Learning Points

As the semester is winding down, I am able to look back and see that I have indeed met some of my goals, but I still have a long way to go.  My internship is actually a two-semester internship and it is just heating up.  My coworker and I are part of a brand new fellowship being offered by ASU’s School of Public Affairs.  As the guinea pigs we have kind of had to roll with the punches and make a lot up as we go along.  Admittedly the two cities we were supposed to work with have had some large things on their plates, and now that that the holidays are here, some of the intended projects have been hit and miss.  However, we have been contacted about being included in a couple of really interesting projects starting in January. 

For this current month of December, we are focusing on helping the Alliance for Innovation update their 2013 case studies.  This has resulted in my coworker and I reading dozens and dozens of case studies.  This has been a welcome addition as I have been able to read numerous case studies addressing a large variety of local government topics.  These topics include everything from transportation management to water purification in the inner cities.  I believe that this will provide me with a wealth of knowledge in preparation for my working with city managers in January. 

While my internship is just beginning to heat up, I do feel that this semester has provided me with a better understanding of the inner workings of local government.  I have been lucky enough to start getting a behind the scenes look at two of America’s iconic cities.  As the cities transition into a new year, and with them promising to provide even more access, I am very encouraged about the semester to come.