2011 Blogs

My Journey on the Train of Experience.

09/21/2011

A gross sign outside of a barber shop near my house in Cincinnati.

"I look back on my life in Cincinnati and it makes me laugh... I liked the sense of adventure and sometimes had a little too much time on my hands."

This summer was full of changes. Before I knew it, I had uprooted my life and moved to a completely different location (a location nothing like my hometown, might I add). Because I only live about an hour and a half north, I was already somewhat familiar with Cincinnati (I'm a Bengals fan which is somewhat unfortunate). However, I never really got to experience what the city truly has to offer.

A night in downtown Cincinnati. I lived five minutes from downtown.

I look back on my life in Cincinnati and it makes me laugh. I remember freaking out because on my first day it was pouring rain -- go figure right. I had to walk in the rain to work and all I could think about was looking like a hot mess by the time I got there.

In the very beginning, my days were full of getting lost and putting all of my faith in my trusty GPS. I cannot thank my mom enough for giving her GPS to me for the summer. It really came in handy. Although I must admit, I sometimes would drive around to see where I would end up and if I could make it home without any help. I liked the sense of adventure and sometimes had a little too much time on my hands. Haha!

Another thing I was not used to was using taxis in the city. I quickly became familiar with this form of transportation because my roommates were using them every weekend. Parking in Cincinnati can be a real pain -- sometimes it's just easier to pay someone else to drive you around. I'm not going to lie though, it can get expensive very quickly.

On top of the Carew Tower with fellow intern Rachel. You could see the entire city.

Being somewhat unfamiliar with the basics of Cincinnati caused a little anxiety at the beginning of my internship. Not only was I learning about the lifestyle, but I also had to learn about Cincinnati politics -- and quick. The names of various people would come up while working in the Mayor's Annex. I had no idea who those people were and how they tied into the bigger picture. Of course, I learned.

My internship required writing the Mayor's speeches for groundbreaking and ribbon cutting ceremonies. I was left to figure much of the information out myself (which I greatly appreciate now because I gained a lot more experience that way). The Director of Public Affairs (the man I worked directly under) would tell me the Mayor had a ribbon cutting ceremony the next week, the name of the organization, and give me a contact or two -- that was it. I was left to come up with a two page speech. Talk about overwhelming at first! Fortunately, I caught on quickly and I loved it.

I really enjoyed working alongside the Director of Public Affairs. He was very easy to talk to. He taught me so much in very little time. There were times I would become frustrated because he would want two small sentences out of a speech redone. Of course, I quickly learned that 1) it was because they were something the Mayor probably would never say and 2) he wanted to make me better. I remember he approached me and wanted some minor things fixed. He told me it "was not because it was bad, but because he wanted to make me a better writer." I can honestly say you do not get that sort of thing from just any internship. Before I knew it, I was able to hammer out a speech in no time.

Working hard in the Mayor's Annex.

Outside of writing the Mayor's speeches, I also acted as a bridge between the Mayor and the media. I would write his media advisories and press releases. At first, I did not know what a media advisory was -- that did not last long. Basically, it is an advisory you send to media letting them know an event the Mayor is hosting or will be attending. This way, they can show up to do a story on it. Press releases differ because they are information to the media about an event after it has already happened.

My last project was a Day in the Life video for the Mayor. A lot of people do not know exactly what being Mayor entails, so I was very excited to be leading this project. I followed the Mayor around for thirteen hours with two camera people. This was the most stressful day out of the summer but it definitely turned out great. I don't know how the Mayor does it -- I was so tired by the end of the day.

Although it sounds like a lot of work, I also had a lot of time for play. I quickly made friends with the other interns. We would occasionally go out after the day was over. Also, we were required to work together with several things -- so that definitely helped. Every Friday, we would go to a new place for lunch. For my last day, I chose a Korean Bistro and it was delicious!

At the Mayor's Sustainability Forum with fellow intern Ivy.

To sum everything up, my internship at the City of Cincinnati was amazing. I learned a lot about myself and the world of politics. A lot of people have this misconception that politicians are not down-to-earth people; I can definitely say that is not accurate. The Mayor always treated me with respect and I enjoyed working for him. This internship gave me hands-on experience that I will forever carry with me.

If there is one thing you learn from this, it should be that internships are extremely important. Not only do they give you the experience within your field, but also  confidence in your future. I know my internship will make me a strong competitor during the interview process.

Make sure to set yourself apart!