What Three CU Denver Students Learned Working at the State Capitol 

Every spring, Colorado state lawmakers convene at the capitol building, about a mile from CU Denver’s downtown campus, to pass laws that affect virtually every aspect of Coloradans’ lives. From labor rights to gun control, immigration policy, and more, the state’s future is set under the gold dome. And, in the midst of it all? CU Denver students who make an impact on that process.  

Thanks to CU at the Capitol, a course taught by political science department chair Tony Robinson, PhD, students earn course credit for interning in the offices of state senators and representatives.  

Once students register for the class, they get support from Robinson in applying for internships in state legislators’ offices. If they land an opportunity (most do), they attend biweekly classes—usually over lunch at a local pizzeria—in which they talk through what they’re observing and doing on the job at capitol.  

And what they’re doing is quite remarkable. Students in the course contribute real work within the state’s legislative process, like writing bill summaries, which are notes that senators use to decide whether or not to support bills moving through the legislative process. In the summaries, the students explain what a bill would do, its fiscal impact, and who supports or opposes it. 

One of the students in the most recent course was Pricila Talamantes, who interned for Colorado State Senator Lisa Cutter, District 20, in the spring 2025 legislative session. She said the experience gave her a new appreciation for how state government works. “I’m a political science major,” said Talamantes, who expects to graduate in 2026. “But it’s so different to actually be in legislation, specifically within the actual bill text, reading them, interpreting them.” Read on to learn more about the highlights for Talamantes and some of her peers during their time at the state capitol.  

Intern: Pricila Talamantes, Political Science ’26  
Legislator: State Senator Lisa Cutter, District 20 
The Work: On the job, Talamantes’ main task was to create bill summaries. She also sat in on stakeholder meetings and took notes so Senator Cutter could get all the information she needed while staying engaged in the conversation. And like many political interns, Talamantes spent a great deal of time responding to constituent emails. She conducted research for the senator on an as-needed basis about anything pertaining to bills moving through the legislature. “There were times where I had to look up all of the bookstores and libraries in the Western Slope,” Talamantes said. “Each day was a different task.” 
Proudest Accomplishment: “The thing that I’m the most proud of is all the bill reports I wrote. … That was definitely a challenge for me, but as I got more exposure to it, and with the help of my senator and [her aide], I was able to craft a lot of bill reports. She would use these bill reports in committee for her to decide how to vote based on all the research.” 
Favorite Moment: “My favorite moment would be when Senator Cutter went to protest with the immigrants. It was right at the beginning of legislative session. … Just seeing a legislator, specifically, because she’s in leadership, being able to go out in that field and protest and feel like she’s being a voice and supporting a community that I am a part of was my favorite experience.” 

Intern: Mario Quinones Rabelo, Political Science ’26 
Legislator: State Representative Meg Froelich, District 3 
The Work: Like Talamantes, Rabelo also wrote bill summaries, as well as summaries of topics that would be debated in the legislature day to day. His interests and experience focused more heavily on the political maneuvering of interested parties at the capitol. He logged who contacted his representative’s office, for example, and noticed many lobbyists who lived outside of her district attempting to influence Colorado policy. For Rabelo, seeing how these people tried to gain political influence was the most interesting part of the job. 
Proudest Accomplishment: “Being able to watch in the gallery during debates on bills that were being proposed. I got the chance to be there when the budget bill was passed, which is one of the most important bills for this session.” 
Favorite Moment: “[Bill debates] would sometimes get heated. And in terms of the gun control bill, for committees, people are allowed to come in and testify. And there were literally hundreds of people who were coming in for that one. … It was just very strange, kind of surreal, almost, but getting to see how laws were passed was definitely interesting.” 

Intern: Nour Houda Righi, Political Science ’25 
Legislator: State Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet, District 21 
The Work: Righi’s experience focused heavily on her senator’s constituents. In addition to writing bill summaries, Righi oversaw her senator’s weekly newsletter, making sure subscribed constituents were kept apprised of each bill moving through the legislature. She also sat in on education committee meetings and kept careful notes about how constituents testified across legislative topics. She took notes in the senator’s other constituent meetings, too, which she said there were a lot of. “Senator Michaelson Jenet makes it a priority to meet with any constituent who wants to set a meeting with her,” Righi said. “So with our office, specifically, we got a lot of those interactions because she really prioritized them.”  
Proudest Accomplishment: “I was assigned specifically to [track] Senate Bill 151. … The bill is called ‘The Runaway Youth Bill,’ and it’s basically a bill that creates preventative measures for halfway homes and runaway youth homes for kids. I followed that bill from the beginning until the end. … I really liked that, because I got to really become an expert.” 
Favorite Moment: “My favorite moment definitely has to be when I stood with Governor Jared Polis at the signing of Senate Bill 151. … It was a very touching moment, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day.”