In the end....

 This entire internship experience was so beneficial! I learned so much and I grew with the variety of projects and assignments I was able to work on. My initial goals after my interview were as follows: 

• Learn of various departments of the City, especially those I know I wouldn't necessarily enjoy (aka, water treatment). I continuously want to expand my comfort zone and learn about things that don't necessarily come easily to me or appeal immediately to my interests. 
• Present to City Council in a formal setting. Although my previous internship had me presenting to superiors regularly, there is a difference when presenting in a public setting with elected officials. Learning the skills and needs of public presentations and practicing those skills is imperative for a future career in city management.
• Better understand the needs of a smaller community. I'm a Arizona native and frequently visited Casa Grande while growing up. However, it's certainly a different type of city than where I grew up in Mesa or when I worked in Scottsdale. I wanted to better experience and understand the differences between the communities I knew and the one I would be working in. 

I The City gave me the opportunity to work with or observe multiple departments in the city, even if I didn't do a project with them, I was able to tour or learn about their projects. This variety in assignments allowed me to go outside of City Hall and experience the differences in the community structure from what I was accustomed to. I had opportunities to talk to community members and see what a tight-knit community feels like. My last day with City of Casa Grande I was able to present to City Council on a lease agreement that needed to be approved with Casa Grande Mainstreet. City Council meetings are televised and put online for public viewing afterwards. It was an interesting experience to be sitting up with council in the front of the room as a staff member presenting. They asked a couple of questions in a joking manner and it passed 7-0. Talk about a great first experience presenting to council! 

All in all, it was so much better than I ever could have imagined. I had opportunities that I never could have imagined that will undoubtedly benefit me in the future. 

Fairs, fairs, everywhere, fairs!

Part of our duties while being in Los Angeles is to assist with some of the recruiting events as needed. Travis and I have been quite successful in talking to interested students about the School of Public Affairs at the various campuses and we've been able to see a lot of Southern California schools!

First was La Jolla in the beginning of October to attend the Graduate School fair at UCSD. We set up our booth with all of our handouts and SWAG and anxiously awaited the students arrival. We talked to a handful of interested students and were able to spend time talking to the rep from W.P. Carey.

Travis and our booth! 

At La Jolla Cove after the event

The next events took place at the end of the month. First was UCLA. It wasn't as successful as UCSD, most students that came to the fair didn't seem to be interested in Public Affairs...we were in a row of various Public Affair and Social Work programs and our aisle was mostly a ghost town. Next we ventured to UC Riverside. What a crazy day! We talked to so many interested students about the School and what the career options are with an MPA or an MPP. We even talked to a professor who was interested in the PhD program. One student came up before the fair even began because she had already been looking into our program and had some more questions about it. 

A week later, I met with Nicole Boryczka at USC for another fair. We talked to a handful of students who were interested in the new hybrid program. ASU SPA offers the MPA degree in a 16-month hybrid format if students attend full time and stick to a structured schedule. All but two classes can be completed online and two classes, one in the first semester and one in the final semester, are weekend intensives. This option really appeals to people who are interested in the program but aren't wanting to relocate to the valley because of family or a job. 

All in all, it's been a great experience not only seeing these other schools but also being a part of ASU in this capacity. It's an entirely different side of things and a great opportunity to lean new skill sets. Tabling at an event and recruiting experience is something else to add to the resume!