The Capital Fellows Program at Sacramento State was recently named by the Career Intelligence Vault as one of 2010’s top 10 internships in the United States.

Capital Fellows is put on by the Center for California Studies at Sac State and is an internship that gives graduates experience working in state government.

Tim Hodson, the program’s executive director, said the honor of being one of the best internships in the country is an honor to him and everybody involved with Capital Fellows.

“It is a testimony to the quality of the fellows &- what they have accomplished and the quality of the staff and the various individuals who have worked for the center and the programs over the years,” Hodson said.

Maria Abesa is an alumna from UCLA with a bachelor’s in political science. She is in the judicial administration fellowship, which is the only one of the Capital Fellows Program that is based in counties throughout the state, rather than just Sacramento.

Abesa said she is not surprised by Vault’s recognition of the program. She said the staff works very hard to keep the program running.

“The program directors and the placements hosting the fellows are sensitive to our needs, and the emphasis is on educating the fellow and accommodating their specific interests,” Abesa said. “It’s pretty clear to me that Capital Fellows can certainly hold its own against any other internship from both the public and private sectors.”

Raul DeLaRosa is an alumnus from San Jose State University who has been in the Executive Fellowship program since November, where he works for a renewable energy team as a fellow.

“I think the Capitol Fellows being in the top 10 reflects the hard work that the staff has put into creating a comprehensive experience, and the success former fellows have had in their lives as a result of hard work and applying what they’ve learned from the program,” DeLaRosa said.

The Capital Fellows is a year-long program that is open to all four-year graduates from various campuses across California.

There are a total of 64 fellows in the program: 18 each from the Assembly, executive and Senate programs, and 10 from the judicial administrative program.

Fellows get paid $1,972 a month, in addition to receiving academic credit, health, dental and vision benefits.

Hodson said to become a fellow, the applicant must have a bachelor’s degree in any major, be at least 20 years old and a graduate of a university or four-year college.

“It’s full-time for almost a year, thus giving our fellows the opportunity to become very familiar with state government,” Hodson said. “Most government/public service internships are part-time for a single quarter or semester. It’s the difference between experiencing Mexico through a week in Cabo San Lucas vs. a year in Mexico City.”

Max Carter-Oberstone is a 2007 graduate of Georgetown University where he double-majored in finance and French. It is his responsibility in the Senate Fellowship to help write bills, and assist the initiatives through the legislative process.

“You start right off the bat with a job it takes most people years to get,” Carter-Oberstone said. “I think that’s what really makes this a unique and special opportunity. There’s no other way to replicate this experience straight out of college.”

Mark Grisby, director of the Executive Fellowship program, said one of the best ways to get in the program is to show enthusiasm for public service.

“You should definitely show some interest in public service. It doesn’t mean you have to have worked in a government agency or volunteered on a political campaign &- you could have just volunteered through a nonprofit,” Grisby said.

Donna Hoenig-Couch, director of the Judicial Administration Fellowship, said the program is very competitive, but does not think that should discourage students from participating.

“What makes us unique is that California itself is unique, and we are known as the bellwether state, and certainly are known for the kinds of changes that occur nationwide,” Hoenig-Couch said.

Ravi Patel is a UC Berkeley alumnus who is in the Judicial Fellowship. He is now working at the Placer County Superior Court in Roseville.

“The fellowship has been an amazing experience,” Patel said. “I think, like most people, prior to the fellowship I had no idea how complex and different courts were and the directors of the program really make it a priority to give us a deep experience.”

Abesa thinks one of the reasons the program gives graduates a great experience in government is simply being in California.

“The program gives fellows firsthand experience in governing the most robust state in the country,” she said. “The state faces a plethora of issues &- environmental concerns, rapid demographic changes, budget crunches, rising unemployment rates, prison overcrowding, educational crises, you name it &- and yet it remains a major force in United States and in the world.”

Hodson said this achievement is also notable because of what the recognition means to the CSU system.

“I think that too often both the CSU and CSUS are underrated, often by academic snobs who assume anything good must come from a UC or a private (school),” Hodson said. “Having a CSU-based program ranked nationally is a powerful indication of what the CSU and this campus is capable of achieving.”

Sean Keister can be reached at [email protected]