Aaron Hildreth entered the University of Utah as a political science student with the hope of one day working in a political office or attending law school. Despite his political aspirations, Hildreth did not end up working in the world of politics. However, Hildreth’s time at the U and his experiences with the Hinckley Institute taught him that opportunity is everywhere.

 While I don’t directly work in the industry, much of what I learned gave me the confidence and understanding of both our economic and political systems to understand what I truly could do in life. Experiencing governmental agencies first hand let me know that at the end of the day, we are all just people trying to work our way through this life. Working collaboratively with local, state and federal agencies has opened many opportunities for my business and helped find many opportunities for success.

 While studying Political Science at the U, Hildreth took the Campaign Management course through the Hinckley and was hooked. He ended up participating in several other experiences that the Hinckley has to offer. Hildreth completed a local internship with the U.S. District Court, a national internship working for Jim Matheson, and worked on the Jean Welch Hill campaign for Utah Attorney General. Hildreth loved his Hinckley experiences, but perhaps his most memorable was having a paper published in the Hinckley Journal of Politics, after being encouraged to submit his paper by Professor Dan Jones. Hildreth remembers feeling extremely humbled that his paper was selected for publication among so many highly qualified students.

Each of these experiences helped Hildreth gain a more comprehensive understanding of how government functions.

I was able to see theory put into practice and was allowed a far greater understanding of the world than I had before I began my degree. I took universal lessons from each experience that I continue to apply today. 

Hildreth graduated from the U in 2010 with a B.S. in Political Science and Minors in Campaign Management and Ethics. Since graduation, he has become a founding member of Intellipop Internet Services and currently manages day to day operations, customer experience and develops and maintains their brand and marketing strategies. In recent years, he has managed several political campaigns for the State House of Representatives and his local city council, allowing him to put his degree and Campaign Management minor to good use.  Hildreth’s Hinckley experiences helped prepare him for his career in many ways.

Working on campaigns taught me about communications and marketing, directly leading to my successes with my current businesses. My time in D.C. and at the Federal Courthouse gave me a fundamental understanding and greater respect for the functions of government and how to work within our system. I interact with governmental agencies on a regular basis to this day and it has helped me navigate through life in a much more meaningful way.