Politics & Government

College Students from Woodbury Intern in Sen. Franken's Office

The trio hails from New Life Academy, Woodbury High School and East Ridge High School.

Three college students from Woodbury spent this past summer working as interns in U.S. Sen. Al Franken's Minnesota office in St. Paul.  

Marc Patnode, , and David Nemetz all “say the experience allowed them to experience the inner workings of a U.S. Senate Office and heightened their interest in public service,” according to a release.

Patnode, the son of Cathy and Gregg Patnode of Woodbury, attended in Woodbury. He is currently a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, where he is studying political science and Spanish and Portuguese studies.

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“Working in Senator Franken's office has helped me see first-hand that public service is about helping people," Patnode said in the release. "It was cool to see how much real and genuine good can come from a government office.”

Preska, daughter of Kathleen and Will Preska of Woodbury, attended in Woodbury. She is currently a sophomore studying business and English at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

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“I learned first-hand about the importance of developing strong writing skills and that those skills are crucial in the workplace no matter what position one is in," Preska said in the release. "Almost every task I had during my internship depended on my writing skills.”

Nemetz, the son of Gloria and Edward Nemetz of Woodbury, attended . He is currently studying politics and law and society at Oberlin College in Ohio.

“I am very interested in a career in public service," Nemetz said in the release. "My experiences in Senator Franken’s office gave me the first-hand look at the workings of a Senate office. After seeing the great work that the office does, I undoubtedly would be interested in someday working in public service.”

Franken’s office offers internships each fall, spring, and summer in his Minnesota and Washington, D.C., offices.


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