La Salle University Student Patrick Terranova to Spend Summer Interning in Chicago Mayor’s Office

Patrick Terranova’s dream job is to be the Mayor of Baltimore, “without having to become a politician, though,” he says. A sophomore at La Salle University in Philadelphia, he’ll get a taste of what’s in store for him should he ever get elected, because this summer he’ll be interning in the Mayor’s Office in Chicago as a Kemper Scholar.

After being accepted into the Kemper Scholar’s Program, Terranova had to turn in a second application to work in the Mayor’s Office. He was the only undergraduate student to be assigned that post.

Kemper Scholars do two summer-long internships, one with a non-profit or government in Chicago after sophomore year, the other with a for-profit organization virtually anywhere in the world after junior year. 

“I will share an office with several graduate students from around the country, working on various projects and research for the city,” said Terranova, who’s been to Chicago twice.  

“I will be living with all the other Kemper Scholars in the Art Institute of Chicago housing in a two person apartment downtown, right across the street from the Chicago Theatre -- literally!  I couldn't ask for anything better. Apparently Mayor Daley takes you to some Cubs games, too.” 

Terranova is considering a career in public service and is looking into Urban Studies and City Planning and Design programs for graduate school.

“I love cities and have a personal bias for Baltimore. My heart lies in sustainable urban development, and I would like to go into a field that focuses on finding a holistic, community-based approach to solving city problems.  Whatever happens, I want the social implications behind the work in which I become involved to play a role,” he said.

Terranova and his family spent four years living in Baltimore, where he graduated from Mt. St. Joseph High School. Terranova received a Christian Brothers Scholarship from La Salle that covered his tuition. He is also in the University’s Honors Program.

“The Honors Program was second to none in comparison to other schools, and really demanded my attention,” said Terranova. “I also knew I wanted to be in a city, that I didn't want to be too terribly far from home, and that I wanted to study sociology. And of course it had to have an intramural basketball program so I could continue to pretend to live the dream.”

Founded by James Kemper, who started the Kemper Insurance Company, The Kemper Scholars program invites only 15 colleges and universities nationwide to participate in the program. Its objective is the “cultivating ‘broadly educated’ liberal arts students ‘for future leadership.’"