Hi! My name is Beth Villaruz (she/her). I’m a rising sophomore in the English department at Princeton, and I hope to pursue certificates in Humanistic Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies. On campus, I’m involved in student theater, College Democrats, Mock Trial, the Nassau Weekly, the James Madison Program, and First College Council.
I’m working at Veterans Campaign (VC) this summer as a Communications and Research Intern. I started working at VC through Princeton Internships in Civic Service. Veterans Campaign’s mission is to recruit and train veterans to run for public office, helping them begin a “Second Service” to their country through government. I am currently working remotely but will be working in-person in Washington, D.C. for the last week of the internship.
Another PICS intern and I handle the day-to-day social media of the organization. We work together to maintain a cohesive brand across all platforms and remain nonpartisan in our promotion of veteran candidates. We also conduct research to find trends in veterans running for office and in race outcomes where veterans are running against each other.
VC also collaborates with a Master’s program in Public Leadership (MAPL) at the University of San Francisco. MAPL is built to train veterans and others to run for office using the tools they already have. Throughout the summer, I have been writing posts for MAPL’s blog that feature alumni who have used what they learned in the program to further their careers and encourage other veterans to run for office. Being able to promote the work of people so dedicated to public service has been a fulfilling experience, and one that I am excited to continue for the next few weeks.
