Students at Northern Kentucky University are getting a firsthand look at the Kentucky State Senate as part of their Future Leaders internship program.

We spoke with the state senator and intern from Northern Kentucky about their partnership.

The Future Leaders Internship program is a really beautiful opportunity for students to engage with policymakers, to apply information and concepts that they're reading about, researching and learning about in the classroom to the political process.

We do try to match them up as best as we can to legislators who are of interest, so they might serve on a committee that someone has expressed an interest in, or they could be someone who actually lives in the district.

We do that as well.

The young man with me this year, Colin Jerel, is from Brooksville, Kentucky.

And Brooksville is a different area than where I live in Alexandria.

I saw an opportunity to have a constituent from my district as well as from my largest constituent being Northern Kentucky University as another set of eyes and another set of ears.

So I came to the Capitol as a page for Senator Will Schroeder in 2017.

So I believe that was my sixth grade year.

And I came here and basically did what I do here every day, but only for one day.

And that kind of just sparked my interest and wanted to come here and work every day.

I'll be honest, there's not really a typical day, but I do get here about 845 or 9:00 every day, come in, talk about what we're going to be doing that day and then just get straight to work pretty much.

One piece that I love is he's in every meeting with me, essentially.

He will hear things in meeting that apply to Brooksville or Rockland County that I wouldn't have considered or wouldn't have known.

I consider NCCU one of my largest constituents and my Senate district, and because he's coming from there, he's bringing me the student government perspective.

He's bringing the entire student body into many of the issues that are coming into the office.

We also work with the Education Committee.

So any education bills that come through, we make sure to review those and understand what's going on and then some economic development bills as well.

They're digging into the bills and really getting an in-depth look at how this whole process works.

If you have an interest in this area is unmatched in terms of the experience and the relationships and the the insight you receive through being on the ground as an intern.

My relationship with Senator funky from here, I would I would say it's a mentorship.

I do work very closely with Senator Funky from our really a one on one experience being able to go to all the meetings that she goes to and just really get that firsthand view of what's going on.

I would like to run for public office someday.

She likes to go around and tell people that she's training me to be her replacement.

Now, that is quite a few years from now, but it could happen.

You never know.

But really, I just want to find a way to serve my community and make sure that it is a better place for everyone that lives there.

A good future leader indeed.

Five NCCU students are currently interning with the legislature.

Their internship chips run through the end of March.