Thank you.

Thank you, above all, for your patience. I came in not knowing exactly what I was getting into, but knowing that I would put my all into it. There were times when I definitely overthought situations that you knew I could handle (having you constantly check my numbers on the Sponsorship Funding Program even though I had checked, and rechecked them and they were right), and there were times when I took a risk and came up short (thank goodness the laminator survived when I thought that I knew how to operate it without asking anyone). Thank you for pushing me to be better and more responsible with every event I helped facilitate. Sometimes I took it personally, but at the end of the day I realized how much stronger it made me and more prepared for the next time I faced a similar situation. Thank you for respecting me and throwing me right into the beautiful chaos that is preparing for and running events. I felt like a member of the team and not like the intern.
Thank you for the life chats as I was leaving for the day, and the understanding when I had to leave an hour early to study for an exam. Thank you for embracing my visions even when it seemed that they would fail, and cheering me on when they succeeded.

Thank you for taking the time to teach me and take time out of your busy schedule to make sure that those lessons stuck with me. I learned so much about myself personally and professionally that will take me far in life. I hope to see you in the fall when I can come back and enjoy the events from "the other side". Although I do not believe I will ever be able to attend an event again without thinking about all the work going into it and what I would have done instead.


- Alex

Looking Back

Looking back on my internship experience is very overwhelming; in a good way. I accomplished SO much in such a short amount of time (5 months). I still honestly cannot believe that last Saturday was my final day working with my office and my final event. Tree Lighting and the Parade of Lights was a perfect way to end my time. I worked the event from 8 in the morning to 11 at night and it felt like it flew by. In the morning I was in charge of the display in the Downtown Chandler area. One of my big projects was working on making a display for the Tumbleweed Tree. I found and ordered three lighted displays that would work outside for an extended period of time. I later assembled them when they arrived and placed the informative posters that I helped design and write.

My displays

 Later in the evening I helped manage our volunteers who were assisting with the parade, and helped get parade entries set up and ready to go. An exhausting evening, but it was perfectly pulled off.

When I consider the entirety of my experience I definitely gained so much. Here are my original goals:

1. I hope to achieve a broader knowledge of working at a city level. More specifically how the different city departments collaborate and interact together to produce results for their citizens.

2. Learn what exactly it takes to effectively run a department, and all the intricacies associated with it that most are not aware of.

3. Gain valuable skills in areas such as leadership, management, organization, and cooperation to take with me in whatever path my career takes me.


I worked with not only so many different people in the Recreation department, but many people outside of it as well. Part of being able to help a citizen organize a special event is being able to get approval from different city departments. The same is true for our own events. During the Tree Lighting event there was a miscommunication between our department and the traffic control that resulted in a major street not being shut down at the correct time. Luckily we had people in the area that realized what was happening and where able to tell us so that we could then contact traffic control to get the issue resolved quickly. It could have very well been the case that without our relationship with traffic control that this problem could have taken a longer time to resolve, at the risk to event goers, or that another bad situation could have resulted.

Running the Special Events department, or any department for that matter, is no easy task. Aside from the basic job description of being in charge of special events you are involved in writing city code, managing staff, managing equipment, being the go-to person for special event related questions, being the liaison when it comes to organizing special events, and being involved with committees to lend your expertise to name a few. Much like school you can be in charge of five different projects at a time and still be responsible for the basic duties required to run your department. I learned how to better organize my time and how to stay on top of my work. I learned that getting the job done often requires going above and beyond what is minimally required of you to excel at your job. I learned that you need to be flexible when things go wrong, but that you also need to be responsible for your shortcomings. Above all I learned that nobody gets to where they are without trying, and that sometimes means taking risks. For someone like me, who often focuses on perfection, it was difficult to learn these things, but I believe it will make me a stronger boss when the time comes.

One big skill I learned was that of being confident. I had the chance to go out to lunch with my boss this week and discuss my experience and where I was going from here. She commented that when I first started I was very timid and a little unsure of myself, as was to be expected. Right around the middle of September, though, she noticed that a change occurred in me, I become more confident in my work; I asked less questions and took charge of my projects. Something clicked in me and I became not just an intern, but a valuable member of the team. This was reassuring to hear because throughout my time I often felt unsure of myself or if I was making the right decisions. I definitely felt more confident in my role, but still was very critical of myself.
I also gained so much from interacting with so many different people. It felt odd to sometimes delegate tasks to people that were older than me and more experienced, but I just kept in mind how I would want to be treated when working with both staff and volunteers. I made many new friends and was met with respect with every event I attended.

This experience was one that I can take with me wherever I go in life, and one that I am grateful to have been given to help make my way in the world.

That's a wrap!

Organization Strengths

There are many strengths that my organization posses. They are very well run and organized. I have always felt that we were on top of projects that needed to be done and were always prepared for event day. The event coordinator in our office had a checklist that we would go over the week of the event to accomplish different tasks on different days. This helped us to not feel so overwhelmed, and to help spread the work out over the course of a few days. Loading and unloading equipment came become very tiresome! There were several times when we finished ahead of schedule on event set up days which allowed us more time for other projects, and made the whole process less stressful.
When it came to event days she always had a checklist of what needed to be done to set up/run/and clean up an event. This made it very easy to help direct staff and volunteers on what to do and help with, especially for someone like me who was new to the whole process. I felt that everyone had a place and job to do and everyone's time and energy was maximized and used to their full ability.

Other strengths of my office was in the way that communication was handled and how organized my boss was. They had a very specific timeline once a special event application was received, and a great organization system to make sure that nothing fell through the cracks. They were extremely timely in their responses to the public and I think that is very important when are you in a public service position. Every question from someone simply calling in to ask about a special event to someone wanting information on their application was treated equally.  If I were in charge of a similar organization I would probably do things the same way, but more catered to how I like to do things. This department is a great foundation for me to base my actions off of in the future. Having no previous experience running a department of any kind I can think back to my time here as a strong basis.

Career Service Write Up 2

Today I met with a career coach in the business school. Ever since I have been actively working in my internship I have enjoyed the special events process more and more. The other day I was thinking that maybe this was leading me down a career organizing corporate fundraising/special events for a nonprofit or park service organization. Or working for a corporation that helps out nonprofits, such as Kohl's and Petco. I would love to combine my experience and my degree to serve the public in this way.

The meeting was extremely helpful. We completely vetted my resume and worked on beefing up the descriptions of what it was I had done in my internship and previous work experience. We talked about goals I had for the future, and different ways to market myself. She gave me several examples of different nonprofits that look for new graduates to start out in their company and move up to working full time. She gave me dates of several career fairs to start attending in the spring if I decided to go the corporate route.

We also talked about how to interview. She pointed out that I often got caught up in the details and process of what I accomplished. For example I went into great detail about the Sponsorship Funding Program and the different ways I helped orchestrate it, but I never mentioned why I did it or how it made me feel. She explained that this was great I could explain the process, but also might make me come off as robotic if I wasn't able to explain how the project made me feel. I had no idea I was even doing this! I have so much to say about everything I have been involved in and could on for hours about it, but I was so nervous in an interview I completely forgot to mention them. I took other notes on how to improve my interview style. They still make me nervous, but I am confident I will be better at them in the future.

I attended one career fair last semester with the goal of looking for an internship and seeing the different organizations and companies that were out there. I was extremely nervous beforehand, but the event was actually a lot of fun. Everyone was so nice and welcoming and I walked away feeling better prepared to face the real world. The whole process of applying and interviewing is still daunting, but I am looking forward to what is out there for me after graduation.

Life Lessons-Free Write 11

One of the biggest things I did not realize about working for Special Events was the amount of physical activity that goes into it. I mean I realize I would be  out in the field quite a bit, in fact this is what I prefer. What I did not realize is how hands on the coordinator got. We were right there doing everything alongside the volunteers and other staff on top of other managerial things. I took a look today at my steps on my health app yesterday after everything was done at around 4. I know this is accurate because you can bet that I went right home and laid down for the rest of the evening!

I love it though. I love feeling like I worked hard and accomplished something.

Another thing I did not realize was how close I would get to the people I worked with. I knew that I would develop a relationship with some people, but I also knew that most people saw interns as being temporary and therefore would not make an effort. I have no idea if it's just the City of Chandler or what, but working with the staff has been such a positive experience. I have met so many different and interesting people, and all of them have been so friendly and welcoming.
I was crossing the huge field at Tumbleweed after Woofstock to get to my car and all of a sudden I hear "Alex!" Perplexed I turned around and saw a woman I had worked with early to clean out the dog water fountains we proved the guests. I had maybe interacted with her for an hour talking about work and our personal lives, but here she was calling out to me, "Have a good day, I'll see you at Tree Lighting!" Building community is so important to me, and in that moment I felt like I belonged. I wasn't the outsider anymore; I was the confident intern who was able to interact and relate with staff I had just met, and even those I had known for a couple of events, in a positive way.
It has been great to learn how to manage staff and volunteers. Being able to experience both working alongside them and asking them to do certain tasks has made me a better leader. The great part about recreation is that I am able to help with the work I am asking them to do. I would never ask them to do something I was unwilling. I envision myself in a career where I have the opportunity to get out from behind my desk at points and get out into the field. Recreation offers that perfect balance.

I am becoming more confident by the day. Not just in my professional development, but personal as well. I find that even if something seems impossible all I have to do is think "Remember that time you helped organize, run, and set up an event for 5,000 people?" and suddenly I don't feel so small anymore.

Woofstock- Free Write 10

We hosted our third event yesterday and I can't even begin to describe how tired I am. Physical prep work for an event starts days before, so on Thursday we began pulling out and cataloging supplies we would need. Friday consisted of loading all the supplies at City Hall and the Community Center into our trucks and bringing it to Tumbleweed Park. All in all it took 2 trips and loading/unloading supplies 4 times. On Saturday (event day) we started early at 5 in the morning. The City of Chandler has a huge trailer that they use for events and other things. It contained all the tables and chairs and trashcans and canopies we needed. I was in charge of helping unload and distributing them around the park at the appropriate areas for vendors that had requested them. Let me just say that "Easy Up" canopies are anything but.
Woofstock is our only dog-centered event and we had so many related activities there. We had a dog psychic, dog massage, a fur parlor (a mobile grooming company that airbrushed eco-friendly, washable tattoos on the dogs), multiple rescue groups, and lots of recreation activities for dogs such as agility and a lure course (an obstacle course that has the dog chase after a toy on a wire). The event itself started at 9:00 and was so much fun and such a success! I was so impressed with all the vendors and participants we had. There was almost virtually no trash and everyone cleaned up after their dogs. Later in the day I helped orchestrate the "Pet Parade" which showcased dogs and their owners who had dressed up. The participants loved it and it were surprised when I handed out actual medals to the winners! At the start of the day I did a walk-through to make sure the vendors were all there and in the right spot. Throughout the day I checked up on them to see how it was going and to ask input on what could be improved. It was a great exercise in conflict resolution and also with interacting with the public and clients.
Overall, though, the feedback was great and people loved the event. The Maricopa Animal Care and Control was there and reported that they had adopted all of their dogs out by the end of the event, That sounds like success to me! My family even stopped by with my dogs:

Wally and Marty say: "We love the City of Chandler Special Events!"

Policy Writing- Free Write 9

I mentioned it in one of my earlier posts, but we are currently working on helping to write new policy for a stage that was just constructed in the area next to our Community Center. Most of the language is already there from an old Standard Operating Procedure we are using to help guide us. However it was my job to take the information my boss gathered about the stage and event area and place it into the old SOP and delete parts that were not applicable to our new policy. It is ironic because in school I have written thousands of papers; some I loved to write and others not so much. When I was younger I always felt like writing would not be that big of a skill I would take with me, and here I am! I am very much enjoying writing the new policy and moving the different sections around; it's like a puzzle. I also love being able to find just the right word to succinctly say what I mean without going on and on for pages. Others may think it is both boring to write and read, but I have truly found one of my passions in life.

In other news I am working on designing a display for Chandler's Tree Lighting Ceremony in December. There are three displays with pictures and a history of the tree lighting ceremony. I wrote out the entire display with information I pulled from Chandler's website and archives, Chandlerpedia. After I was done with that I sent it to the person in charge of graphic design. She did a beautiful job putting it all together with pictures from over the years. She gave me a few designs and approved one and we sent it tot he print shop. We just got them in today and they look great! I am in the process of putting together display box I found for them. However the display box is outdoor-proof, very large, and also is self-illuminated. It has been a struggle correctly installing it with all the wires and various parts, but my spirit is not dampened. I am so excited to put one together and put the sign it in and see my project from start to finish. These displays are very robust and will last quite a long time; long after I am gone! I think it is really cool that something I have worked so hard on will be with the city for many years. My own little legacy.

Public Service

I think that my internship is the epitome of public service. How much more involved in public service and policy can you get than local government??? Even though we are one small section of the government, and that people often do not relate Special Events to public service, we serve the public every single day. As part of her job my boss, the Special Events Coordinator, oversees events that the community wishes to put on. This can range from nonprofits holding fundraisers to corporate family events to holiday celebrations. You name it I've seen it come through my desk as I learned to process the applications and issue Special Event Permits. When someone from the community wants to hold an event there is a specific process they have to go through to be approved. Once we receive their extensive application, detailing the where, when, how, what, whys of their event, it must go to other departments for approval. If you are closing down roads the police department has to be aware, if you are using open flames to cook food the fire department has to be aware, if you are selling items the tax and licensing department has to make sure you are up to date, etc. There is so much to consider, but we need to make sure that both those putting on the event, those attending, and those that live around the area that will be affected will have the best and safest experience they can have.
When we are putting on events ourselves for the community we have to be aware of our target audience and what activities, vendors, and locations will be the best for the majority of people. Before my internship I had no idea the months of planning, preparation, and deliberating went into hosting one 3-4 hour event. Even if you think an idea is great or terrible, you always have to consider it through the lens of what your citizens would enjoy.
We also use public service in instances where codes and policies need to be written to assist the public in easy access to city property. My boss is in charge of renting out the city equipment. "Equipment" includes rental space (parks and designated event areas), our portable stage, areas to hang banners to showcase upcoming events, etc. Policy and procedures need to be put in place to ensure that everyone has equal access to these items and that we have a way of keeping track of them and have guidelines for their use. Not to mention being aware of the going rate of fees around Arizona Parks Departments and keeping ours close as possible to being consistent with them. I wrote early about how I assisted in that project and it took close to a month of hard work, persistence, and research to be able to provide the most updated information to the city council.
Working for the Recreation department is no walk in the park! But it is so rewarding serving the public in this fashion.

Spooktacular- Free Write 8

With one event under my belt we quickly headed into the next one the following week! This time my day started at 8 am, but ended at 11 pm... However it helps that I simply love Halloween. The morning went by smoothly even though we were worried that it would rain again as it had the previous night, but the sky held. It was a *beautiful* morning with cloud cover and just enough sunlight to keep us warm. The previous night we had gotten all of the supplies out of storage and organized it. That night I also helped the Mayor's Youth Commission set up their haunted house in one of the Community Center rooms. The morning of I was in charge of setting up and decorating the "Spooktacular Graveyard"pictured below,

It doesn't seem like much, but it took over 3 hours to assemble. From putting up the gates, to strategically placing the tombstones and other spooky items around, to putting cob webs around the entire thing it was quite an undertaking! The pumpkins were delivered from a local farm in Chandler and that took enough 30 minutes walking all 250 of them from the truck to the cemetery. It was worth it in the end from the multiple compliments I received from both personal and guests alike! It was a huge hit and all the pumpkins found homes with families who had the option to paint them at the event.

Spooktacular was a little different from Day of Play because we had no outside contractors (like we did with the table/chair/booth set up at DOP) and did all the work ourselves. I have to say my heart broke a little when we disassembled the graveyard. At this event though I learned how to manage staff and volunteers and was given more responsibility in that area. We had the Chandler High ROTC join us and help run the various carnival games, one of which I was in charge of. Having never managed people before I felt a little awkward asking them to do specific tasks, but I always made sure to thank them for their service and would help them with tasks when I could. In the end it made me a better, more confident leader. One of my certificates is in Leadership and I was finally able to apply some of the concepts I had learned to the real world!

Normally the event draws about 1800 to 2000 people, but my boss said this year they probably had the highest turn out with about 3500 people attending. It certainly felt that way! It was great seeing so many people come out, though, and appreciate all our hard work. It was also great seeing all the little kids dressed up and having a blast with all the activities. Serving the public in this way is so rewarding and I am loving every minute of it.

Day of Play- Free Write 7

Well event day finally came and went! I started my morning early that day at 4:00 am arriving at Tumbleweed Park. My normally 20 minute commute took about 10 minutes. Maybe I should try getting up and going to work earlier?

Once there I realize why I had to be there at 4 am. There was SO much to do even with all the other preparations we had done the days before. At around 5:00 we had our tables and chairs delivered and set up. This was a huge help seeing as we had about 40 vendors or so and lots of extra tables for people to be able to sit at. Myself and another staff person did various tasks such as hanging sponsorship posters on the stage, labeling each booth area so vendors would know where to set up, assisting vendors with questions they had about their booth sites, and any other odd job that needed to be done. Once the event got underway I ran a booth where families could come get a piece of chalk and draw under our huge ramada, or rent out sports equipment such as volleyballs and horseshoes to play with in our designated activities area. Interacting with the public was different this time than I had ever experienced. I had to keep in mind when answering questions and resolving conflict that I was representing the City of Chandler. Not that I would ever be rude or disrespectful at a professional engagement, but for the first time I realized that I was, for all intents and purposes, a city official. I wore the same shirt as paid professional staff and had the same knowledge, so I could not hide behind the excuse that I was just an intern if I had a poor attitude or gave wrong information. I looked like everyone else. It was a little daunting at first, but I eventually became more comfortable as the day went on and accepted the responsibility with grace and everything went great.

We had about 2000 people attend from all age groups. When the event was over at 1:30 we all worked together to take down signs, fold up tables and chairs, pack supplies away into our parks and rec trailer, and clean up the field. Surprisingly we were done at about 3; the Chandler staff really know how to work together and work efficiently!

I was not as tired as I thought I would be when I got home, but the next day was a different story. I woke up SO so so sore in parts of my body I never knew had muscles. It was worth it though, because as one little girl put it as I handed her some chalk, "This is the best day ever!"

Successful event? I think so.

* As a side note I took lots of photos but my 4 year old Galaxy decided it was it's time to go so I lost everything.

Event Preparations- Free Write 6

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Yes because it's fall in Arizona and also because this weekend is my first special event! Day of Play! We are extremely busy at the office getting ready and I am excited to report back on it next week! For now we are getting last minute things ready such as making posters, finalizing schedules, printing out scripts, gathering supplies from our storage units and marking the Tumbleweed field. This Thursday I have been instructed to come directly to the park instead of the office and dress in a t-shirt I don't mind ruining and shorts. I have no idea what's in-store for me, but I am looking forward to getting my hands dirty and working hard.

Two of our carts

In other event news we were also preparing for Spooktacular last week by going to Sam's Club and buying what felt like their entire supply of candy.

Starting to fill the carts up

I really liked this bag design

 We had made a budget and knew exactly what types/how many bags of candy to get based on what was bought last year. However when we got to the store we realized that they no longer stocked certain types of candy and that the prices had increased dramatically by $2 or $3. It does not seem like a lot, but when you are working with a strict budget it can be difficult. What we ended up doing was collecting the candy we wanted, and that they still had in stock, and calculating that price. After we got that number we went in search of other candy types, to replace the ones we wanted but they no longer carried, to fill in the remainder of our budget. Who knew that shopping for candy could be so stressful?!

Unrelated to the process, as we were leaving a huge dust storm hit. Gotta love Arizona.

Leadership

Leadership plays a significant role in my internship, but it also takes on it's own definition. My boss, the Special Events Coordinator, is the primary leader in the Special Events department. She is the one with the most confidence and knowledge in her role. My second boss is the lady who works underneath her, the Event Coordinator I. I look to both of them to help guide me and teach me about my role in the organization, and they both look to each other for support in effectively planning events. It is an extremely interesting dynamic between the two of them. They both respect each other's opinions and work well together to flawlessly pull off events as well as help coordinate outside party events. They work well independently as well as together. I hope one day to have the same working relationship with my boss and employees. 

Currently there is not a whole lot of room for me to able to demonstrate any leadership skills as I am still learning so much and growing tremendously. However I do have the opportunity to show leadership by taking initiative with projects, voicing my opinions and concerns about ongoing projects, and being proactive with getting items ready for events. I have completed several projects on my own and have been given more responsibility as the weeks pass by. Currently we are working on writing all new policy for a stage that was just constructed and will be available to the public to rent. It may sound boring to some, but writing is my passion as is policy. I am slowly, but surely, becoming more confident in my role!

Both my co-worker and supervisor display leadership capabilities on a daily basis. I see it when I watch them interact with vendors at our special events, when planning and negotiating with other city departments, and when I watch them take on projects or work that was not originally theirs, but needed to be done. I admire their work ethic, and it still amazes me that it is only two of them collaborating together to pull off 7 special evens throughout the year. 

The Interview

For this prompt I interviewed my boss: the Special Events Coordinator for the City of Chandler!

1. What are your main job responsibilities?

She oversees 1 staff person and together the two of them produce 7 city wide vents throughout the calendar year. She also works liaison for a board of staff from different departments that review, approve, and oversee the application process for events produced by outside parties on city property. Finally she manages rental equipment for use within the city limits.

2. How did they choose this career?

When I asked her this question she chuckled a little and responded "I didn't so much choose this job so much as it fell into my lap" It was her sophomore year at Arizona State University (Go Devils) and she was working at Sun Devil Stadium under the athletic events department. Over the next three years she worked in the office of the office of the Sporting Events Coordinator gaining more and more responsibility. Eventually she was hired on in an "emergency" situation with the Athletic Department. After working there for a few more years her current position at Chandler became available, and with the encouragement of her staff and management at ASU applied for and was accepted for the job.  

3. What type of education or training is needed for this position?
 

From the time she started to now the industry has changed. Just a few years ago the focus was more on "learning on the job" as opposed to formal education. It relied heavily on taking from other industries and modeling it. Since then it was discovered that more education was needed, and today there exists a multitude of classes/programs in universities as well as more associations/organizations that provide continuing education. In this position one needs to be aware of many different areas such as finances/budgets/law (contracts and risk)/negotiation/economics/sponsorship. As she put it there are so many little details to be aware of. 

4. What advice would they give to someone interested in this field?

 

Make sure you are in the right mindset; it takes a different person to do this job. It is not a Monday through Friday or 8 to 5 type of job depending on what needs to be done. Start early and learn from the ground up. You are more likely to succeed if you can relate to people, and never be afraid to ask others for help or advice. Nothing is original; it is always something massaged to fit the current situation. 

5. Do they notice any new trends in the field? 

Social Media. It has taken events and programming to a new level. Everything from how websites are designed to provide information to how it has changed the interaction with the public. It completely changed the  way people have marketed events. She warned, though, that even with social media being as popular as it is, there still remains a balance between utilizing it and not. Many people in the community may not be logged into social media and you still have to be able to market in a way that reaches them. 

6. Any advice you would give to someone interested in public service?

This was a question I asked out of my own curiosity. Working in the public sector is completely different than the private and I wanted to hear her take on it. He advice was to remember that you are there as a servant to someone's way of life. Everything you choose to do or not do impacts a community. It is important to learn how to balance one person's differing opinion for the greater good. You can never please everyone. Everyone in the city limits is your client and clients always believe they are correct. 

Out of the Office-Free Write 5

The weather in Chandler was beautiful today so we had the opportunity to go out into the field and get some tasks accomplished. First we went to Downtown Chandler to switch some of the banners we previously hung up to advertise new events that would held in the next coming weeks. We also took a trip out to Tumbleweed Recreation Center to hang up our banners for Day of Play. The park is huge and we had three different posters to hang up around it. Pictured below is one of them. I think I have a future as a photographer.

When we got back to the office we then had to go out onto Frye Road and measure it. Sounds odd I know.... Recently, though, they just completed construction on a huge apartment/condo complex around the street. In doing so they extended the side walk into the street and also created areas for people to park on the street. Frye Road is one of the streets the City uses for their Parade of Lights event in December. Previously the width of the street had never been an issue and cars, floats, and walking groups were able to pass through safely. Now because the street is smaller we have to measure to find out the exact dimensions and then write new policy on the size of floats and walking groups we can allow in the parade. It was an interesting and unique challenge I did not consider, or even realize that the Special Events department had to be aware of and deal with. We received several odd looks from passers-by, and then we had to ask the construction workers when the project was going to be complete and when the road would open back up. We also had to consider when they were going to start leasing the apartments as that would mostly likely bring in heavy traffic from people coming to tour them. I learned so much today, and definitely got my exercise in.

On an unrelated note I am heading out today for an extended Fall Break (two days isn't enough in my opinion) and going to Disneyland with some friends! I cannot believe we are half-way done with the semester.

Career Service Write Up

Over the summer I met with Maryjo Zunk to talk about the internship opportunities that had been offered to me. At the time I received offers from the Girl Scouts of Arizona, Social Security, and the City of Chandler Parks and Recreation department. What was initially just a meeting to sign papers to make one official turned into an hour and a half long discussion about my future career. I was a little lost on which one to pick so we discussed the different options. Whatever option I chose she recommended that I still continue to network with he various career events. I ended up going to a career fair that month. We also talked about what led me to choose the current degree program I am in and what I wanted to do with it. She continued to stress the importance of going to career events and making as many connections as I could while still in school, especially since I had an idea of what I wanted to do but no specific direction. She also spoke to me about the new Public Service Academy that the College of Public Service and Community Solutions was just starting. She said they were always looking for passionate people such as myself to participate; it really made me feel proud and thankful to be in the School of Public Affairs.

Just recently, though, I visited another Career Coach on the Tempe campus who helped me review my resume and cover letter. I had a good foundation, but it was definitely time to update them. My biggest mistake was not going into detail about my experiences. I wrote vague statements that alluded to the things I had accomplished, but nothing of substance that would grab a potential employers eye.

I also discovered that using your LinkedIn on your resume was a smart move, and not something that would be inappropriate. Additionally she told me that it would behoove me to say that I have mastery of certain social media sites; all of which I had no idea! If you want to check me out: 

www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrawadsworth

Let me know if I can make any improvements! 

Projects- Free Write 4

I finally completed two big projects I have been working on since the beginning of September. The first one was Special Event Sponsorship Funding. Every year the City of Chandler gives out grant money to nonprofits around the valley to help them deffer some of the cost to host a special event. This year we had 14 nonprofits submit applications, and my job was to review all of them to make sure the information was correct and then enter them into a database. I then had to compile all of the information and send it out to the 6 board members who would decide which organization got what. I then organized the panel meeting and invited all of the groups to send a representative to speak on their behalf. After all the funds had been allocated I then had to re-enter that data and notify all of the organizations of how much money they would be receiving that year. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it took over a month and a half from start to finish!
The second project was a research project on the various fees that the Parks and Recreation Department and the Special Event department charges as well as the policies they had in place for certain programs. We wanted to compare what we were currently doing with what other city's were doing. This also took quite some time as I had to track down the information from 7 different cities, and any information that was not provided I had to them call the various departments within the city to hopefully find the answer. Finally after making several calls and sending several emails I was finished with all the information I needed to gather and presented it to the Recreation Manager. She will then take the information I collected and present it to the City Council to make a ruling on what policies, procedures, and fees we need to update for the coming year. It was a little daunting at first making sure I completed this project by it's deadline, and also that all the information was correct. It is really cool, though, to think that my hard work will actually be going into effect and into changing policy that will effect the City of Chandler residents. In a way I left my mark on their history!

Snedigar Park- Free Write 3

For weeks I have been listening to those I work with talk about the various parks and recreation centers, often referring to them by an acronym or a nickname. I felt so left out! Last week I finally got to take a trip out to the famous Snedigar Park. I was impressed with how big it was. It's sort of a combined sports complex/park with a recreation center. Towards the back of the park is a huge warehouse that the Recreation Department keeps a majority of the props and equipment they use for special events. Recently one of my projects was to find and order a cart that could hold the 30 "A" frame carts they use to post signs, information, directions, etc. They had arrived on one of the mornings I was in the office so we took a trip out to see if the frames would fit. To say I was nervous was an understatement! When we finally set everything up the frames just baaaarely fit. I was more relieved than proud of myself that I could read measure dimensions correctly.
 I was wish I had gotten a picture of the warehouse and carts, but right after we were done we had to head back to hang up signs around the city for upcoming events. It gave me a chance to talk to my boss for a bit; both to get to know her better and for her to get to know me better. She was concerned that I wouldn't like working all day at an event and that it would be a lot for me to take in all at once. I assured her that I was not intimidated by working hard outside all day; in fact I prefer it! I am so excited for the events we have coming up in October.
On an unrelated note I know it was officially the start of Fall a few days ago, but being outside in Chandler all day begged to differ. Although it was hot it was nice to get out of the office for a day and be outside working. I was so sweaty after and immediately came home and jumped in my pool. I also slept soundly for the first time in what felt like forever. Now I know I belong in the outdoors!

Being the "New" Gal- Free Write 2

I am loving my internship so far. All the people I am meeting and the different opportunities I am having. However I am struggling with being the "new" kid right now. It has been so long since I started a new endeavor; I have been in my current paid job for about a year and a half now and feel very confident there. It is strange to be getting to know the layout of the office, how different technologies work, and how things need to be done. I feel like I am getting down on myself when I don't do something right the first time, even though I know there was no way I could have known before being taught, After all that is what interning is all about right? Learning?
I guess I just put so much pressure on myself to be the best. To get everything right the first time and exceed expectations. If anything this internship is not only teaching me the specifics about working in a city government setting, but also about how to be realistic about my capabilities. I will always put 110% into everything I do, but it is ok on occasion to fail and learn from that. I am not perfect and will never be, but that will not stop me from being successful. I think if I were to approach my future government job with the mindset that I can always succeed or know the right answer it will prevent me from growing or coming up with the best solution.

I am reminded of the quote that Thomas Edison is said to have said about his many failed attempts at creating the first light bulb:

"I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work"

I have not failed, I've just found 10 ways not to use the copier.

A Not So Typical Day

It's cliche, but there really is no "typical" day for me in this internship. You never know what could happen, and I think that makes it exciting! There are days when I know I have specific projects to work on and I balance my time throughout the work day to accomplish them, and then there are other times when I think I am coming in to work on a project, but something has just recently come up that morning that needs my attention. Take for example the other day. I had been working on a research project the previous day for the city's annual tree lighting event. In Chandler, during the month of December, they have a huge Christmas tree made entirely out of tumbleweeds (yes actual tumbleweeds) that is strung with up with lights. It is a tradition going back a few years and this year they found a sponsor who was willing to pay for professional signs and lights to be put in front of the tree depicting its history. I had been working on finding a sample of signs to present to the sponsors. Naturally when I arrived I went to my desk expecting to be working on the research project. However I was told by the other coordinator I share office space with that the flyers for our upcoming event, Day of Play, had just arrived and we needed to sort them into piles of 25 and package them up to send to the Chandler Unified School District office by that Friday. No problem!

A sample of one of the flyers

25,000 flyers and 3 paper cuts later the job was finally finished. I had not expected to be working on this project for 2 days, but when duty calls you answer! I was glad I was there to help get the flyers out to the Chandler schools in time. I am really excited for Day of Play and seeing all the fun the kids will have, and I am also excited to help run my first event!

The entire table was covered when we were finished

Must Love Dogs- Free Write 1

I have found that thinking of something to free write about has been much harder than having a prompt to respond to. I think I've been in school too long! I suppose I could discuss the one thing I love more than being outdoors, and that would be my two dogs. I have two Shetland Sheepdogs named Marty and Wally. Wally, or Wallace, was rescued from a pound about 3 years ago. He is about 7 (we think) and has slowed down a bit; he is mostly content to take a quick stroll around my neighborhood and hang out at home. We noticed he seemed a little down when we would all leave for the day and thought that maybe a new friend to keep him company would help. Along came Marty who was named after Marty McFly from the Back to the Future series. A local rescue had broken down a puppy mill/hoarder type situation and he was among the dogs rescued.

Wally on the left out to eat with his friend Kenize on the right

Marty when he was about 4 months old

He is 7 months old this month and it has been very rewarding rescuing him and watching him grow. I take him everywhere I possibly can and have recently started to train him with some basic commands.
He loves going on hikes with me, running his agility course I have set up in the backyard, and playing tug of war. His presence has even made Wally liven up a bit and play like he was a puppy again.

Dogs have always been a big part of my life. Before the two current ones we have I raised two service dogs. The bond you can have with an animal through positive reinforcement training is incredible.

What would you say.. you do here?

The organization I am interning at is the City of Chandler Parks and Recreation Department. To get more specific the department is actually comprised of two divisions; the Parks Division and the Recreation Division. I am interning for the Recreation Division in the area of Special Events. I work directly under the Special Events coordinator and in conjunction with her Coordinator Assistant. It's only a two person department that puts on all the special events for the City of Chandler! These two ladies do so much, and of course they have the help of other city departments, but for the past month I have been hands on in helping coordinate the events.

In terms of what I will be doing for them it varies. Overall I will be assisting in helping coordinate the Fall events. They include Chandler Mayor's Day of Play, Halloween Spooktacular, Woofstock, and the Tumbleweed Tree Lighting. In between all that is various other projects for the department that include things like researching other city's policies and procedures in regards to special events and public space, working with other community programs and nonprofits to help them with their own special events on public property, and so on. I love the variety so far, and I look forward to all the unique challenges I will face!

Welcome!

I'm completely new to the concept of blogging, so bear with me over the semester! My name is Alexandra Wadsworth and I am a senior (scary!) in the College of Public Service and Community Solutions. My degree is in Public Service and Public Policy (Nonprofit Leadership and Management emphasis) and I have a minor in Parks and Protected Area Management as well as two certificates in Public Administration and Management, and Leadership and Ethics. I stay busy that's for sure! This semester I am interning at the City of Chandler Parks and Recreation Department in the area of Special Events. My immediate boss is the Special Events Coordinator.

Through this internship:

1. I hope to achieve a broader knowledge of working at a city level. More specifically how the different city departments collaborate and interact together to produce results for their citizens.

2. Learn what exactly it takes to effectively run a department, and all the intricacies associated with it that most are not aware of.

3. Gain valuable skills in areas such as leadership, management, organization, and cooperation to take with me in whatever path my career takes me.

My first love in the world are parks and recreation areas, and throughout my college career I have been fascinated by government at all levels. No matter what this internship brings I am excited to learn from it and experience it!