My time as the Management Intern for the Village of DeForest was invaluable. I was immersed into every function of local government and trusted with responsibilities that had real implications on Village staff and community members. My top three takeaways were:
- The public can be difficult to work with. People often form their opinion with limited factual information and run with it. Public service is as much about educating as it is about serving.
- Accountability is important. Own your mistakes, keep lines of communication open, and build relationships with coworkers.
- Take pride in your work. You get to be partially responsible for improving the quality of life of an entire Village. Use that as your motivation to keep going.
At this point, I have only taken one La Follette course: PA 520. However, learning how to write policy and analyze inequities proved very useful when I conducted research. One surprise was the amount of feedback and input our Village receives from non-residents. This tells me that the decisions made in DeForest may have an impact on neighboring communities as well. In hindsight, I would have taken a more strategic approach to some of my work which may have saved me time.
I would highly recommend this internship to future students. It has impacted my career goals for the better. If you are looking to build a wealth of knowledge of the workings of local government while taking ownership of progress, this experience is for you.
