Ted Campbell was born in Tallinn, Estonia, but he’s a Maine kid through and through. He grew up in Thomaston, later moved to Augusta, and now — as a junior at USM double-majoring in political science and economics — he’s interning at the Maine Secretary of State’s Office. He’ll be the first to say he didn’t see it coming.
Q:
What made you choose political science and economics — was that always your plan?
A:
I’ve always had a lot of interest in government and history and politics, but I never really thought that would be something I’d want to pursue as a career. That was until I attended a weeklong youth leadership conference called Dirigo State in high school. That sort of made me realize: The political process is actually quite fun. There’s just a lot of work that can be done there, and it’s something I really want to be a part of.
I picked up an economics major as well because it adds a whole other angle to that equation. There’s the factor of what people believe and how they react to certain things — but then economics brings in issues of scarcity, collective bargaining, labor issues. It feels like there’s a lot of crossover. They really do inform each other.
Q:
So how did you end up at the Secretary of State’s Office?
A:
Honestly it really all started my sophomore year — literally I think the first or second day. The Career Hub was hosting an event where they were promoting their various programs, including a job shadow opportunity at Senator Collins’ office. I applied for that, and actually ended up participating, that was a really nice little introduction to both the Career Hub and the world of government offices.
The following semester I served as a work-study student for the Career Hub, helping coordinate the job shadow program and other events, including their networking dinners. And that’s actually where I met my current supervisor at the Secretary of State’s Office. That connection really established the great working relationship that I now have, and I can attribute the smooth operations at my internship to that introduction.
Come fall of 2025 I was looking for an internship for this semester, and one of the opportunities through the Career Exploration Internship Program was at the Secretary of State’s Office. That seemed like a perfect fit being a political science student. I applied, went through the process of developing a cover letter and refining my resume with the peer career guides, and I ended up getting it. I’ve now been there five weeks, and I’m very grateful.
If you told freshman-year me — bright wide-eyed young Ted — that this is where I’d be, I don’t know that I would have believed it. I honestly didn’t think I would get the internship. I was just over the moon.
Q:
What does a typical day actually look like?
A:
That’s a tricky one, because the tasks day to day are very different. Right now there’s a youth engagement poster and essay contest — a poster contest for elementary school students and essay contests for middle and high schoolers. A lot of what I’ve been doing is logistical work around that: creating a database to input all the entry information and helping raise awareness for the program through social media.
There have also been days where I’ve attended legislative sessions, watched press meetings, and sat in on all sorts of other meetings. I can’t really say there’s an average day — you have to apply a different mind to different situations. What you’re doing in a press meeting is completely different from creating a social media post. So yeah, it’s a lot… but in a good way.
Q:
What’s surprised you most — about the work, and about yourself in it?
A:
Honestly, how not high-stakes it feels. That’s not to say it isn’t important, it absolutely is. But I thought I’d have a lot of anxiety about properly representing a government office. And while there are proper steps to follow, it’s a lot like any other workplace: there’s a task, and you complete it successfully.
And I think that realization gave me the confidence to start showing up differently. Especially this week — I’ve started to speak up more, be more open to voicing my opinion. The first couple of weeks you’re still in the learning process, still establishing yourself, still getting comfortable. You’re really not sure if you should even assert yourself. But I’ve been a lot more proactive and self-starting lately. There was even a moment where a colleague had a question and I actually knew the answer. Even though I’m only an intern, my knowledge is still useful, and that feels really good.
Q:
What would you tell a student who wants an experience like this but doesn’t know where to start?
A:
Email the Career Hub and just start asking questions. If you don’t know the answer to something, find out who to ask, and go ask them. There are dedicated staff there who are here to help and really want to see you succeed.
And don’t underestimate yourself. I honestly was surprised when I found out I’d gotten this position — I honestly didn’t think I would. It helps to believe in yourself — and then actually do the work of figuring out how to build the skills to get there. You’re in a very good place here at USM to do that.
Bonus: What song have you had on repeat lately?
As Alive As You Need Me To Be
Nine Inch Nails
