Kaitlyn Steinhiser, a sophomore at Valparaiso University, knows the importance of being involved with her community. Balancing internships, college classes, and part-time jobs, she personally demonstrates the ability of an individual to speak up and have a role in active government despite how busy they might be. She finds passion in encouraging women to take an active role in local government, whether it be running for office or maintaining active citizenship through voting and staying informed.
Steinhiser grew up in Michigan City and attended Michigan City High School. She was inspired to pursue a career in politics after attending Hoosier Girls’ State, a week-long summer camp that educates women on the roles and responsibilities of both citizens and elected delegates. Steinhiser also worked as a #1 Student for Ideas in Motion Media before taking on the role of a coverage team member.
“Not enough women know about the opportunities available to them, especially in the political sector,” Steinhiser said. “We need more women to be involved in the decisions that directly affect them.”
President of VU Democrats, Financial Director of College Democrats of Indiana, Student Senator of VU Sophomore Class, and Vice President of Model UN, Steinhiser demonstrates her affinity for political involvement through both her formal education and her extra-curricular activities. While pursuing a double major in Political Science and Communications, she had also helped Karen Biernacki’s campaign when she ran for the Indiana House of Representatives for District 20 in the 2016 election.
Currently, Steinhiser is interning with Secretary of Career Connections and Talent, Blair Milo, in Indianapolis. Milo had recently been appointed to the cabinet-level position in 2017. Steinhiser shares that she found this internship through IndianaIntern.net, a resource that both she and Milo encourage Indiana residents to utilize. Milo is currently visiting all 92 counties in Indiana, working to connect with any prominent leading industry, ranging from local businesses to schools. Steinhiser assists with the set-up of each presentation, social media posting, and day-to-day office tasks.
Highly motivated and passionate, Steinhiser shares that a major goal of hers personally is to turn Indiana’s “brain drain” into “brain gain.” She believes that bipartisanship is key and that both parties are designed to work for the people themselves. After receiving her degree in Political Science, she’s interested in pursuing a career in policy-making. Steinhiser believes that with the prevalence of technology and ease of gaining information in today's digital world, citizens have a responsibility to make informed and educated decisions. In addition to pursuing a career in policy-making, you might just see Steinhiser running for public office in the future.