It takes a lot of manpower to get the Bush Library up and running. Many of the people helping are student interns.

Interns are working hard in preparation for the Bush Library opening. Each semester the library has taken an average of 25 student interns throughout its many sections.

They work on everything from research to composing letters and they work with everyone from financial staff to the president himself, if they’re lucky.

“For example we had like an XYZ amount of money we needed to raise last year and we accomplished that goal in October, before December, before the deadline,” said Maria Pereyra-Vera, a development operations intern.

“I write the letters and edit the letters that President Bush signs to go to perspective donors, to high level donors, donors of every kind,” said Matt Alexander, a development communications intern.

“Helping out with research, sending out mailings, things like that,” Pereyra-Vera said.

“At the end of every semester, the Bushes invite the interns to their house,” said Jess Deware, a former donor relations intern.

Alexander said his favorite memory was visiting the Bushes’ home for a Christmas party: “I’m leaving, and I go up to President and Mrs. Bush and I say ‘President and Mrs. Bush, thank you so much for having us and he slaps me on the shoulder and goes, ‘Thanks for coming, dude.’ I laughed — well, the 43rd president of the United States just called me dude, he’s a pretty cool guy.”

“They’re really, like, low key,” Deware said. “Their house is not what you expect, very modest. They’re pretty real people.”

The interns are mostly SMU students. However, over the summer the library did take a few students from other universities. In order to be considered, they had to submit a cover letter and a resume and they also had to pass two rounds of interviews.

The interns are commonly history or political science majors.

To inquire about internships students may visit the library’s website.