Minnesota Capitol Pathways
Capitol Pathways opens access to policymaking and public service to the next generation of leaders who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). It is a paid spring internship program for BIPOC students who are currently enrolled in a 2 or 4 year college or university in Minnesota. With the long-term goal of making Minnesota state government more representative of our diverse communities, our program provides legislative and career readiness training alongside an immersive hands-on internship experience with organizations doing work at or around the Capitol during the legislative session.
About Capitol Pathways
Everyone should have access to opportunities in public service and policy, and our government should be representative of our communities.
Since 2016, the Capitol Pathways program from the Citizens League places college students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) in paid internships with government offices, nonprofits, corporations, and law firms where they can gain experience and build relationships in and around the Capitol.
Each year during Minnesota’s legislative session, interns can expect to accomplish several things that will help them in their future careers:
- Build relationships with established policy leaders
- Gain exposure to various kinds of careers in government
- Get real-world experience in career fields they would like to learn more about
- Create a strong professional resume


24%
Percentage of Minnesota’s population who identify as part of the BIPOC community
17%
Current members of the state legislature who identify as BIPOC
228
The number of BIPOC college students that have participated in the program since 2016, many of them continuing their careers in policy and government
Capitol Pathways Updates
Interns gather for final cohort meeting of the season
As the seventh year of Capitol Pathways winds down, students gathered for the final cohort meeting of the session.
Capitol Pathways Student Spotlight: Camille Terrell
During the 2022 legislative session, Camille is interning with Catholic Charities, where she has worked doing research and attending team meetings. She is passionate about advocating for BIPOC communities and is considering pursuing a career in policy work.
April 2022 Cohort Meeting & Social Recap
Our third cohort meeting for the Capitol Pathways interns expanded their professional growth and provided them with more opportunities to reflect on their experiences thus far.
2023 Capitol Pathways Cohort

Padra Lor

Alexis Prathammanon

Amanda Nogueira Moreira de Souza

Princess Gataud

Mariam Mikayelyan

Jesus Gonzalez Ruiz

Melody Her

Joana Acosta-Palmeros

Micah Coatie

Abby Adegeye

Yusra Hassan

Layssa Pena

Wiwin Suryani

Zahra Jumani

Moses Yazachew

Karla Alarcon

Abshir Mohamed

Jack Peng

Anjali Muppidi

Mena Feleke

Idil Dirie

Safiya Mohamed

Sharon Izuora

Shelley Pacheco

Olaitan Olanrewaju

Rashaunea Ambers Winston

Priscilla Mayowa

Genesis Fernandez

Salma Ibrahim
Students not pictured: Sundus Abdi, José Aviña, Yasmin Lopez, Ridwan Mohamed
SUPPORT CAPITOL PATHWAYS
A gift of any amount is valuable and goes directly to support the program. Donate today to support BIPOC students and their path to becoming civic leaders in Minnesota.
DONATE
This program is made possible in part by major donors:
F.R. Bigelow Foundation
Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
Jefferson Lines
McKnight Foundation
Otto Bremer Trust
Schwan’s Corporate Giving Foundation
Youthprise