LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- A local Rider University political science student recently decided to take her education beyond her Lawrenceville campus classrooms and into the tumultuous foray of campaign politics by spending a large part of the 1996-97 academic year interning with various state and national election campaign offices.

Intrigued by a political research and simulation class at Rider called Operation '96 and hooked by her first internship experience with the New Jersey Republican State Committee, Ewing Township resident Teresa M. Tilton (left) is quickly gaining campaign savvy through her work with Governor Christine Todd Whitman's (right) re-election bid.

Currently a senior with a May 16 graduation date fast approaching, Tilton is confident her real world experiences in politics should serve her well in the near future.

"I decided before my first internship that if I liked it, I'd stick with it," said Tilton, who aspires to attend graduate school upon receiving her B.S. in political science with a minor in pre-law. "I was also considering law school, but the internships have opened so many doors, and I've met so many people and made good contacts. Everyone I've worked with was always willing to answer questions and help me out. They've helped steer me in the right direction."

Two people responsible for that guidance are Whitman re-election campaign managers Tom Wilson and Rich Ambrosino. Under their direction, Tilton has organized matching funds procedures for contributors. She has worked extensively from the campaign's Lawrenceville headquarters on the preparation of contribution reports for the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), and also has attended various social functions to gain insight into the multifaceted life of a politician.

Since the governor's re-election bid became official, Tilton has also assisted Whitman compliance officials Joe Farley and Maria Caputo in ensuring that the campaign stays within the bounds of state and federal regulations.

Her connection with the Whitman campaign came through contacts made while interning last fall with the Republican State Committee on State Street in Trenton, doing everything from research to office assistance. Ironically, most of her efforts there were focused on the governor by doing opposition research on potential candidates, some of whom recently announced their bids for the governor's office.

Tilton also had the opportunity to attend the election night monitoring and celebration at the Republican headquarters in the Hyatt Regency Princeton on November 5. There, she observed firsthand the high-tech world of politics and the tense climax to months of campaign work by officials and volunteers throughout the state.

"It was amazing," said Tilton. "The room was a large suite, and it was completely transformed into rows of faxes and computers. I felt out of place -- I was the only one without a cell phone."

Tilton's work with the Committee also enabled her to serve one day a week with the Dole/Kemp Republican presidential ticket, and gave the aspiring politician the opportunity to meet the party's candidate, Bob Dole.

However, the most rewarding aspect of the field experience for Tilton has been the more recent opportunity to work with a public figure who has served as a positive role model for so many young women.

"I am proud to be working on Governor Whitman's campaign," said Tilton. "She is an inspiration to me as the first woman governor for New Jersey. I believe more opportunities in politics are opening for women thanks to Governor Whitman."

Throughout both internships, Tilton has met once a week with advisor Dr. Robert J. Duffy, professor of political science at Rider, to chart her progress. During these meetings Tilton is encouraged to reflect on what's she has seen and how it relates to her coursework.

"Generally, students enter internships for the occupational and résumé aspects, which is fine," said Duffy, who also supervises Tilton's independent research into the effects of negative political advertising specific to last fall's Torricelli-Zimmer campaign. "Our job is to stress the academic component -- to get students to think analytically in relation to what we are trying to teach in class."

Duffy and other political science advisors try to place student interns in areas that stimulate their academic interest. With Rider's convenient proximity to Trenton, many students are able to take advantage of the numerous internships available in the New Jersey state government. Other placement opportunities include the federal government (including White House and Congressional internships), county and local government, public and private legal offices, interest groups, and political parties and campaigns.

Advisors will also contact other offices and agencies based on students' interests and requests. Duffy notes the upside to downsizing is the amount of opportunities available to students, and instructors will actively pursue these new avenues of field education to give students an effective and personalized perspective to their classroom experience.

"A lot of the things I see and hear at my internship I've read in political science books or learned from my professors," said Tilton, a 1992 graduate of Notre Dame High School in Lawrence Township. "That's what I love about Rider. The professors are always available if you have any questions, and they will work with you on an individual, personal level."

She also attributes her expanding horizons in politics to classmates with invaluable field experience like Evan Kozlow, a senior political science major who encouraged Tilton to try an internship.

In addition to her duties as an intern, Tilton is also an evening supervisor in the first reports department of New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Companies in West Trenton, NJ, where she has been employed part-time for the past 2 1/2 years. All of this, combined with the regular pressures and responsibilities associated with being a full-time student at Rider University, should well-prepare Tilton for life in the fast-paced political realm.

"This definitely has prepared me," said Tilton. "It's not like a nine-to-five job -- there are a lot of late nights and I'm constantly busy. But I love every minute of it."

Rider University is an independent, co-educational, non-sectarian institution with a 353-acre campus in Lawrenceville, NJ, and a 23-acre campus in Princeton, NJ. The University offers 57 undergraduate programs and 15 graduate programs in business, liberal arts, science, education, and music. Ninety-five percent of Rider's faculty members hold doctorate or other appropriate advanced degrees. U.S. News and World Report has again ranked Rider in the top tier of northern universities based on the quality of its programs.