Ottawa County Clerk Elections Intern -- Round 2
Lizzie
Experience Information
Employer: Ottawa County Clerk -- Elections Division
Job Title: Elections Intern
Major: International Relations
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
The Ottawa County Clerk - Elections Division is primarily responsible for facilitating elections throughout the year. They also process voter registrations and campaign finance documents. The main supervisor is also responsible for assisting candidates, committees and any citizens with questions they may have about the election process.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
Throughout the semester, I researched various topics � the biggest research project I had involved researching elections hardware around the state and around the country. I also worked extensively on a video project for the Clerk's office which was well received by other County employees.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
gained a lot of confidence in many of my existing skills and feel like I can articulate those skills much better. I also gained a lot of knowledge about the elections process, campaign finance laws and other intricacies of the elections system. Finally, I enhanced my research skills a lot and expanded my abilities further.
Favorite Part of the Experience
I really cherished the friendships that I gained from my experience. Working in a professional environment was really encouraging and a very nice change from my regular retail job. I also appreciated how much responsibility and trust I was given during this time. Justin allowed me the flexibility to take on new projects and contribute new ideas to the conversations we had. I felt respected and valued as an employee which really showed me what to look for in future employers.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
After this experience, I now consider local government to not only be more important but somewhere that I could work and spend my time. Communicating directly with the citizens at a face to face level really is exciting to me and I feel like one can create more impact going about it this way.