Governor's Intern, Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)

Major: Government & Politics, Communication

Class Year: 2023

LinkedIn Profile

 

 

 

 

What was a typical week like in your internship position?

During the course of a week at MSDE, I would draft press releases, edit language and collect information for internal and external communications, participate in planning for upcoming events, and more.

 

 

What do you enjoy most about your current position?

I most enjoyed working with the team at the Office of Communications at MSDE. It was great to work alongside people with such varied areas of expertise -- from graphic design to journalism to social media -- and see how everyone's strengths came together to make MSDE succeed. Perhaps one of the most valuable things I learned from my internship was what kind of work environment I'm looking for -- and MSDE was exactly it.

 

 

How has your coursework helped you in your internship?

My coursework in both majors taught me how to diplomatically communicate policy statements and ideas. Navigating public opinion can be difficult, which is why it is especially important for an organization as critical as MSDE to focus on serving the public first and foremost.

 

 

How did you locate your internship position?

I applied for the Governor's Summer Internship Program and was placed with MSDE based on the written responses on my application and my ranked choices of placement. 

 

 

Advice for students:

Throughout the course of your internship, keep a daily log of your accomplishments. This is great for looking back at the end of your internship and providing your supervisor with proof of the value you added. Having this accomplishments log is also helpful when you're updating your resume and you need to remember what you worked on.

 

 

Anything else you want to share with students about your experience?

Always keep an open mind about new opportunities. I wasn't sure I was necessarily interested in the press or journalism, but writing press releases was one of my favorite responsibilities at my internship. You never know what might pique your interest.