Congressional internships allow students to learn the who's who of politics and see from inside how the political system operates, a local broadcast reporter, and former political intern, told UA students Friday.

For the second year, the University of Arizona held a luncheon honoring students who completed congressional interships and for those who were about to begin interships.

Savanah Guthrie, news anchor at KVOA-TV Channel 4, worked as an intern in Washington D.C. while she attended the UA. She said she learned professionalism and gained contacts from her internship.

"The internship forces you to use your brain and is a good way to figure out what you're interested in," Guthrie said. "You have an awful lot of opportunity to do good," she told the approximately 35 faculty and students who attended.

"The luncheon is to show students that we appreciate their role as public servants in the internship position," said Paki Rico, program coordinator for the UA's Office of Federal Relations.

Staff workers from the offices of Arizona representatives Jim Kolbe and Ed Pastor and senators John Kyl and John McCain showed up to thank student interns for the unpaid work they do. The students also received a certificate of recognition from the congressional offices.

The student congressional internship program is put together by the colleges of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Humanities, UA Office of Federal Relations and congressional delegation staff.

About 50 students per semester participate in the program, said Margaret Wilder, associate dean for administration and planning in SBS.

To become an intern, students apply at the congressional office of their choice. Students also need to get approval for the program from their adviser because most of the internships are for credit.

Most congressional offices prefer students in their junior year and with at least a 2.5 grade point average, Rico said.

Students gain a wide variety of exposure from the internship, she said. They work in the office, answering the phone and dealing with people, and sometimes attend events with their senator or representative.

Rico, who puts out a memo twice a year for the program, said she is trying to expand the program to more students and also to more federal agencies.

Students from any major can take part in the program. As a result, Wilder said, congressional offices are able to increase the ethnic and disciplinary diversity in their offices.

Most of the internships offered are for offices in Tucson, but there are some intern positions for UA students in Washington.

Matt Damiano, a political science and economics senior, is going to be continuing his local internship through the summer.

"The internship has cleared up my ideas on whether I want to work for the government in the future," he said.

Damiano got involved with the program to get some hands-on training.

"Any experience helps in today's job market," he said

Jennifer Bartley, a family studies senior, always had an interest in politics and said she got an inside view from participating in the program.

"I was able to see the efficiencies and inefficencies of the government," she said. "It is important to be educated about the issues going on."

Guthrie said, "The more knowledge you have, the more power you have."