Sara Shannon with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Sara Shannon
Ottawa, Kan.
Senior, political science
“The Honors development grant helped with the high cost of living in Washington, D.C., and my transportation costs, not to mention business attire.”
Last fall, as people across the country tuned in to the presidential debates, Sara Shannon was hard at work with Obama for America as a deputy field organizer in the battleground state of Missouri.
As a full-time employee for the Obama campaign, she recruited and organized volunteers. After the election, she was hired to work for President Barack Obama’s inaugural committee, organizing service activities for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Shannon was asked to join the campaign after completing an internship as a speechwriter’s assistant in the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Her work with Obama was based on her internship with Reid — which was supported in part by a development grant from the KU Honors Program, funded by KU Endowment’s Greater KU Fund.
“The Senate internship made me realize how important it was to get hands-on experience in an important political year,” she said.
Honors students like Shannon are required to have at least one extended out-of-classroom learning experience.
Honors Program development grants support study abroad, research and creative projects, internships, and service projects. Such opportunities sometimes require extra funding.
“We want these experiences to be rewarding,” said Sarah Crawford-Parker, associate director for the Honors Program. “The development grants can give students the chance for an extraordinary experience.”