Hello! My name is Leo Corrales and I’m a senior Politics major. For this internship experience I’ve been able to assist with the Western Watershed Project’s goal of decreasing cattle grazing in the West through the Voluntary Grazing Permit Retirement Act. This act looks to pay ranchers in exchange for their voluntary retirement of 
grazing allotments on federal lands in the Western United States. I’ve helped take notes for a number of Grazing Coalition meetings where WWP and other conservation groups meet to talk strategy on how to best implement this Act, and what other issues the coalition seeks to address. In my work I have also been able to take old fact sheets and renew them with new information, photos, and layout to better serve the lobbying efforts of the organization. The entirety of this experience has been wonderful as I’ve been able to apply my Whitman skills of critical thinking, writing, and strategizing with my personal fascination with Western resource politics. I’m able to not only think critically about these issues, but also able to engage hands on with the organizations that align with my values. My supervisor and other members of the Western Watersheds Project have been easy to work with and responsive to my other academic responsibilities. Overall I’ve enjoyed this internship greatly, and it’s helped me further my interest in environmental conservation work in the future.
Experiences like Leo’s are made possible by the Whitman Internship Grant, which provides funding for students to participate in unpaid internships at nonprofit, some for-profit, and government organizations. We are happy to be sharing blog posts from students who were supported by either a summer, fall, spring, or year-long grants at organizations, businesses, and research labs all around the world. To learn how you could secure a Whitman Internship Grant or host a Whitman intern at your organization, send an email to Assistant Director for Internship Programs, Mitzy Rodriguez