All it took was one campaign video of an animated, dancing George Washington for UTC student Tim Henshaw to win over his peers and become governor of the Intern Legislative Assembly. Henshaw worked in Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson’s office as part of the Tennessee Legislative Internship Program.
“I got to meet and make friends with tons of new people that I’m sure will be life-long friends and allies for making government work the best way that it can for citizens of this state, which is really what I’m all about,” Henshaw said. “Everyday I learned something new about state government and the political process.”
The General Assembly has 100 legislative interns working in various committees, leadership offices and in other legislative roles during the 2011 session. Each year, interns from the across the state compete for the top offices in mock legislative session, including the positions of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House.
“Running for governor was a decision I made about a couple of weeks into the internship. I had made some friends by that point and really got along well with almost everyone,” he said.
As governor, Henshaw led meetings of the Intern Legislative Assembly, often passing and vetoing bills.
“The whole process was a blast and it culminated in a mock legislature that was good fun for everyone,” he said.
Henshaw will graduate from UTC in May 2012 with a degree in Political Science with a Legal Studies concentration.
“As far as my future plans go, I want to go to law school and become a community activist. I want to be on the ground solving problems proactively. Education is key, opportunity is key, and true civic engagement and understanding is key, he said.
Watch one of Henshaw’s campaign videos below.
