Political Play
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
A recent OSU graduate shadowed some of Oklahoma’s political leaders this past spring
while taking part in her dream internship.
Laura Lopez, a native of Altus, Okla., spent the last semester of her collegiate
career serving as a communications intern for Gov. Mary Fallin at the state Capitol
in Oklahoma City.
Lopez, a public relations major, says her love for politics sparked her desire to
pursue the position at the Capitol.
“Growing up, I was always much more interested in politics and governmental affairs
than most of my friends and classmates were,” Lopez says. “Coming to study journalism
at OSU only increased that interest. I quickly found that the best way to get involved
with the field of politics would be to use my writing skills to my advantage.”
Some of Lopez’s duties included attending legislative sessions to take notes and
listen to the announced administration of bills, as well as writing press releases
about events at the Capitol. She also shadowed Meg Dubray, communications director
at the Capitol, while occasionally working with Fallin.
Lopez considers the letters she drafted for the governor as her most important contribution
as an intern. She outlined documents addressed to the Oklahoma Academy, the Peoria
Tribe and the audience at a National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum gala.
Lopez says writing in Fallin’s words was a challenge at first, but it eventually
became second nature to her.
“It’s not every day that you get to draft a letter for the governor of Oklahoma,”
Lopez says. “It was nerve-wracking at times, but my supervisor was great to work with
and was able to help me learn throughout the process.”
At OSU, Lopez built a strong set of leadership skills and academic achievements.
While at Oklahoma State, Lopez served on the Arts and Sciences Student Council, Student
Alumni Board and OSU Leadership Conference. She also was a member of the President’s
Partners and the OSU French Club.
Lopez earned spots on the Dean’s and President’s Honor Rolls as well as several different
scholarships.
Lopez’s accomplishments at OSU solidified her status as a determined, hard-working
leader. She also displayed impressive time management skills by becoming fluent in
Spanish in her spare time.
“The whole learning Spanish thing has actually become one of my most valuable assets,”
Lopez says. “I definitely feel like it’s something that will be able to help me in
my professional life.”
During her internship, Lopez also saw how valuable certain aspects of her education
at OSU were in a professional setting.
For instance, a political storm over gun control at the legislature gave her an opportunity
to face a real-life crisis and use the basics she learned at OSU, including crisis
management, government relations, and ethical guidelines.
Lopez plans to take the skills she’s developed to law school in Denver, where she’ll
work toward her dream of becoming a lawyer.
“I expect to work for more government organizations, and it’s possible that I’ll
try to intern at another state capitol,” says Lopez. “I know I’ve got a long way to
go before becoming a lawyer, but I’m ready to test the waters and be fully prepared
for my professional career.”
Story By Austin Chappell