Cassidy Dummitt experiences transformative internship with Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission

作者:奥德丽安娜·王尔德

在霍金县， 公共管理硕士(MPA) Candidate Cassidy Dummitt became immersed in the world of public service and local government. 通过她的实习 俄亥俄州中部地区规划委员会(MORPC), Dummit was paired with a local government within the organization’s 15-county service area. 今年夏天, Dummit worked for the City of Logan as an intern in the mayor’s office, where she was given the opportunity to exercise what she learned through the 沃伊诺维奇领导与公共服务学院 同时获得实际工作经验.

毕业后 B.A. 政治学 from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2022 and successfully completing her coursework for her one-year in-person MPA program at the 沃伊诺维奇学校, Dummitt searched for a job opportunity where her knowledge of the public sector and her passion for service could blossom. She hoped to take advantage of the exploratory nature of an internship to develop and strengthen her professional skills.

“我觉得自己是一个害羞的人，”Dummitt说. “所以建立人际关系对我来说一直是一件很难的事情. 刚开始实习的时候我很紧张，因为我觉得, ‘Maybe they have high expectations that I should have all these connections and I should know all of these things.’”

傻瓜一头扎进了她的新体验, 然而, she was happily surprised by the reality that awaited her in the City of Logan.

“They were very welcoming and they saw my skill set where it was,笨蛋说. “他们问我，‘你想从中学到什么? 在你离开这里之前，我们怎样才能帮你打开更多的门呢?’”

So, Dummitt poured all her efforts into making the most out of her experience. 虽然达米特是市长办公室的实习生, she soon became witness to the interconnectedness of departments within local and state government.

在她的实习期间, Dummitt began providing project assistance and collaborating with various other city departments: the auditor’s office, 公用事业账单, 人力资源, 代码执行, 警察部门, 服务主管和市议会. She found herself encountering a wide range of responsibilities and tasks, 例如处理财务报告, 开发和更新数据库, 协助档案的管理和整理, 并维护敏感信息的安全.

在她实习期间, 达米特喜欢和市长一起工作, as she was inspired by his passion for improving the city through implementing positive change and championing public safety. 当她观察他和他的职业道德时, Dummitt reflected on what she had learned about organizational leadership and the public service perspective in the 沃伊诺维奇学校.

“这个月我花了很多时间, 我一直在准备我的毕业论文和期末作品集, so I've spent a lot of time practicing introspection and thinking about what I learned from day one,笨蛋说. “There are so many professors that I feel like I could call them up right now and tell them, ‘You showed me this’ or ‘You opened this door for me and now I'm hands-on working with that.’”

Dummitt特别记得她的课程 Dr. Lesli约翰逊在那里她读了一本关于 乔治·沃伊诺维奇他是前克利夫兰市长.S. 俄亥俄州的参议员和州长. Reading about the 沃伊诺维奇学校’s namesake and his remarkable achievements made in the name of public service boosted Dummitt’s understanding of what it meant to work in a local municipality without expectations rooted in politics or profit.

“My favorite part of the program was learning and exploring the various leadership styles and skills,笨蛋说. “We spent a lot of courses thinking about what it takes to be a good leader and how to take what you've learned in the classroom and bring it into the office.”

偶尔, MORPC将在哥伦布市中心举办活动, where public-sector employees would gather to meet and learn about new policy changes and expectations. It was at these events that Dummitt was presented with the opportunity to gain confidence in her networking skills.

Dummit set a goal for herself: to make one meaningful conversation with someone new at these events. 她越是自我介绍, 她的关系网开始扩大, 因为她遇到的人把她和他们的关系网联系在一起.

“人际关系不是为了让你感到渺小, it's there to meet people that want to help you get to where you want to be,笨蛋说.

现在, with potential job leads in several other areas of public service across the state of Ohio, Dummitt is confident that she will be able to utilize her experience with the City of Logan to make her a desirable candidate wherever she may go.

“接下来要做的就是以某种方式找到工作, shape or form that feels fulfilling in giving back to society and making my community safer and better for everyone that lives there,笨蛋说. “This internship has certainly prepared me for what's to come next.”

回顾, 达米特很感谢她在MPA项目中的学习, as they proved to be a sturdy foundation to build her successful internship experience. The close friendships she built with her cohort members and the mentorship she received from professors are something she knows she will hold dear to her for the rest of her life.

“Don't take a day of the program for granted because it really does fly by fast,笨蛋说. “There are so many professors I've met in this program that I will always cherish and I know I'll keep in touch with them throughout the years. 沃伊诺维奇学校的人会帮助你的, you just have to have that initiative to go seek their help and advice.”