Internships at the First Ask
The First Ask offers our interns the opportunity to gain hands on political experience, including direct opportunities to work with candidates, build stakeholderrelationships, and develop both hard and soft skills that will be invaluable to a career in politics. This internship is designed for those with little to no professional political experience who are excited to learn and who are incredibly dedicated to seeing positive political change.
Our competitive application process, hands-on work experience, and supportive work environment prepares our interns for a career of making change!
The Fall 2026 Internship Application is now open through July 10!
“I absolutely loved my experience at The First Ask. I was a second-semester senior during my internship, and I learned so much about the professional world from the team. Getting to develop relationships with our candidates was invaluable, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to expand my portfolio. I’m so thankful to Caroline and Eleanor for giving me the chance to work at TFA—I would recommend the organization for anyone who cares about women in local politics!”
Summer 2026 Interns
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Bella Zollner
Bella Zollner’s advocacy career began at thirteen, when she started working with the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an LGBTQ+ non-profit that has helped Bella grow as a professional and an advocate. Last year, Bella was named to GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 list of LGBTQ+ changemakers in recognition of her contributions to LGBTQ+ media and digital storytelling. She has also worked on five political campaigns across the 2024 and 2026 election cycles.
As a rising senior at DePauw University majoring in Political Science and Oboe Performance, Bella is excited to pursue a career in Democratic politics after graduation. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to spend this summer as a Political Intern with The First Ask.
Headshot credit to the DePauw University photographers.
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Caroline Seaford
Caroline Seaford is a Politics and English major with a Classical Studies minor at Centre College in Danville, KY. As a Lincoln Scholar, a comprehensive scholarship recognizing leadership and commitment to meaningful change, she has consistently earned a place on the Dean’s List while pursuing opportunities that connect her studies to advocacy and leadership.
Experiencing political life in both North Carolina and Kentucky, two historically right-leaning states, has sharpened her understanding of how political environments influence whose voices are prioritized, deepening her commitment to expanding women's representation within the democratic process."
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Javon James
Javon James is originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, and now studying at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, majoring in International Relations and History. At Hobart and William Smith, Javon is on the football team and a member of the HWS Democrats Club.
Javon is proud to say that he has experience in the political world, interning for Pennsylvania House Representative, Kyle Donahue. In this role, he was given the opportunity to interact with his community at a level he never has before. This experience improved Javon’s commitment to helping others through the work that he enjoys!
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Reilly Roedel
Reilly Roedel is originally from Hollis, NH. She is a rising senior at Hobart and William Smith Colleges where she is a double major in environmental studies and politics, as well as a member of the varsity sailing team.
Reilly got her start working in politics as the Community Organizer for The Period Movement in her home state of New Hampshire while in high school. This gave Reilly the opportunity to testify on behalf of bills that advance menstrual equity in Concord and speak with local legislators. She is so excited for the opportunity to continue to learn about advocacy work and help support progressive candidates with The First Ask this summer!
Hear from our former interns!
“ I had a wonderful experience working with The First Ask! I was very anxious before starting, as this job was my first internship, but Caroline and Eleanor’s guidance proved to me that I had nothing to be nervous about. Doing work that had a real impact in campaigns within my home state was an incredible experience, and it reaffirmed that advocacy is the field I want to go into. The skills and knowledge I have retained from my semester with The First Ask will without a doubt help me in my future career.”
“ My time as an intern at The First Ask was incredibly rewarding. Being able to help women across the country work to represent us all is something I’ve always been passionate about. At The First Ask, I was able to have direct contact with strong, selfless candidates and have my faith in state candidates strengthened. I was able to build my research, communication, and writing skills and feel confident in my ability to continue to help build female representation in the future. I am so lucky to have had this experience and the First Ask is an amazing organization that shines a spotlight on elections that would otherwise go unnoticed.”
“ My time with The First Ask is truly everything I hoped it would be. I couldn't have asked for a better first-internship experience. I'm so grateful to the team that I've worked with this summer. Caroline and Eleanor were the perfect supervisors because they really valued my experience and ensuring that I met my goals and learned about the specific research and fundraising areas that I wanted to learn about. Politics is something that I have been passionate about for a while, but being able to actively participate in this country's Democratic process was so incredibly fulfilling, and I cannot thank The First Ask enough for the opportunity it has provided me to make a difference.”