Summer is a season to enjoy exploring and new adventures. That is especially true for students embarking on summer internships, like these bold adventurers who joined the NC Office of State Budget and Management for summer 2025.  

2025 Interns

Paige Allen

“I have loved the opportunity to apply my skills in policy analysis and writing to high-impact work and develop my knowledge of best budgeting practices.” 

What long-term funding options are out there for transportation needs?  How can peer states inform how North Carolina spends opioid settlement funds? These are a couple of the questions Paige worked to answer during her summer internship at OSBM. She also conducted a review and comparison of Medicaid managed care models.

Paige is working towards a Master of Public Policy degree at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy.

You might not know: Paige is a huge college hoops fan and never misses a Blue Devils game!  

Sophie Clarkson

“My supervisors and the work itself have really pushed me to dig deeper into how I see systems and how those systems can affect both people and policy.” 

This summer, Sophie has been researching the efficacy of policies implemented by peer states to address rising healthcare costs facing the North Carolina State Health Plan. She is developing data visualization dashboards in Power BI to compare the performance of revenue forecasting models used by OSBM's Demographics and Economic Analysis team. Her work has strengthened her data analysis and visualization skills and provided experience with qualitative methods through interviews for her state employee health plan project.

Sophie is a recent graduate with double Tarheel status, having earned both her bachelor’s degree (political science) and a Master of Public Policy degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. 

You might not know: Sophie likes to keep things rolling. She enjoys roller skating and is currently mastering the art of spinning.

Nathan Heim

“As a newcomer to state government, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to have an inside look at the many agencies that tirelessly deliver high-quality public services. ” 

Discovering public administration in action has been a theme for Nathan’s summer internship with OSBM. In addition to his research into policies affecting law enforcement training, school safety, and victim assistance programs, Nathan has joined OSBM analysts on several site visits. This has given him the chance to see first-hand how policies and programs are put into practice. 

Nathan attends UNC-Chapel Hill in the Master of Public Administration program.

You might not know: When he’s not busy kicking butt in his coursework, Nathan enjoys Taekwondo, in which he is a black belt. 

Jesse Jarvis

“I’ve enjoyed learning about the different functions of OSBM...This internship has allowed me to meet so many kind people across state government. " 

During his summer internship, Jesse dove into the realm of state rulemaking. He has been researching best practices for regulatory impact analyses. His work includes recommending tools that can streamline and standardize these analyses. He also has been working on Power BI dashboard showing the impact of various economic indicators on state revenue projections. 

Jesse is a student at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy pursuing a Master of Public Policy degree.

You might not know:  Jesse loves camping and being out in nature - usually with his dog, Luna.

Taraza Tyler

“From the training sessions, luncheons, and coffee chats to working alongside amazing budget developers, this internship has been inspiring, informative, and feels like family. I am so grateful to work with Jacklyn, Peter, and Izzi to continue building the skills I need for my career.”

Seeking ways to reduce recidivism with reentry programs has been central to Taraza’s work this summer at OSBM, with a goal of identifying how to improve North Carolina’s programs. She has also done comparative research on law enforcement recruitment and retention strategies to look at options that might help our state.  Taraza also reviewed mass mailing processes used by the state. 

Taraza is in her second year in the Master of Public Administration program at NC Central University, with a concentration in Nonprofit Management.

You might not know: Outside of school and work, Taraza has a passion for bowling. Be warned, she is quite competitive about it!