Mayborn Scholarship

The Frank W. Mayborn Scholarship is awarded to five Baylor undergraduate students each summer. The scholarship provides a $2,000 stipend for living expenses while interning in Washington, DC and covers three credits of summer tuition for enrollment in the PSC 3392 Washington Internship Course. The application deadline for the Summer 2024 scholarship is January 31, 2024.

Click HERE to complete our Summer Internship Indication of Interest Form, which will serve as the application for the Mayborn Scholarship. 

Students interested in the program may also contact the Mayborn faculty advisor, Dr. Pat Flavin (Patrick_J_Flavin@baylor.edu)

My name is McKenzie Arata and I am a Junior Political Science and Spanish major on the Pre-Law track from Trophy Club, TX. I also have minors in Corporate Communication, History, and Legal Reasoning and Analysis.

This summer, I had the opportunity to intern in both Senator Cornyn’s (R-TX) and Congressman Burgess’s (TX-26) offices. I was blessed with the ability to serve in both of these offices and left with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the inner-workings of the legislative branch.

As a Congressional intern, I was able to attend hearings, work on legislative and constituent projects, give Capitol tours, and be a resource within the offices. In Senator Cornyn’s office, I was able to hone the skill of case-briefing, as I helped brief Supreme Court decisions as they were being released. I also learned about the different roles within Congressional offices and was able to work with many individuals on projects. In Congressman Burgess’s office, I learned more about working with constituents. I was able to draft letters answering questions and research applicable topics as well as speak with constituents on the phone. The ability to intern in both the Senate and the House of Representatives was an incredible opportunity and enabled me to learn and grow so much this summer.

I am thankful for the Mayborn Scholarship program for making my summer internship experience possible. The funds enabled me to accept internships on Capitol Hill and helped allow me to live in Washington D.C. Because of the Mayborn Scholarship, I was also able to earn credit for a Political Science course over the summer. Interning in Washington D.C. was the best decision and I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Hi, I am Ally Perkins! I am a senior at Baylor University pursuing a BA in political science with a minor in poverty studies and social justice. I plan to pursue a master's degree in public policy/administration upon graduation.

I am one of two Student Regents on Baylor's Board of Regents and have served as deputy director for Student Government, as a member of the Chi Omega and the Pi Sigma Alpha political science honor society, and as a program manager and marketing coordinator for the Baylor Activities Council.

As a recipient of the Frank W. Mayborn Scholarship, I was able to inern with the Twenty-First Century Group bipartisan consulting firm in Washington, DC. During my internship, I was able to have hands-on-experience with clients and to participate in the lobbying process. When reflecting on this summer and my time working with the Twenty-First Century Group, I feel grateful and honored. Because of Baylor University, The Mayborn Scholarship, and The Twenty-First Century Group, I expanded my skill set, had many worthwhile interactions, invested in my future, and achieved a greater understanding of the appropriations process.

My name is Liz Herndon and I am a Senior International Studies major from Detroit, MI. I am pursuing a service-oriented career in national security, intelligence, and defense, and am currently preparing for graduate school. 

I spent this summer interning with the Department of Homeland Security, focusing on counterterrorism. During this experience, I was able to learn about the evolving terrorist threats facing the Homeland how the government works with its partners to mitigate those threats. As a DHS intern, I had the privilege of engaging in the research, writing, editing, and publishing within the federal production process. I was also able to interact with our public and private sector partners alike, as well as DHS leaders who oversee a variety of different services and missions. 

 As a Mayborn scholar, I am grateful for the resources given to me through the program, including access to the amazing Baylor alumni network in Washington, D.C., and the vast knowledge and wisdom that they were able to share with me throughout the summer. I am eager to ambitiously continue my pursuit of my career and am thankful for the Frank W. Mayborn Scholarship for making this summer possible for me.

My name is Krish Kothari, and I am a Junior from Fremont, CA, majoring in Political Science and Corporate Communications with a minor in International Studies.

Through the help of the Mayborn Scholarship, I was able to spend the summer interning at one of my favorite think tanks, the American Enterprise Institute. I also attended a weeklong roundtable discussion with constitutional law scholar Professor John Yoo. As an intern at AEI, I was able to experience both the business and macroeconomic policy aspects of their research. I was also able to schedule coffee chats and attend talks hosted by some of the world's most prominent scholars and policymakers, including Senator Mitt Romney, Secretary Betsy DeVos, Vice President Dick Cheney, Michael Strain, and many others.

Most of my work consisted of authoring reports and memos on various political issues, creating biographies and strategizing ways to attract donors, and working with senior think tank leaders to craft a way to maximize their political and financial influence. The most memorable research project I worked on was a presentation I delivered to the Development Department that involved analyzing the financial statements of 15 of AEI's competitors and providing recommendations on how to increase revenue flow. Additionally, my favorite part of this summer was when we had a private tour of the Supreme Court and ran into Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who had just gotten sworn in less than an hour before!

I am so thankful to the Mayborn Scholarship for allowing me to represent Baylor at such a prestigious policy institution. The personal and professional lessons I learned this summer in D.C will stay with me as I hope to forge a career in law and politics.