RELEASED: March 20, 2003

DANVILLE, KY—Do you know what to do in case of a homeland security emergency? Senior Lauren Van Horn does as a result of her internship in the Kentucky Office for Security Coordination.

According to Van Horn, "there are no typical days" at the office. Doing everything from designing an updated Web site for Kentucky Homeland Security, to creating quick reference cards for residents of the Commonwealth, Van Horn is staying busy in Frankfort.

"It's really important because people can refer to the Web site or check the reference cards and be prepared," Van Horn says. "People can find out how they can take a proactive approach to homeland, or, rather, hometown security."

The concept of taking homeland security to the community and individual level while maintaining appropriate coordination on the official level is something Van Horn said she has learned about from her mentor Col. (Ret.) Ray Nelson, the Executive Director of the Office for Security Coordination.

Van Horn found out about the internship through the weekly campus e-newsletter Notesworthy. She applied to the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU, http://www.aikcu.org/), and was then assigned to the 30-hour-a-week position at the Department of Military Affairs. Lori Hartmann-Mahmud, assistant professor of international studies at Centre, is Van Horn's internship advisor.

Because the position is with the state government, Van Horn feels it's an excellent experience to help her toward her goal of employment at the federal level in Washington, D.C. She adds, "This internship is a wonderful opportunity to use my creativity and the skills I've gained at Centre. I feel challenged by, but prepared for my assignments at OSC and welcome this opportunity to further my real-world education."

A class in modern Kentucky government and an independent study with AIKCU are part of the internship's academic requirements. Van Horn will also have an opportunity to give a 15-minute presentation on campus about her internship later in the spring.

Van Horn has majors in both international studies and French and has traveled abroad to Strasbourg and Vietnam. She is the president of the Centre College Democrats, is on the dean's list and is a junior marshal.

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