What were the most important things you learned from this
internship? Look back to your first blog post. Did you meet your initial goals?
Why or why not?
Wow! I can't believe my time at the Town of Gilbert is coming to an end! Where does the time go? I can't help but feel sad that I will be leaving in the next few weeks. As I reflect on my internship this fall, I can't help but think of a quote from one of my favorite musicals, Wicked. The lead character turns to her best friend and says:
Well, I whole heartedly believe this is true, because the people and experiences I have learned during my internship has changed me for good. Coming to work was the highlight of my day. I was extremely fortunate to be part of a team that challenged me to continuously grow in ways I never thought possible. I learned so much about working in municipal government such as the inner dynamics of personnel relationships, the role of government and how it affects the administration of programs and project funding, the collaborative partnerships between local and state governments and the importance of nonprofits and face-based communities to help governments serve their citizens. I refined and honed my policy analysis, research, and writing skills in addition to interviewing and program and project analysis. My internship allowed me to work in a wide array of areas from human services, volunteering, zoning and design review, and e-cigarette regulations. I even challenged myself in areas of weakness such as public speaking. Speaking in front of Town staff, the executive team, and the TOWN COUNCIL was one of the most anxiety inducing experiences I have ever had. Yet, I was able to conquer my fears to give some of the best presentations I've ever given in my life.
That brings me to one of the most important lessons I have learned during my internship. By conquering my public speaking and networking fears, I found something I never expected to find. I found my voice. The Intergovernmental Relations team let me know I was a person of worth and as such I should command respect and attention. I could go on about this, but I think I would like to keep it where it is.
There are so many people I'm going to miss now that I think about it. My Wonder Woman awesomesauce boss, Leah Hubbard; My brilliant supervisor, Heather Wikley; My fun and easy-going co-worker, Kurt Sharp; My lovable and dearest co-worker, Vickie; My other supervisor queen of the Gilbert-verse, Andi; and last but not least one of the funniest, personable, and seriously my home skillet supervisor, Gabe.
I'm extremely grateful for the experiences and time that I have had here at the Town of Gilbert. I'm absolutely thankful for the people I have met and the memories I will keep for the rest of my life. I know this blog sounds super sentimental, but I'm in the holiday mood and I just had a glass of eggnog and some delicious christmas cookies. Happy Holidays everyone.
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| Santa visiting the Gilbert Police Department |
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| The Intergov Team: Me, Leah, Vicky, and Heather |
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| My Fiance and I: Merry Xmas |
That's great you have found your voice and can comfortably speak in public! I can still struggle with this. I enjoyed reading your blog this semester too! Have a great holiday season!
ReplyDeleteOFFICE OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS – THE BROOKE BLOG:
ReplyDeleteLeah Hubbard Rhineheimer:
Brooke, working with you has been an awesomesauce experience! While your internship blog outlines much of what you have been learning during your time with the Town of Gilbert, we thought we should highlight what we’ve learned from YOU! Below are some Brooke Lessons I’ve learned over the past several months, in no particular order of importance.
• Brooke Lesson 1: I am not alone…there are still fellow Star Wars junkies out there to keep me company!
• Brooke Lesson 2: Being a Star Wars fan can lead to great job interviews.
• Brooke Lesson 3: Having the courage to ask questions – any questions – consistently leads good things: increasing knowledge, building professional relationships, impressing the heck out of people who admire your courage to ask questions, etc.
• Brooke Lesson 4: There is something to be learned – and something to be savored – from every experience…if you only look for it.
• Brooke Lesson 5: If at first you don’t succeed, try. And try again. A defining moment of your internship interview was when you shared how you applied three times for another opportunity before becoming successful.
Brooke, thank you for your work, your professionalism, your Attitude of Gratitude, your humble, willing-to-learn, can-do philosophy, and for sharing your own leadership and growth experiences with all of us. We are all the better for it! Best of luck in your future endeavors and know you always have a work family in Gilbert.
Heather Wilkey:
Brooke, thank you for the pleasure of working with you these past several months. You have been a wonderful asset to our team and certainly made all of us look good in the process! Your work on e-cigarettes in particular was very influential and will be a resource in the future as this issue evolves on a statewide and regional basis. You have certainly made your mark and I hope we have given you as much as you have shared with us. We will certainly miss you but know you will go on to do great things!
Vicky Songer:
Brooke, you are an amazing person, and it has been such a pleasure getting to know you. Your beautiful smile lights up the room, and your future is as bright as your smile. I expect great things from you, Brooke, and know that you will be a huge success in whatever you choose to pursue in life.
Kurt Sharp:
Brooke – You have been a valuable member to our Intergovernmental Team over the course of your semester with us. I think you have the skills, talents and personality to go far in life. You have a gift of having all types of people enjoy working with you. This gift is brought on by your positive attitude and putting others first. Please do not ever lose that, it will help you in any profession. Please keep in touch with us and best of luck to you as you move on to all of your future endeavors. And my parting advice to you: try to teach and learn at least one thing every day of your life and smile (even on the phone and writing emails).