Intern: My Departure from Sam's Office as the Summer Draws to an End
Andrew Tuttle
It's Friday morning at City Hall. The daily hustle and bustle that seems to flow through this building has hushed to a dull roar as the weekend approaches, and I am preparing my status reports so I can hand off my assignments after today. Its hard to believe that three months have already passed since I joined Sam's office as an intern in the final weeks of May after I returned home from school for the summer.
I wish I could describe (and give justice to) the genuine acceptance I received upon joining Sam's staff. Not only was I warmly welcomed, but I was treated, immediately, as an equal among a group of highly educated, eloquent and passionate individuals. While being simultaneously intimidated and inspired by the caliber of the knowledge and work around me I found myself on an educational roller coaster that fostered and forced me to explore and develop my own faculties and abilities to problem solve, research and serve the public.
I feel truly honored and gifted to have had the opportunity to work so closely along side such a dynamic and talented elected official as Sam. His experience and knowledge of his work impresses me daily and his ability to remain collected and focused in the face of constant obligations and stressful situations continues to baffle me. Perhaps I am so amazed because, unlike him, I can't seem to manage stress for the LIFE of me. However, I can't give Sam ALL of the credit. Sam would agree with me in saying that much of the credit goes to his staff. And this is where I could go on for hours. My desk in Sam's office was conveniently located on the NE corner of the inner-portion of the office. A place of heavy traffic and close proximity to many of the people that I had the complete pleasure of working alongside for my time in Sam's office.
I believe that every person enters our life to serve a very specific purpose, and from this staff I have learned not only about city government and bureaucracy, but much about myself. To them I want to extend my greatest thanks and appreciation for sharing with me their knowledge and experiences. I greatly value the relationships I have made here and those relationships have been just as rewarding as the knowledge I will take away from this internship.
Nothing in life is picturesque, of course, and like every other job or opportunity in life, I had my fair share of trials and tribulations as an intern. I was warned before joining that Sam's office was very fast-paced and my reality would probably be trial-by-fire. And trial-by-fire it was. I would like to think that I rose to the occasion, and after some wavering attempts, I think I'm finally getting a handle... no not a handle (that's far, far, far too ambitious)... an understanding of city government. But what I will never understand is how Sam can drink black iced tea with two inches of half and half like it's water. I don't think i'll ever get that one...
I want to thank Sam and his entire Staff, a group that I am so thrilled to call my friends, for this unique chance. As one of the first interns in the office, I hope that I have helped to set the bar, and I can only hope that others will come and blow that bar out of the water. It has been a true pleasure, to say the very least. Thank you, all. Berlin here I come!
Posted by Andrew Tuttle on August 12, 2005
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I am a student at PSU graduating this fall with a bachelors of science in Psychology. I was also an officer with the United Indian Students of Higher Education and have enjoyed school and the experience of keeping the budget up-to-date with UISHE. I'm going to start graduate school Winter Term in Public Administration and my advisor Theresa is guiding me from Psychology to the business side of public service. I've worked for the City and County of San Francisco for 5 years and the State of California for 5 years. I've also worked for the Federal government for 3 years with the Indian Health Service. Part of my studies in Public Administration is being an intern for a few months. Reading your testimony working in Sam's office reaffirms my decision to go to graduate school and learn as much as I can in school and get the experience of hands on in City Hall. Thank you, when the time comes I hope I can intern with the Mayor's office or with one of the Council members.
Posted by: Gregory D. Smith | Sep 22, 2005 11:48:58 AM