Blog: City Blog

Thanks, Summer in the City Interns!

At the luncheon concluding the Summer in the City paid internship program, Collin Dobson summed up simply what he'd done for the past eight weeks in the Information Systems Department.

"I helped out with just about any computer ill that can happen," he said.

That ranged from helping City employees reset their passwords to installing 200-pound printers in Emergency Management.

"Summer in the City is a great opportunity to get to know people and learn," said Dobson, a West High graduate and a sophomore at Michigan State. "It's been that, and more."

Dobson was one of 24 Summer in the City interns, who lent 14 City departments and partner agencies their talent, energy and fresh perspectives.

They worked with children at parks and at Safety City, analyzed the scale of planning fees, assisted with the Sustainability Department's expansion of electric vehicle charging stations, and marched in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade.

Teresa Cao interned in the Communications Department, and she did a little bit of everything: Shot photos and blogged about Juneteenth, Kid A'Riffic and a community solar project. Updated website content. Researched and produced a poster and QR code to be used to promote and interpret the impressive fifth-floor gallery of City mayors' oil portraits.

"I’d say the internship was great for helping me solidify what I wanted to look for in a career, especially in government," said Cao, who graduated from Catholic High and is a freshman at Elon. "I have always been interested in communications and marketing, and I’m really glad I was able to concentrate my energy in that field.

"Being able to see how communications and marketing went hand in hand was super interesting and eye-opening, and it definitely helped in engaging me with local government. The internship definitely provided me with a ton of new opportunities and I’m so glad I got to participate!"

Jordan Clay, who interned in Fleet Services, delighted the attendees at the interns' farewell luncheon by pulling out a violin and playing "My Shot" from "Hamilton."

Of his time in Fleet Services, he said he was happy to "get under the hood" and "become more confident about cars."

Talk about a real Renaissance man!

Dobson, meanwhile, is considering getting a degree in computer science or programming at Michigan State.

"I've always been interested in computers," he said. But then he landed a research position with an astrophysicist, doing modeling, "and I needed to learn the basics of coding."

His summer in IS was educational and fun, he said.

"I learned some troubleshooting," Dobson said. "And I was very surprised how many people I got to meet on help calls. It was a joy to go around. Great experiences all around."

Emily B. Norris, Youth Engagement Coordinator in the Office of Community Empowerment, noted that this year's interns chose a theme - empowerment - to encompass and define all their collective efforts.

"The Summer in the City intern program offers Knoxville youth a paid opportunity to work and spend time in City government," Norris said. "This year’s cohort really focused on empowerment, both how their department empowered them and how their department empowers residents in Knoxville.

"It was such a joy to experience the excitement, energy, and innovation they brought to the building and their individual placements!"

Posted by evreeland On 18 August, 2022 at 9:56 PM