Taylor Bishop soars toward political career thanks to MSU internships

When Taylor Bishop (Class of 2026) came to Morehead State University from nearly three hours away in Greensburg, he found two things that put him on a clear path to college graduation and his future career.

The first was his interest in history growing up, which expanded into political science after he started taking classes at MSU.

"I really got interested in politics when I got to Morehead State," Bishop said. "It was like learning a language that I'd never known, and I fell in love with it instantly."

The second key factor that shaped much of Bishop's college experience was taking his First-Year Seminar with instructor Rebecca Wright. Wright is also the coordinator of internships for MSU's Center for Career Development & Experiential Education and gave Bishop some important advice.

"You need to get internships wherever you can so it can get you wherever you want."

Bishop took those words to heart and for much of his undergraduate career, he benefited from several meaningful experiences outside of the classroom that expanded both his knowledge and his confidence to succeed.

Bishop's first two summer internships were as an interpretation intern with the Greening Youth Foundation and later as a Student Conversation Association intern for the Camp Nelson National Monument, both located in Nicholasville. In both locations, he researched and wrote extensively about the United States Colored Troops who served with the Union Army during the Civil War in Kentucky.

"These concrete skills kept building and building...and, ultimately, helped my resume look great," Bishop said.

Whether it was serving as a court runner for a couple of months for a law office in Lexington or doing remote internships with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Bishop took every chance he could to gain valuable experience as a double-major in history and political science with a minor in public administration. This also included a research internship with the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., and as a legal assistant with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture in Frankfort, where he researched international trade policies, particularly tariff rate quotas related to Kentucky agricultural exports such as wheat, corn and soybeans.

Bishop said his MSU experience further ignited his passion to work in politics and government. In 2023, he was one of seven students who took part in the 44th Annual Model United Nations Conference held at the University of Louisville. The event brought students from six universities in Kentucky and Indiana to simulate the United Nations Security Council, and Bishop won first place as the top member of his council meeting and as the top diplomat.

"I fell in love with it right then and there. I was like, this is for me," he said.

Bishop later went from doing a Model UN stateside to gaining international experience through Education Abroad. In the spring of 2024, he went to Hungary and Romania, studying the rise of communism in Eastern Europe as a Gilman Alumni Ambassador through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. A year later, he visited Finland, Sweden and Estonia while learning about healthcare policy and social welfare programs. He also attended a parliamentary meeting as Finland welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and picked up "a touch of Finnish" during his time there.

"The great thing with their study abroad programs...they are going to get you into somewhere that is very appealing on a resume," Bishop said.

As Bishop recalls getting to go "from the holler and stand at the feet of Saint Stephen's Basilica," he also recalls a meditation from the ancient Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius.

"He started talking about, if it's humanly possible, then it's possible," Bishop said. "If someone else can do it, then I can do it too."

In his last semester as an MSU student, he worked with the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, a nonpartisan organization in the legislative branch that supports the General Assembly. Serving with the Budget Review Office, he analyzed the fiscal impacts of proposed legislation. He researched direct foreign investment in the Commonwealth and U.S. free trade agreements with Germany, South Korea and Japan.

Bishop said the internship came with its fair share of "West Wing moments" (referencing the popular NBC White House drama) as he ran around to get projects done as quickly as possible, while also knowing the work he was doing was going toward a greater good.

"It was just an honor to be able to do that," Bishop said. "You know you're going to help Kentuckians that you'll probably never meet... you're here to do something higher than yourself."

All of Bishop’s work in and out of the classroom led to him receiving the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Political Science Award in 2026. He said that, in addition to the opportunities to gain real-world experience and a welcoming campus community that felt like home, it was the faculty and staff at MSU like Professor of Political Science Dr. James Masterson, Coordinator of Education Abroad Dr. Jason Adkins, Assistant Professor Political Science and Public Administration Dr. Doug Mock and research partner Savannah Jackson (Class of 2024, 2025), human resource specialist at MSU, that had the biggest influence on his direction and motivation.

"They can propel you forward...I think they saw the potential in me before I did," Bishop said. "They will help you on a grand scale. They are willing to do anything and everything to get you out."

After graduating, Bishop will continue his education as a graduate student with the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky. With all the experience he has gained as an Eagle, he feels capable of taking on what comes next.

“The only thing that's going to stop me is me at this point," Bishop said. "Now that I've just gotten a little bit of a taste of what's on the other side of that hill, I'm ready to go."

For more information on gaining real-world experience like education abroad and internships at Morehead State University, contact the Center for Career Development & Experiential Education at careerservices@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2233.

To learn more about MSU's Department of History, Philosophy, Politics, Global Studies and Legal Studies programs, contact hgpl@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2655.

Photo, middle left: Taylor Bishop (right) was selected one of MSU's Best Delegate winners along with Nathan Walden (left) as part of Morehead State University's Model European Union (EU) Club when they participated in the 2024 Midwest Model EU Summit at the University of Indiana in Bloomington.