Vice President Dick Cheney

I believe Cheney worked as a young man building power lines for a utility.

I understand that Cheney attended Yale University but flunked out.

I understand that Cheney had two drunk driving convictions.

Then at the age of about 28, he became an intern in the Nixon administration.

My question is how did he become an intern? I thought typically interns are much younger. What did he do as an intern or otherwise that impressed those he worked for?