51勛圖厙

���Working as a legislative intern in the personal office of U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer was an exciting and sometimes overwhelming four months.��� So begins Gianna Romano���s final assignment for Prof. Tony Carrizale���s MPA Internship class.

We caught up with Romano, who works as a legislative aide for the New York State Assembly, for a debriefing on her internship, which took place from September through December last year. ���I most enjoyed the feeling of being part of an organization that is so multifaceted,��� she said. ���Our federal government is the U.S. Congress; working in government, it doesn���t get better than that. And putting the senator���s name on my resume was a good feeling. It was truly an honor to work for such a prolific legislator.���

As one of about 30 interns in Schumer���s office, Romano���s duties were, she writes, ���understandably limited to mostly menial tasks, so keeping yourself available to any opportunity was key.��� Romano says she reached out to Schumer���s aides in housing and health care policy, ���and probably went to a hearing or briefing at least once a week.��� After attending these sessions, she drafted memos that summarized the proceedings.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Romano felt her MPA coursework helped her on the Hill. ���In the back of my mind, I had the core pillars of public administration ��� such as transparency and accountability ��� that are really important in an office setting. I think I lived up to the expectations of my supervisors by employing those MPA standards.���

Do her future employment plans include moving to D.C.? ���Yes. I was excited to come back to Albany, but working at the state level isn���t quite as far as I���d like to go in my career,��� she said. ���My office is aware I���d like to go back to D.C. after this legislative session. Then I will definitely get my resume out to offices on the Hill.���

The most important lesson learned during her internship, Romano said, is ���to be humble. You have to realize that, while your position is important, you���re not above anyone else and shouldn���t act as if you have a higher status. You never know who you���re talking to, it could very well be a member of Congress.���