4 ASU Next Generation Service Corps members receive cash awards from Volcker Alliance

Funds will help students meet expenses at summer public service internships

Exterior of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Photo by Wenhan Chang/Pixabay

By Mark J. Scarp |
June 14, 2022

Students who accept internships do so primarily for the experience, even when the job pays little, or sometimes, nothing. Still, the students need to eat, pay rent and cover other costs while interning.

Summer public service internships for four Arizona State University students, members of the Next Generation Service Corps, will be supported by grants from an award presented by the Volcker Alliance, which is scaling NGSC initiatives across the nation and using ASU’s program as its flagship model.

Today, the service corps has 13 member universities, including ASU, on campuses across the country, from Seattle to New York City.

The ASU students, recipients of the Paul A. Volcker Government Internship Award, will each receive $3,000 to help meet expenses associated with their otherwise unpaid or low-paying summer internships. Internships must last at least eight weeks with at least 30 hours of work per week.

The award’s objective is to help acquaint students with careers in public service by allowing them, as Next Generation Service Corps members, to gain abilities to improve how they serve the public locally and nationally.

“We are incredibly proud and supportive of our NGSC students receiving this inaugural award. Those selected are representative of extensive and extraordinary contributions to public service,” said Cindy Parnell, chief of public service for ASU’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.

Portrait of Cindy Parnell, chief of public service at ASU's Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.

Cindy Parnell, chief of public service at ASU's Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. Photo courtesy Cindy Parnell

“Each embodies serving the greater good, and acts for causes they are most passionate about. At ASU and in the NGSC program, we are producing clear examples of young talent entering public service careers.”

The award and the alliance are named for Volcker, who worked in the federal government for almost 30 years, culminating in two terms as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from 1979 to 1987. In the early 1970s, Volcker served as undersecretary of the treasury for monetary affairs.

In 2013, he founded the Volcker Alliance, a nonprofit with a mission to empower the public sector workforce to solve the challenges facing the nation. Volcker passed away in December 2019.

Meet the 2022 recipients and learn about where they plan to be working as summer interns:

• Morgan Beaven just finished his freshman year, expecting to graduate in May 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in public service and public policy with a certificate in nonprofit leadership and management from the School of Public Affairs. His internship is with the Office of the 7th Council District, city of Phoenix.

• Tyler Haggerty just completed his junior year, expecting to graduate in May 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in public service and public policy from the School of Public Affairs. His internship is with the office of U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn.

• Nathan Jayanthan just completed his sophomore year, expecting to graduate in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science (software engineering) from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. His internship is with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California.

• Brianna Stinsman graduated in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in global studies from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Her internship is with the Congressional Research Service’s (CRS) USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship. She will be working in the CRS’ Asia section of the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defense division.