MACON – Mercer University rising senior Michaela Tolliver was recently awarded a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Internship for this summer.
CBCF interns work in congressional offices and participate in professional development sessions to prepare them to become principled leaders, skilled policy analysts and informed advocates by exposing them to the processes that develop national policies and implement them, from Capitol Hill to federal field offices.
Tolliver, from Alpharetta, is an economics major with a law and public policy minor.
“I can’t wait to embark on this transformative journey preparing me to be a part of the next generation of global leaders,” said Tolliver. “I am excited to learn, grow and fully immerse myself in everything the internship has to offer, working towards my long-term goals. It is a dream come true!”
Tolliver has served as senior vice president of Delta Sigma Pi professional business fraternity and historian of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). She was president of Minorities in Business and chairwoman of the Iota Eta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Tolliver is also a member of Phi Eta Sigma national honor society and the Order of Omega honor society.
Last summer, she participated in a Mercer On Mission trip to Cape Town, South Africa, with the Stetson-Hatcher School of Business where students worked as business consultants for a non-profit social enterprise to better assist them on their mission to end chronic homelessness.
“I can say, unequivocally, that Michaela is the kind of person who will excel in public service,” said Dr. Benjamin Hoyt, assistant professor of political science. “As someone who has had the pleasure of working with Michaela, both on her application for the CBCF and in class, I’ve found her to be independently motivated, conscientious and strikingly well-prepared. These are the sorts of skills that pay dividends in our political process, and I’m sure Michaela will make a positive impact in D.C. this summer.”
Stephanie Howard, lecturer of marketing in the Stetson-Hatcher School of Business, said Tolliver is “the epitome of a Mercer Bear and is destined to make a great impact on the world.”
After graduation, Tolliver said she plans to attend law school. “I dream of having a career dedicated to improving the lives of others,” she said.
