By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com

SANTA FE — Think New Mexico is again welcoming college and graduate students to participate in its paid Leadership Internship program this summer.

Think New Mexico is a nonpartisan think tank and also a leadership development organization that works to train students in how to develop and enact sound public policy. Its goal is to retain a new generation of potential leaders in New Mexico by showing them how they can make a difference here in their home state. The interns have the opportunity to meet with Think New Mexico board members and leaders in state government, as well as to assist Think New Mexico’s staff in researching and developing policy proposals.

Think New Mexico Board Secretary Liddie Martinez joined several of this year’s Leadership Interns for a special luncheon on July 8 at La Fonda in Santa Fe and shared her impression.

“I am more impressed year after year with the amazing talent our interns bring to the table,” Martinez said. “The research they conduct is critical to our success and we are fortunate to have such brilliant young leaders on our team!”

Think New Mexico Associate Director and Leadership Internship Supervisor Kristina Fisher also joined the interns for lunch. She spoke about the importance of the leadership development program.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with these impressive young leaders, and we hope that their internships with Think New Mexico will inspire them to pursue careers in New Mexico policy and politics,” Fisher said.

This year’s interns include:

• Jay Choate is earning an MA in Government and an MPA from New Mexico State University. Jay serves as Vice President of the NMSU Graduate Student Council and previously interned with the City of Las Cruces.
• Ryn Delgado grew up in El Rancho and Los Alamos and is earning her MA from Humboldt University in Berlin. A National Hispanic Scholar, she received a Davis Scholarship to attend Mahindra United World College India. During her time in the first co-ed class of Deep Springs College, Ryn was the first female student body president.
• Ella Hutchinson grew up in Las Cruces where she served on the Student Advisory Council for the Las Cruces Public School District. She is graduating with her BA in Liberal Arts from St. Johns College in Santa Fe.
• Camille Kruger grew up in Santa Fe and is earning her BA in Public Policy from the University of Chicago where she is serving as a research assistant on housing policy. She was selected as a Davis Scholar at United World College in Montezuma.
• Lynsey Pinto grew up in Ojo Amarillo, a small community in the Navajo Nation, earned her BS in Public Health at UNM and is now pursuing her MS in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She previously worked for the New Mexico Department of Health.
• Cole Washburn grew up in Albuquerque and is graduating with a BA in English from the University of Chicago, where he was a founding member of the Indigenous Student Association. In 2024 he was selected for a Udall Foundation Native American Congressional Internship.
• Finally, Lauren Leland, Think New Mexico’s Health Policy Fellow, grew up in Albuquerque and earned her BA in Mathematics and Rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley. Lauren was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, and she served as Field Director for State Senator Martin Hickey. Lauren interned with Think New Mexico before being hired full time.

Applicants considered for the Leadership Internship have good research, computer, and communications skills, an interest in public policy, and the willingness to work on a variety of different tasks – some more interesting than others – as a part of a team. Strong preference is given to applicants who have some background in New Mexico. Applications for the summer program are due toward the end of March each year.

The internship program is extremely competitive, with 4-5 students applying for each available position. Think New Mexico strives to accommodate as many qualified students as possible, so summer internships are generally about six weeks long in order to allow more students to participate.

Alumni of the Leadership Internship program are already making positive impacts on New Mexico (and the world). Of the students Think New Mexico has worked with since 2008, four have earned Truman Scholarships, six have received Fulbright Fellowships, and one has received a Marshall Scholarship. One former intern produced a widely acclaimed documentary on preventing child abuse and neglect in New Mexico, and two went on to work for Sen. Tom Udall’s Las Cruces district office. Six of the former interns have worked as budget and policy analysts with the Legislative Finance Committee, five have gone to work for other New Mexico state agencies, and one was elected to the New Mexico state Senate.

About Think New Mexico

Think New Mexico was founded 26 years ago and is headquartered in the historic Greer House at 505 Don Gaspar in Santa Fe. Think New Mexico is a results-oriented think tank whose mission is to improve the lives of all New Mexicans, especially those who lack a strong voice in the political process. We fulfill this mission by educating the public, the media, and policymakers about some of the most serious challenges facing New Mexico and by developing and advocating for enduring, effective, evidence-based solutions. Its approach is to perform and publish sound, nonpartisan, independent research. Unlike many think tanks, Think New Mexico does not subscribe to any particular ideology. Instead, because New Mexico is at or near the bottom of so many national rankings, its focus is on promoting workable solutions that will lift all New Mexicans up. To learn more, visit thinknewmexico.org.