Written By | Ruth Hartje

Growing at the State House

Since 1972, Ball State University has provided a talent pipeline to the Indiana Statehouse, helping students secure internships that connect their academic experiences with professional development, public service, and future careers.

The Ball State Legislative Internship Program, recently named in honor of Tad “Doc” Perry and Mike McDaniel, began after state Sen. Phil Gutman approached Ball State’s political science faculty about creating student internships at the Statehouse. Roger Hollands led the program during its first year, and Dr. Perry managed it through the 1970s.

“My approach to teaching and engaging students was that you worked with the students, not only in the classroom. You work with them holistically,” Dr. Perry said.

That philosophy anticipated Ball State’s continuing emphasis on Immersive Learning. Dr. Perry said the internship program was providing students with those kinds of experiences decades before Immersive Learning became a defining part of the University’s educational approach.

“One of the things that’s important with Ball State is that we have a focus on immersion in education,” he said. “When I think about it, though, that’s what we were doing back in the ’70s when we started the intern program. This was one of those things on the front end of Ball State becoming that kind of institution.”

The program gives Ball State students firsthand experience in state government while preparing them to represent the University in a professional setting.

“One of the things that was always so important was getting them to understand that they’re the face of the University when they are in Indianapolis,” Dr. Perry said. “The students who went through those intern programs, either on the administrative side or the legislative side, were prepared to make public service contributions to the state.”

For former intern Devon Humphery, ’25, MA ’26, the experience helped lead to his current work as an intern in the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. Humphery entered the Statehouse program after changing his major from acting to general studies and was still considering what he wanted to do professionally.

“I went into that internship having just made a major change, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Humphery said. “The internship exposed me to the frontiers of so many industries in ways that very few opportunities can. It’s been life-changing.”

Ball State Trustee Mike McDaniel, ’73 MPA ’79, also credits the program with opening career opportunities he had never expected.

“The intern program led me to opportunities that I never thought I would have, which eventually led to a career in politics and government,” Trustee McDaniel said.

McDaniel later helped select interns for several years, giving him another perspective on the program’s influence.

“That opportunity led me to meet some of the greatest young people I’ve ever met who went on, because of their internships, to do great things,” he said. “To this day, I have legislators who have told me about the importance of the Ball State interns and how good they are. We continue to supply good people to them, and we want to keep that legacy going as long as we can at Ball State.”

Ball State Trustee Julie Griffith, ’79, participated in the Legislative Internship Program as a student and said the experience changed the direction of her life and career.

“I think that internship and the people I met along the way and the work that I did absolutely changed everything about my life and my career,” Trustee Griffith said. “It’s just been amazing, the network that was created all those years ago and the impact it still has today.”

Recent graduate Frank Diaz Morales, ’26, participated in the program as a social work major. Interested in policy and nonprofit organizing, he worked full time as a legislative assistant to three state representatives.

“I think the Statehouse is an important place for a social worker to belong,” Diaz Morales said. “Being able to use my experience in my career has been incredible.”

Those generations of interns and their accomplishments have strengthened Ball State’s presence in public policy and public affairs across Indiana, Dr. Perry said.

“The legacy of getting that internship program started in the ’70s set a solid foundation.”

Laying the Foundation

The program continues to build on that foundation through networking events that connect current students with alumni and supporters. Becca Rice, vice president for governmental relations and industry engagement at Ball State, said those relationships are among the program’s most valuable benefits.

“We invite those who had a relationship with the program—some went through the program; some worked with a great intern from the program,” Rice said. “When our students are in the Indiana Statehouse, they have the opportunity to network in a way that is unavailable in any other place.”

Humphery said alumni and supporters helped him see possibilities beyond the internship itself.

“More than anything, I’ve been impacted by alumni and supporters who have talked with me, shared their wisdom, and encouraged us as we figured out our paths.”

The program’s history and impact have also inspired philanthropic support.

In 2023, the Legislative Internship Program Endowment Fund was established to provide ongoing, sustainable support for the program and its students. Soon afterward, a group of donors worked together to jump-start progress toward the fund’s $2 million goal.

“People have been generous,” Dr. Perry said.

Trustee McDaniel said a significant portion of the goal has been raised, although more work remains.

“We’re going to keep working to reach that $2 million goal,” he said. “We feel good about the incredible start with that, but we still have some work to do. That’s going to be transformative for some Ball State students down the road, just like it was for me and others, because it was truly a life-changing experience.”

For more than five decades, the Ball State Legislative Internship Program has connected students with public service, professional mentors, and career opportunities while strengthening Indiana’s talent pipeline.

For more information about the program, contact Chief Advancement Officer Mark Helmus at dmhelmus@bsu.edu or Vice President for Governmental Relations and Industry Engagement Becca Rice at rapolcz@bsu.edu.

Hear more stories of philanthropy, community, and Cardinal pride on the 2025-2026 Foundation Annual Report.