In the world of young Hoosier political elites, Ball State student Maddison Klontz is listed as No. 17 on the Hoosier Access Top 25 Hoosier Politicos Under 25.
Hoosier Access LLC released the list on March 14, which named the top 25 political activists between the ages of 18 and 25 in Indiana. The senior political science major was chosen by the bipartisan selection committee out of a pool of more than 150 submissions, placing 17th overall.
Nick Barbknecht, writer at Hoosier Access, said the applications were disseminated to the committee to be scored and ranked.
"There were three main factors involved in scoring applicants and sorting them onto the list — work ethic, promise and power," he said.
The applicants were both self-nominated as well as nominated by other people, such as state senators, state representatives and directors of either political party. The final list included an equal representation of Democrats and Republicans, alternating between the two parties.
Klontz said she first became interested in government and politics during her government classes in high school. She came to Ball State as a music education major, but after the first year, she switched to political science because of her increased fascination with politics.
She entered the political landscape by securing an internship with the Indiana Senate Republicans in 2008, working as a legislative intern for multiple senators and as a clerk with the responsibility of updating the public on bill progress in the chamber. Klontz said she then left the Senate to work for Brandt Hershman's campaign when he sought the 4th congressional district seat in Indiana.
Klontz said she later became the Indiana field organizer for the ONE Campaign, a non-profit organization aimed at fighting global poverty and preventable diseases. At ONE she focused on building relationships in the Dan Coats and Brad Ellsworth race to protect necessary international affairs funds by organizing 20,000 supporters in Indiana.
But now Klontz is a legislative intern at Krieg DeVault LLP, a premier law firm in Indianapolis known for its governmental affairs team and lobbying expertise. Her duties include keeping track of state legislation and performing legislative research for the firm's clients.
Barbknecht said Klontz was particularly impressive to the committee, especially as an undergraduate student.
"Maddison was nominated by some prominent figures," he said. "Compounded with her strong résumé, the committee decided that she needed to be named to the list."
After she graduates in May, Klontz said she hopes to work for Gov. Mitch Daniels if he seeks the presidency in 2012. She plans to go to graduate school for non-profit management so she can work in the non-profit sector again.
Klontz said public office is a possibility in her future, but she doesn't want to jump into anything major right away.
Klontz said her advice to anyone interested in getting involved in politics is to be informed and to volunteer.
"First and foremost, be informed of the ways that politics play a role in our everyday lives," she said. "Second, volunteer as much as you can. If you want to open doors in politics, volunteering is the way to go."
Click here to see the entire Top 25 Hoosier Politicos Under 25 list.
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