UNH Today

Emeri Jacobs ’25 was only a few days into her experience as a legislative intern in the office of U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen this summer when she had her first “I’m really here” moment – watching from the gallery as Shaheen addressed the senate floor.

"That kind of brought me to reality a little bit and made me realize how cool this experience is,” she says.

What sunk in soon after was her desire to make sure it wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime situation.

Jacobs had a memorable and whirlwind summer – highlighted by the chance to hear world leaders and decision-makers speak at the NATO Summit in July – that may have pushed open the doors for a new career path.

A political science major from Hampton, New Hampshire, Jacobs entered college convinced she didn’t want to work for the government. But an enjoyable stint working on a local campaign for state Sen. Debra Altschiller during the 2022 midterm elections provided the first crack in that resistance, and her time in Sen. Shaheen’s office only further served to break it down.

“I didn’t realize how much I would love it. I found I really, really liked it, which is exciting because I’m seeing it as a potential place to come back to,” Jacobs says. “I can imagine myself staying in government, and I think if you told me that when I was a freshman, I would have laughed because I was very against it. But now I can really see it as a possibility.”

Jacobs got a crash course in the day-to-day operations of a congressional office and found the environment energizing. She worked alongside a lot of other young people, she says, opening her eyes to how much influence younger individuals can have in government settings.

She also developed an even stronger connection to New Hampshire despite the distance, as she spent a lot of time connecting with residents to discuss the issues that weight on their mind, and she also took part in an event called Experience New Hampshire, which put the spotlight on a variety of Granite State businesses.

“I’ve really learned what it takes to run a congressional office. There’s a big team working behind each senator and a lot of interesting stuff happening behind the scenes,” Jacobs says. “It’s also been really eye-opening to get on the phone with constituents and learn what people in New Hampshire care about. I spent a lot of time talking to state residents about the issues that are important to them. I feel more connected to New Hampshire than ever.”

No two days were exactly alike, but Jacobs did settle into something of a routine on the job. The first task of the day for the interns was always to read through news clips, to keep an eye on what was happening in the state and the country.

She also regularly took phone calls, and if staffers were unable to attend a hearing or a briefing, she or another intern would go in their place and write up a memo afterward. The intern team also managed emails, voicemails and faxes and picked up the mail for the office.

But she also got to work alongside Shaheen at times and see her make remarks, including at the NATO summit, which was another “highlight” for Jacobs.

Jacobs says her studies at UNH did a good job of preparing her for the internship opportunity. Classes like American politics and government and others focused on national security and comparative politics of the Middle East were particularly beneficial.

She also credited her professors with being overwhelmingly supportive, whether through writing a letter of recommendation or just giving her the encouragement and freedom to think creatively through problems in the classroom.

“It’s definitely a very independent environment. They prepare you to go and live and work on your own,” Jacobs says of UNH. “You have to kind of take the initiative, and I think UNH did a really good job of preparing me for a career.”

For the first time, Jacobs is considering that career in a government setting. Although she isn’t convinced she’d like to seek a career in an identical environment to her internship, it gave her an encouraging push in the right direction.

“It felt like a good place for me to get started, and while I’m not sure that my career will be on the hill, I think it’s a really good launching point,” she says.

Where her career will take her remains to be seen, but the biggest takeaway from her summer experience is to fully lean in when you find yourself in a fulfilling atmosphere.

“I’m actually having fun, and I’m not sure I’ve had a job before that I came to every day and thought, ‘this is fun.’ I think once you feel that way, you’ve found a comfortable spot for yourself,” Jacobs says. “So I am hoping (my career path) leads me back here.”