I’ve mentioned my internship a few times, but I haven’t really explained what I’m doing this summer.
I’m currently working as an intern in the Community Development Department for a local municipality. I’m going to describe my job in terms of the show Parks and Recreation, so try your best to follow along.
(DISCLAIMER: If you haven’t seen Parks and Rec, stop wasting your time reading this blog post and watch a few seasons. You can find it on Netflix or your preferred sketchy streaming website)
Parks and Recreation chronicles the lives of an eccentric group of government employees who work to provide services to their city. Leslie Knope, the main character, works especially hard to improve the quality of life in Pawnee and preserve the city’s character. She’s a bit awkward, yes, but I admire her character’s utter dedication to serving her city. Plus, Amy Poehler is just amazing.
My office is a lot like Parks and Rec, except that everyone is a Leslie Knope and there are no Jerry’s (seriously, you have to watch the show to understand this post). Unlike the mostly incompetent city workers in the show, my coworkers have multiple degrees and crazy expertise in their fields.
Being the intern, I would technically be the April Ludgate, but I like to think of myself as a Leslie Knope-in-training (slightly awkward yet dedicated workaholic is my middle name).
April Ludgate is the apathetic, lazy, and rude intern. While I love the character, she’s not exactly the intern I aim to be.
My job is to update the 1994 inventory of historic properties. Since the inventory hasn’t been updated in 20 years, no one has any idea if the properties are still in tact. Using a super high-tech and expensive GPS mapping device, I travel the city each day with a fellow intern surveying sidewalks and mapping historic houses. We spend about three hours each day walking around the city, and then I return to do intern tasks (work no one else wants to do, consisting of lots and lots of Excel spreadsheets).
The work I’m doing will provide the city with information that will help it better preserve historic assets. I love that I’m out in the community doing something I’m passionate about. I’m also really grateful to have coworkers who are more than willing to teach me the ins-and-outs of local government.
TL:DR I’m doing work I really enjoy, and I hope to have a positive impact on the community while learning about local government. Basically, I’m becoming Leslie Knope.
#ootd: bright orange construction vests. It’s the new summer intern look.
Dorm Diaries 