Published on August 28, 2019 by Sean Flynt  
Dunn Wyatt
Alabama governor Kay Ivey and Samford history major Wyatt Dunn

Samford University history major Wyatt Dunn took a significant step toward a career in law, politics or policy with an internship in the Office of the Governor of Alabama this summer.

Inspired by Samford history and political science courses, the Huntsville, Alabama, native simply searched online to see what internships might be available in state government. He applied to the governor’s office and was accepted as one of only six interns distributed around the office’s support divisions.

Dunn worked under Director of Administration Cheryl Fondon, helping staff and other interns with accounting, information technology and travel work, and leading tours of Alabama's capitol. These were new areas of work for him, but he caught on quickly and added valuable skills to his résumé. He got some new ideas about careers, too, and greater insight into his own abilities. “I’m aware of all I’m able to do,” he said.

The other interns in the program, mostly from state public universities, enjoyed friendly competition but praised Dunn’s service during a luncheon with the governor. Meeting the governor there further inspired Dunn, who said he was impressed with Ivey’s attention, authoritative presence and conviction that “if people come together that’s a start, if they stay together that’s progress, and if they work together that’s success.”

Dunn encouraged other Samford students to take advantage of internship opportunities in general, and that one in particular. He wants to see Samford well represented in state government, but he also wants students to discover the great value of internships. “You need all the experience you can get,” he said.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.