Prompted Post #8: Experience in the Workplace

Internship at the Mayor's Office

This past summer I was grateful enough to get an internship through The City of Rochester Hills in Mayor Bryan K. Barnett’s office. Rochester Hills is a thriving city of 80,000 people which meant that there was always something to do and I loved growing up there but going into this internship I just expected a lot of paperwork coming my way and it to be an overall boring experience. From what I’ve heard of city government from school and the media, I originally pictured an office full of cubicles just doing paperwork, with no interaction or fun taking place at all. Those were my expectations, but my reality turned out to be just the opposite.

                                                                                                                                                            

Throughout my internship, I did a wide range of activities from searching for grants, to doing odd jobs, and I even went to Detroit and help cleaned up the neighborhoods for a day, but the part I liked the best, even loved, was the interaction with the people in the office. My supervisor was the Mayor’s Assistant and I was lucky that she took me under her wing and was really invested in me and what I had to offer. There was never a dull moment with her along with everybody else in that office either. What I'm trying to say is that I've made relationships at that office that I’ll take with me for a long time and I’m so grateful for that.

My perception of City Hall had completely changed after my internship had ended and it just made me realize how much good the Mayor’s Office does that people can’t see from the outside looking in. It’s not at all corrupt like the media portrays the government to be and I think this is very important because everyday the people in that office and most of all government offices go out of their way to help people.

At one point the Mayor sat down with me personally and explained why he loved his job and the little things that he does, that he doesn't have to do, just to benefit Rochester Hills like walk around the park and ask people about their day. I could see his passion for his work and the City and I completely believe some people over look that.

Also, in the Mayor’s office, the phone was constantly ringing with complaints and my colleagues handled them with the utmost respect and tried to fix them as quickly as possible. For example, a stop sign was bent over and we got a truck out to fix it to prevent accidents. Even when a new resident came into the office, we introduced ourselves and gave them a welcome packet and it had a positive effect on their day. It's really the little things that they mayor's office does that has the true effect on people and overall the community.

I can honestly say that I loved working in the Mayor's Office and made a lot of great connections and it's really opened my eyes up to the things we, as a community, take for granted and it's really important to acknowledge that because without the hard work of those individuals we wouldn't have the communities that we grew up in or are currently a part of right now.

                                                                      -Riley

Sources:

"Goofy Government in Boulder." Boulder County GOP. N.p., 29 May 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

Michael Dwyer. "A Taste of Rochester State of the City Address 2015." Rochester Media. N.p., 1 Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.