People, Places and Things: 2-25-14

Marblehead’s Taranto White House boundMarblehead native and Stonehill College junior Jennifer Taranto is among students across the country picked to participate this spring in the White House internship program.She will receive an assignment to one of the more than a dozen White House offices, according to a White House communications office statement, and the internship should dovetail nicely with Taranto’s political science and international studies major.A Marblehead High School graduate, Taranto studied at University College in London last fall and also worked as a research assistant last year to Stonehill professors William Ewell and Peter Ubertaccio. Taranto researched Massachusetts politics and policy for future projects the professors plan to pursue.Taranto has also served as a Stonehill Martin Institute civic ambassador welcoming guest speakers and presenters to the college, and she undertook an internship last summer with the Massachusetts Democratic Party assisting with planning fundraising events.Her resume also includes serving as programs director for College Democrats of Massachusetts in 2013-2014 and as a legislative intern in 2013 for state Rep. Christopher Markey.White House internships are intended “…to make the White House accessible to future leaders around the nation?” according to the communications office statement.