Doug Clifford ’16 political science, interns for 60th District Service Office
Olga Bonfiglio
College of Arts and Sciences staff writer
Doug Clifford has not only been working on his political science major and criminology minor, he interned at the 60th District Service Office of State Representative Jon Hoadley over the spring semester.
The internship was arranged through the Department of Political Science.
“The internship was great and the Edie Trent, the legislative aide there, was amazing,” said Clifford. “She really helped me learn a lot—even with my resumé. I improved my communication skills by working with constituents who had a variety of problems. I directed them to resources where they could get help.”
Besides learning the ropes of constituent service, Clifford has visited with several individuals and agencies within the criminal justice community in Kalamazoo. He especially enjoyed a “ride-along” day with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. He was also the guest of Sheriff Richard Fuller for a tour of the Kalamazoo County Correctional Facility, the Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program and a court hearing.
Clifford started at WMU when he was 21 after spending some time at Niagara University near Niagara Falls, NY, where he also played hockey. His parents are WMU alumni, so it was a natural choice for him to come to Kalamazoo.
“Western gave me a great education,” he said. “I started out in criminal justice because I had always wanted to be a cop. However, I switched to political science because I might go into law or maybe get a master’s degree in public administration.”
Clifford is a native of Woodhaven in Detroit’s Downriver area. He is an avid hockey player and fan, but he enjoys outdoor sports and hopes to combine his love of the outdoors with a career as a conservation officer.