Institute of Politics

Mark Schauerte is the Director of Career Development for the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. He manages the placement of undergraduate and graduate students in approximately 300 internships nationwide and internationally. At the IOP, Mark helps bring speakers to campus to discuss career paths, roles in politics and journalism, and skills for students to position themselves for careers in public service. He previously served as chief of staff to Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois for more than four years working in Washington, DC and the Chicago suburbs. Mark is an attorney and practiced law in Chicago in addition to working as an award-winning journalist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Chicago Lawyer Magazine. His Illinois state government experience includes having served as general counsel and deputy chief of staff to former Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon and as a policy advisor and travel aide to former Gov. Jim Edgar. Mark earned a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame, a M.A. from the University of Illinois at Springfield, and a B.A. from Yale University. He grew up in Peoria and spent a year after college studying international relations in Australia as a Rotary Foundation Scholar at the University of Melbourne.

Laresa Lund is the Program Coordinator for Career Development. She helps manage the IOP’s 300+ academic year and summer internships, with a primary focus on the Chicago-based academic year internship portfolio. She is drawn to career development work because she knows how meaningful it can be to receive support in what can be a daunting process. Having tried out many internships, she is familiar with the fun challenges of exploring and narrowing your interests. Her areas of expertise include Chicago-based internships, resume development, cover letter writing, and networking preparation. She is also excited to help rural students, folks interested in conservation work, and those searching for AmeriCorps opportunities.

Availability: Tue 8:00 - 9:45 a.m., Wed 3:45 - 6:00 p.m., Thu 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. central

Ricky Holder is a first-generation college graduate, a former foster child, and a veteran of the United States Navy. He graduated from the University of Chicago in June 2023, majoring in Public Policy Studies and minoring in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and will be pursuing an MPhil in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford beginning in October 2023. Having been named a Marshall Scholar, Ricky is fluent in the competitive fellowship process. His areas of expertise are child welfare policy, criminal justice, inequality, and management.

Availability: Mon - Wed 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., Fri 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. central

Fawwaz Hafizh is a rising third-year undergraduate student studying Political Science and Economics. Coming from Jakarta, Indonesia, he is interested in international affairs, development economics, and public policy. Fawwaz had experience with research centers and NGOs conducting research, data analysis, event planning, and digital communications. As an international student, he is excited to join the IOP Career Development team and serve our international student community with drafting resumes, networking, and personal branding.

Availability: Mon, Wed & Thu 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. eastern

Emma is an MPP student at the Harris School of Public Policy. She is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is interested in foreign policy and economic development. Emma’s past experience includes political campaigns, startups and operations. She is an incoming Writing Fellow for the Harris Writing Workshop and Executive Editor for the Chicago Policy Review. Emma was a former Academic Year IOP Intern with the Cook County Sheriff's department in 2023. She is excited to be part of the IOP Career Development team this summer in D.C. and is looking forward to helping students hone in on their career interests and create materials that best reflect what they have to offer.

Availability: Mon & Thu 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Tue 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. eastern