PATRICK MARTIN
policy
The National Credit Union Administration
Summer 2019
In the summer of 2019, I interned as a Financial Analyst at the National Credit Union Administration, in Alexandria, Virginia. I worked in the Office of Examinations and Insurance, the branch in charge of administering the audits of all member credit unions. I got to see firsthand the inner workings of this federal financial regulatory agency, and was able to learn a lot about my career plans by talking with several of their economists.
Living in Washington D.C. during this internship was a dream come true - I still have the flight ticket pinned to my wall. During my time there, I took advantage of almost every museum I could gain admittance to, and took advantage of opportunities to join representatives from my agency in meetings with partner agencies. I had the pleasure of attending a research presentation from the Federal Reserve of St. Louis and Federal Housing Finance Agency, as well as a conference with all federal regulatory agencies.
I was tasked with developing a project management framework for use in the ongoing development of a mission-critical, living central document. I used advanced Excel functions to complete this, and learned a lot about the auditing process along the way.
The Torchlight
Campus Policy Center
In the fall of 2019, I founded one of the nation's only student-led campus-level think tanks. With previous experience in two think tanks and my experience in federal government, I observed that there is an unfulfilled niche on the college campus that think tanks occupy in our national space. All the same functions of think tanks - policy evaluation, data analysis and publication, and so on - can be done with a student government and a student team.
I was lucky to be joined by multiple passionate and dedicated students to help lead the organization. Over 30 students have lent their time, energy, and expertise to our cause, from incoming freshmen to graduate students.
Koch Internship
Program
For the summer of 2018, I was selected to participate in the Koch Internship Program. I was placed with their partner organization, the James Madison Institute in Tallahassee, Florida.
The Koch Internship Program offers its participants unparalleled professional development experience, such as an in-depth education in Market-Based-Management, developing a growth mindset, and principled social change.
About the James Madison Institute
The James Madison Institute is a free-market oriented think tank in Tallahassee, Florida. It was founded in 1997 by J. Stanley Marshall, a former president of Florida State University.
The James Madison Institute seeks to advance public policy solutions that provide the citizens of Florida greater access to economic opportunities in pursuit of the lives they desire.
The JMI couples academically-sound research with outreach programs to encourage the public to appreciate and demand higher ideals in policy and politics.
At the JMI, I serve as a Policy Intern. The experience I've had here has opened my eyes to the libertarian perspective and I am proud to spend time with this group of hardworking people.
