Public Service Intern at the Department of Education behind the Capitol
Author: Janna Morse | Majors: International and Global Studies; Spanish | Semester: Summer 2023
As I was finishing up my freshman year of college earlier this year in late April, I could not help but wonder what my summer would entail. No matter what, I knew I wanted my first summer in college to contribute to my goals for the future. Being a part of the Honors College Path Program motivated me to research possibilities for internships. I never imagined I would be spending my summer in Little Rock working a rewarding 40-hour work week as a state employee for the Department of Education. My Path mentor Madison also encouraged me to set out of my comfort zone and helped me prepare for this internship. This unique opportunity was presented by the MYARInternship Program and it allowed me to work four days a week interning while during educational tours of various state departments on Fridays.
Within the Department of Education itself, the variety of projects given to me proved to be daily gratifying challenges. From providing insight in educational development meetings, facilitating interviews and training for new state employees, helping digitize files, organizing retirement parties, to deciphering law codes, my days were rarely uneventful. The most involved project I was assigned was translating documents into Spanish, which happens to be one of my majors. It was a great, unique experience being able to help translate for the state government. The Department of Education has Learning Targets established for grades K-8 for their parents or guardians to know what their children should know by the end of every school year. I had the honor of not only helping finalize these key standards, but also translating them into Spanish. I also helped to translate two ‘Science of Reading’ newsletters they publish monthly. Translating was by far the most rewarding project as I felt I was able to make a difference in people’s lives, even from my office cubicle.
Photo with the Secretary of Education, Jacob Oliva, and the other Department of Ed. Interns
While I am thankful for my experience working at the Department of Education, I am especially satisfied in knowing that this public service internship offered me a possible inside awareness of my future career. I undoubtedly forged relationships on a state level that can impact me no matter what I end up doing in the future, and for that I am especially grateful. Being able to interact with my office coworkers daily allowed me to foster professional connections as well. I gained personal skills being able to adapt to a new working environment in an office space, learning how to use excel, and working as a team with new people on topics I was unfamiliar with, yet willing to learn about.
Furthermore, having the opportunity to explore the mechanics of various state departments allowed me to see firsthand how the state government works. It was interesting to learn about different departments from the Department of Transformation and Shared Services, to the Departments of Corrections, Inspector General, Military, Agriculture, Health, and Public Safety. We also toured several sites such as the Arkansas Supreme Court, Arkansas Federal Court, Plum Bayou, and War Memorial Stadium. Before this internship, I was unaware of just how much Arkansas is involved in international affairs. Since my other major is International and Global Studies, I was ecstatic to learn of Arkansas’ contribution to global business, especially considering some tanks Ukraine uses to fight Russia were made right here in Arkansas. Visiting the FBI Headquarters in Little Rock and learning about the SWAT, HRT, and Evidence Response teams was an exceptional highlight of my time with MYARInternship. These field trips helped expand my professional networking skills, technological skills, all while allowing me to be immersed in many aspects of state government. The speakers mostly consisted of the Secretaries of each department as well and their stories proved to be encouraging and inspiring.
Doing an activity from the Interim Secretary of Health
On the whole, this experience allowed me to feel independent as I lived in Little Rock 3 hours away from my family. This internship program not only broadened my knowledge, it also motivated me to seek new opportunities for my career advancement. In the future, I hope to intern with the United Nations or the FBI as a way to continue to jump start my career goals. I am grateful for the support provided by the Honors College and the Path Program in providing me with resources to be able to accomplish my professional and personal goals.