern
After graduation, I am working as a paralegal or researcher for a year or two before going to law school to focus on Middle Eastern policy, eventually working with governments, nonprofits, private organizations, and international leaders. I’m interested in the intersection of collaboration and diplomacy, and in helping address some of the world’s largest problems.
The mission of the Karsh Institute resonated with me deeply during my internship. The emphasis on collaboration, bringing people together, building understanding, and breaking down barriers across political divides—I think those ideas are incredibly important, especially for the kind of work I hope to do in the future.
Respect, understanding, and collaboration are essential if you want to improve the world in any meaningful way, and I think the Karsh Institute embodies those values.
ZOE SHOOK
College, ’26
Research Intern
I will continue to work on the 50 Constitutions project through the summer, followed by a gap year before applying to law school. I’d like to work in Washington, D.C., doing policy or consulting work connected to national politics.
A lot of that interest grew out of my experience working on the gubernatorial campaign for Abigail Spanberger [now the Virginia governor], where I helped research state politicians and analyzed county-by-county voting demographics.
That connected closely to my work on the Karsh Institute’s Virginia Local News Ecosystem Study where I delved into demographics around media consumption. One of my favorite parts was examining what kinds of news people were consuming across the Commonwealth. It was exciting to see how research could translate into tangible civic impact.
I was also a researcher on the 50 Constitutions project, which taught me that small language changes matter greatly in law. For example, one amendment changed Virginia’s legislative system from a majority to a plurality structure through only a few wording adjustments. Experiences like that have reinforced how consequential precise legal language can be.
FAITH WINDBIGLER
Batten, ’26
Civic Cornerstone Fellowship Intern
I am moving to Vienna, Austria, on the Fulbright Community-Based Combined Award. In Vienna, I will be teaching English at a business high school and working at the prison-education nonprofit Richtungswechsel (meaning “Change of Direction”), which works to reduce recidivism by improving prison officer training and localizing juvenile corrections. After that, I plan to work for a few years before attending law school.
During my internship, the conversations that most impacted me came when we solicited student feedback about the Civic Cornerstone Fellowship (CCF), a program that brings together students from across perspectives to discuss issues pertaining to the American political landscape.
Student feedback included many positives, but the most impactful was the repeated theme that CCF gave the fellows hope. In our chaotic modern world, hope can feel hard to come by. The fact that a program I helped improve could be a source of that hope made every hour feel worth it.