Grout to intern at The Heritage Foundation this summer
Sophomore McConnell Scholar Kevin Grout will spend 10 weeks this summer interning at the B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics (CPP) at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC.
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative “think tank” located in Washington, DC. According to their website, the mission of The Heritage Foundation is “to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.”
The Simon Center, where Grout will be interning, is located within The Heritage Foundation. The mission of the Simon Center is to educate current and future political leaders on “the foundations of liberty.”
As an intern, Grout’s responsibilities will include assisting with lectures, seminars and conferences designed to educate political leaders and their staffs about the principles of the American Founding and the Constitution. Grout’s other intern duties will include researching for the Simon Center, editing various writing projects, and attending events sponsored by The Heritage Foundation and other DC institutions.
When asked what drew him to this internship, Grout said, “I applied for this internship to work directly with some of the most influential parts of the policy-making process. Instead of working in political gridlock, think tanks are able to educate law-makers and the public about the basis of American government.”
In reference to the influence of the McConnell Center on his interest in interning with the Simon Center, Grout said, “My experiences with the McConnell Center have ignited the fire within me to study the separation of powers and the Constitution of the United States.”
On his passion for the Constitution, Grout added, “The document is more than words, but a collision of philosophical movements that are equally important to understand.”
Grout, a native of Florence, Ky., is a sophomore McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville studying history and political science. In addition to the McConnell Scholars Program, Grout serves as Political Research Specialist for the university’s student government, 2nd Vice President of Kappa Sigma Fraternity (Mu-Eta Chapter) and is a university Cardinal Host.
By Mary Elizabeth Young, McConnell Scholar '16