Island University Student Helps Shape Inaugural TAMUS D.C. Internship Program
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – When Miranda Martinez ’25 received an email about a new Washington, D.C., internship through the Texas A&M University System, she nearly deleted it.
“It just seemed too good to be true,” she said. “Fully funded, working in D.C., living blocks from the Capitol. But then I saw it was from the A&M System, and everything changed.”
Martinez, a senior history major at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, would soon find herself not only accepted into the program, but also helping to shape its future.
In fall 2024, Martinez joined the inaugural cohort of the Texas A&M System’s Public Policy Scholars Program (PPSP), designed to connect students from A&M campuses across the state with hands-on experience in federal policy, public service, and leadership in the nation’s capital. She was the only student selected from the Island University.
“I felt a responsibility to represent Corpus Christi well,” she said. “It was the first time this program was happening, and I wanted to make sure they’d want Islanders there again.”
Martinez interned with the Texas A&M System Office of Federal Relations, the team that serves as the university system’s voice in Washington. Her work included monitoring congressional hearings, assisting with research, and contributing to legislative materials tied to higher education funding and research priorities.
“I learned so much about how things actually work in D.C. — appropriations, policy development, committee hearings,” she said. “You see the inner workings, and suddenly it all makes sense.”
She also sat in on briefings and met with leaders from across the A&M System and beyond. One standout experience was a meeting with Greg Winfree, former Assistant Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology at the U.S. Department of Transportation and current director of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
“He spoke with such clarity and purpose,” she said. “That moment helped me see what’s possible with a law degree and public service experience.”
Outside the office, Martinez and her fellow interns, more than a dozen from across the A&M System, shared housing in a neighborhood just east of Capitol Hill. The group forged close bonds, especially the seven women who lived together in a 1,700-square-foot rowhouse.
“We were from all different backgrounds and majors — engineering, business, agriculture, history,” she said. “But we supported each other through everything.”
With plans to attend law school, her time in Washington left a lasting impression.
“This program opened doors I didn’t know existed,” she said. “It’s helped shape how I think about my future and what kind of impact I want to have. Just being able to say I lived and worked in D.C. is something I never imagined. I come from a working-class family. This kind of opportunity — fully funded — is life-changing.”
The second PPSP cohort is now preparing for its semester in the nation’s capital. Among them, James Gasiorowski ‘26, an Island University political science senior from Pearland, Texas. Like Martinez before him, Gasiorowski also believed the opportunity to live and work in Washington, D.C. seemed almost too good to be true.
“A friend sent me a reel on Instagram,” Gasiorowski said. “It showed students interning in D.C., getting academic credit and housing. I thought, ‘Is this real?’”
After verifying the program through the Texas A&M System’s website and connecting with program coordinator James Palacios, Gasiorowski applied just days before the deadline.
“It all moved quickly,” Gasiorowski said. “But I knew I didn’t want to pass it up.”
Though he’s never been to D.C., Gasiorowski is already researching Metro maps and planning walking routes from his apartment, just minutes from the Pentagon. His hope is to be placed with a committee on Capitol Hill, preferably Foreign Affairs or Homeland Security.
“I want to be close to where the big conversations are happening,” Gasiorowski said.
He’s also balancing his coursework, taking two classes through the PPSP and another online to stay on track for graduation. Martinez also offered helpful advice during a phone call before he applied.
“She told me what to expect,” Gasiorowski said. “From how course credit works to how to find groceries.”
While he’s not sure where his experience will lead long term, Gasiorowski is clear on one thing.
“It’s a chance to see government in action,” Gasiorowski said. “I want to understand how things work, not just from a textbook, but from the inside.”
A third Island University student, Shaelye Bowser ’26, a junior from Corpus Christi, Texas, studying criminal justice, was picked for the Spring 2026 cohort.
Students interested in the PPSP can find more information at ppip.tamu.edu/become-a-dc-scholar/index.html.
