They've come to Missouri's Capitol for years.
But events of the past couple weeks have put the legislative interns program in a spotlight few wanted to see or experience.
After now-former House Speaker John Diehl, R-Town and Country, decided to resign his speakership and House seat on the last day of the General Assembly session because he had been involved in texting sexually-suggestive messages with a college intern, new Speaker Todd Richardson promised to study the House interns program and find ways to improve it.
He asked Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington - and a former Senate floor leader - to lead that study.
"We're going to have a group of House members, both Democrat and Republican, and Senate members, and we're going to review our current policies and try to tighten those up," Engler said Friday, in a telephone interview, "because we need to have a professional atmosphere, just like any other company that has interns.
"Most of them have policies to protect the interns and to make sure that business is conducted in a professional environment."
Engler said his committee isn't going to make the study with any preconceived ideas.
Still, he said, "We will probably look at electronic communications and only have some type of business communication, and we will, probably, be talking about any type of interaction with interns as far as what's appropriate and what's not appropriate.
"And we'll probably set up an ombudsman program that, if an intern feels in any way threatened - or feels that they are being treated inappropriately - we're going to be talking about those types of things."
The Legislature already has internal ethics policies covering lawmakers and employees, and Engler thinks any changes prompted by the internship study could be made in those existing ethics rules - so they would apply to all legislative employees as well as interns.
House Chief Clerk D. Adam Crumbliss said, in an email Friday, the 163-member House averages about 85 interns each year.
"The House does appoint two Intern Coordinators (majority and minority party), but they have little authority, other than to host an intern orientation meeting," Crumbliss said, "keep an emergency contact listing of what interns are assigned where, and coordinating events like the mock legislative session or Q and A sessions with state-wide elected officials."
Senate Administrator Marga Hoelscher added, in a separate email, the 34-member Senate averages approximately 40 interns each session.
"Interns interning in Senate offices work directly with senators and their staff," Hoelscher reported. "They report to the senator (or his/her designee).
"Assignments vary from office-to-office, depending on the staffing needs of the office."
The interns come from various Missouri colleges and universities, with each school operating its own program with its own selection, placement, management, and oversight processes and criteria.
There is no central coordination and, Higher Education Department Spokeswoman Liz Coleman said, the department "has no involvement in the internship programs at the Capitol."
Crumbliss said, "Like any other internship in a private or nonprofit organization, legislative internships exist to provide students with educational opportunities in the public service realm that allow for practical experience for those with possible interest in a career in the legislative arena.
"The supervising legislator is responsible for establishing the conditions, parameters and authorities for the legislative intern or interns assigned by a college or university within his or her office. Generally, this includes expectations for schedule, performance, assignments, and interaction with various constituents, legislators, staff, lobbyists and guests within the legislative process."
Engler has worked with interns throughout his legislative career in both the House and Senate.
"I had our interns in charge of bills and following their progress, monitoring them in committees and going to other committees to find out if I had a bill being talked about on the other side of the building - what was said and who voted for it," he explained, "and then communications with my constituents.
"I didn't have a chance - especially in the Senate - to email back all my constituents, whereas the interns would prepare a list of "the people you need to respond to. What would you like to say?' And then they would prepare the responses" for his final approval.
Many interns can be seen before or after the lawmakers' sessions at their boss' desk, organizing the bills and proposed amendments so the lawmakers are ready for debates.
Engler added his interns sometimes have done "research on a bill I was doing, to give examples of why something was working or could work better if the bill were passed."
Current Sen. Paul LeVota, D-Independence and a former House Minority Leader, released a statement this week after reports his office may be being investigated because of intern issues.
"I understand the need for universities to look into rumors - even unsubstantiated rumors," LeVota said. "I would be open to any university taking a further look at the experience of any of my legislative interns.
"I had the honor of working with five students from several universities across the state this spring. ... This is my 11th year in the Missouri Capitol and I have had an amazing experience with the intern program with students from across the state over that decade with no problems at all."
Interns generally aren't paid, "but gain college credit based on what their individual schools allow," Hoelscher noted.
LeVota is one of many lawmakers "upset that any of these young people that come to experience the legislative process would be subject to sensationalism."
Engler said his committee's final report should be done in time to make any changes at the beginning of the 2016 session next January.
"We think we've got a very good intern program that is very educational for a lot of students, and we'd like it to continue," he said, "but we want to make sure when we continue it, it's done in a proper fashion."
And most lawmakers and legislative staffers agree: The things reported in recent weeks represent the very rare exception.
"Legislative internships serve an important role both for the students and the legislators," Crumbliss said. "For any negative experience you may hear about, there are hundreds of positive experiences.
"Many staff, myself included, began in the Legislature as an intern and have worked hard to serve the interests of the citizens and taxpayers we are ultimately accountable to."