Post 15.

Human nature always compels us to find closure in the things we do. Whether it's ending a relationship, making a sandwich, or writing a final blog post, there's an innate tendency to find some way of connecting the beginning of an experience to the end and try and make sense of the stuff in between. I won't attempt to do that now, simply because this doesn't feel like the end, even though this is the final assignment I have to complete before I can consider myself among the "graduated". I don't expect reality to hit me until Fall semester starts for everyone else and I find myself sitting in my living room with nothing to do. And it will be awesome!!

I'm fortunate to have been able to spend a semester at ADEQ. Not only did I get state-level exposure but I got to experience a day in the life of a public administrator. It made me realize how vast the public sector really is and what important roles public employees play. It was fascinating to watch how these men and women traverse the complex world of politics while still providing a high level of public service that tries to uphold the department's mission. Seeing the day to day redefined my definition of government and made it something tangible. I don't think people realize how accessible local government can be (the federal government is a different story entirely ;)) From this experience I have been able to gain a better sense of how I want to serve in the public sector and what opportunities are out there for someone like me.

Best of luck to everyone!

-L

Post 14.

About three-quarters of the way through the semester my supervisor was assigned to a different unit and so the Community Outreach division was reduced to two: me and the newly assigned supervisor, Felicia. Considering that I was going to be leaving in 2 months I began to wonder how she would be able to handle all of the community involvement responsibilities on her own. This is a reality that many consolidated units are now facing and will have to find a way to "do more with less". As much as I hate that saying, it has become the new motto for the public sector.

It is difficult to say whether we will be able to uphold our duties as public servants without the necessary resources and manpower. Although individuals are capable of doing great things with very little it is hard to instigate real change without the support behind those actions.

I know Felicia will try her hardest to fulfill the Community Involvement responsibilities mandated by law but it will be hard for her to find the time to go that extra mile that is sometimes necessary for building sustainable relationships within those neighborhoods.

Well now what are you going to do?

Since announcing my graduation I have heard this question at least a hundred times in the last two weeks. And I still don't have an answer for it. For those of you who moved to this great state for school and are now faced with the dilemma of whether to stay here or move back to your respective state, just know that I too am struggling. While these past 6 years have been amazing, I see more job opportunities in my home state of Washington. Yet, I think that AZ needs more people like us to get it through these hard times. However, I don't see many positions opening up in local or state governments here and I don't know if I want to hop around from job opening to job opening for the next 3-5 years. I'm aware that many unknown opportunities present themselves once you throw yourself into the job field but if I am going to commit myself to staying in AZ and working my ass off for an organization I would like to have a better sense of job security than what is currently being given. I've heard from too many people about the massive layoffs happening all around the state and although Washington is not immune to this recent phenomenon it is not any worse.

So many things to think about...

Costa Rica is looking better and better ;)

Post 13.

Collaboration is an amazing process when used to increase public value. I had the opportunity to help my supervisor and a few of our co-workers put together a video intended to help users navigate ADEQ's website. It outlined the basic features of the website and showed them how to use the various tools available to look up different information about neighborhoods and communities around the state.

The idea for this video did not come from upper management it was simply put forth by a few people in the office who felt it would be a helpful feature for citizens who visited the website. Since it didn't come from upper management it was an unfunded project and most of the man hours it took to complete the 10 minute video were off the clock. It was a great way to see the different sides of people around the office. The GIS engineer also happened to be a film enthusiast and used his professional video recording equipment to shoot all of the scenes. He was also tasked with editing the film, and for those of you who have ever edited film before you know what a time-consuming process it can be. I estimate that he spent close to 100+ hrs shooting, editing, re-shooting, and creating a musical score for this video. Given that it was going to be sent to the department heads to be authorized, this had to be a quality video that stayed within the boundaries of what the department was allowed to publish. This required a lot of pre-planning to ensure that all of the content would be suitable for upper management.

The video featured a few of my co-workers who were excited to get their 15 minutes of fame. I played a key behind the scenes role as the script holder! It was a really fun experience and was a chance for us to step away from the pressures of the office and do something different but still work related. It was great to see the many hidden talents my co-workers possessed and to have all of those talents come together to make something that we all felt would be a contribution to the department.

The final product turned out really well. I was very impressed by how professional yet entertaining it was. When I left ADEQ they were still awaiting approval from the director but I can't see a reason why he wouldn't give it the ok (unless it was for budgetary reasons).

Post 12.

Another great practical learning experience I was able to take advantage of was sitting in on meetings. My supervisor always involved me in all the major happenings of the division. Whether it was a regional projects manager meeting or a simple unit meeting where the four of us planned out the next week's tasks, I got a glimpse of what daily life would be for someone in that position. I think a big challenge for someone coming into the public sector for the first time is just getting used to all the formalities of mandates and how that dictates many of your job responsibilities. Being able to traverse the mandate world seems like half of what it takes to be a successful manager. As an outside observer, I felt it was a constant struggle for those in the office who were familiar with the technical side of the job to effectively handle the administrative side. Many of the project managers had special skill sets that served them well while they were on site or developing plans but when confronted with the task of updating public files or other measures pertaining to public information it was a game of catch-up. I definitely think this will be an important issue to address as more departments are downsized and units merge with each other, the need for skilled professionals in all areas, technical and administrative, will greatly affect the level of services being provided. Some agencies have been able to achieve this balance while others still remained divided.

As my last days as a "student" near, I think about what I would have done differently knowing what I know now. One thing I wish I had pursued was a science degree. I always had an interest in geology after I took a general studies course in it but never thought I would be able to use it in my career field. I do think there is more of a need for young people to pursue degrees in more technical fields as it will always benefit you in some way regardless of what your job turns out to be.

Post 11.

While I was at ADEQ, the department was experiencing waves of layoffs and voluntary retirements much like the public sector is experiencing now. I recall one week that was particularly bad where many of my co-workers appeared paralyzed by the threat of being let go. Many of them stayed in their cubicles all day or just seemed really detached from everything going on in the office. Although there was still work to be done, many of them felt they didn't have to uphold the "business as usual" perception if they were just going to be fired the next day. It was a noticeably different atmosphere that week and I found it hard to console some of the people I had been working with on a daily basis-some of them had been at the department for most of their career and the thought of being laid off was too much to bear.

It was amazing how quickly attitudes changed. This particular division was very close-knit and there was a camaraderie that I sensed from the very beginning. Every day there was something new that brought everyone on the floor together-whether it was just some tasty treats someone baked at home or a lottery pool. Other times someone would bring in a box of vegetables they grew in their garden or someone wanted to share a photo album they had been working on in their free time. All of the personal tensions you often hear about in office cultures seemed to be ameliorated by a general feeling of respect for one another. I was amazed from the first day I arrived at how well everyone got along with each other which is why the layoffs hit us pretty hard. In one day four people were gone from just one side of the room-that was a very sobering moment. As a manager I couldn't imagine how to approach such a sensitive subject and expect my subordinates to continue on "business as usual". Unfortunately, as budgets continue to shrink, this will become the new reality for many public organizations.

Is civic participation dead?

One issue that constantly comes up in public administration is how to get better civic participation. It's an issue that all levels of government face but not all of them make it a priority-not that it's an easy task by any means.

I'm in my final intensive course this weekend and we had the Deputy Director of Phoenix speak to our class and he confessed that he makes it part of his routine to engage in community involvement every chance he gets. Although he has a lot on his plate he still finds time to talk to residents. If someone as busy as the Deputy Director of Phoenix finds the time to engage citizens why can't someone in a local department or agency? Sure there is public participation when things are at there worst or there is an important decision that needs to be made but why does it end there? One of my classmates asked "why doesn't civic engagement happen all the time; in good times and bad?" I think he brings up a good point. One complaint by public entities is that residents aren't informed on the issues and don't take interest in what's going on in their communities. Could it be because we expect residents to come to government and not the other way around? Given the pervasiveness of advertisements and marketing schemes, why do we not inform people of issues that really matter to the same extent? There seems to be a need for a complete re-ordering of cultural values in this country. I hope that it happens before it's too late.

Post 10.

As I got more outreach events under my belt I realized that more environmental education needs to be done in communities, homes, and schools. Although the public is constantly being bombarded by "green" marketing it's clear that many people aren't retaining the information being given to them. At our booth, we would ask passer-bys to answer one environmental question in order to pick a prize from our treasure chest. Although we had a dozen or so questions that spanned across all grade-levels many people couldn't answer even the most basic of questions. For example, we asked "what are three ways you can be environmentally-friendly at home?" Most people were able to provide 2 ways but many struggled to think of anything beyond "turning off the lights when you leave the room" and "using cfl lightbulbs". While it's great that consumers are aware of products like cfl light bulbs they know little else about the full circle process that recycling often entails. For instance, many people said they used cfl's but hardly anyone knew that you shouldn't dispose of them in the trash.

Disseminating that type of information at a state level proves difficult for departments like ADEQ and although they make information available on their website many citizens don't know about those resources.

Can any of you think of a better way to get important information out to the public, in a meaningful way, that will ultimately lead to changes in end-user behavior?

Career Service Webinar-Resume Writing

First off, I would like to thank career services for conducting webinars...it is extremely helpful for those of us who don't have a lot of extra time in their schedule to run to campus. Today, I gained additional insight into the best practices of resume writing. Mary Fachman really outlined the nuts and bolts of what a successful resume should include and not include. It's always nice to hear the different perspectives people have and evaluate what will work best for my particular circumstances.

One piece of advice that stuck out in my mind was to include a thank you note-while i have heard that before it is a dying tradition that could really set you apart from other applicants. I guess it's a sign of the times, but it seems like a nice gesture that requires very little effort and shows the employer that you appreciate their time.

Have any of you experienced that?

Post 9.

One of the best lessons I learned while at ADEQ was to be organized! It sounds like such a trivial skill but when you've got a lot on your plate and you're in charge of managing several teams it is crucial that you can keep track of all of your responsibilities. I won't name any names but many of my colleagues were not the most organized members of the organization. You just walk into their cube and there's stacks and stacks of papers and boxes and filing drawers with labels that have been scratched out or replaced. It's not necessarily an issue of losing important papers it's just being able to find things when you need them. Many times I found myself having to stop by coworkers desks a few times in order to retrieve a document or a computer file.

I suppose a lot of the backlog is due to the slow transition from paper filing to digital filing. While I was working with the Administrative Assistant we worked to re-organize their filing system-each document that goes out must be recorded physically and digitally and returned to the appropriate folder. It's a time consuming process that's tacked onto the long list of things the Admin. Assis. is in charge of. Even though it's mindless work it's all part of the public sector's commitment to the people they serve. Having those documents available to the public for viewing is a critical aspect of transparency.

Coachella

Although the semester is winding down and I have quite a bit to finish before the end of this month I keep getting distracted by all the fun things I could be doing instead. This weekend I found myself at Coachella-my first time and certainly not last. It was hot as a mother but we all braved through the heat and survived the four days of utter chaos. Luckily, I'm acclimated to 95+ weather, my Canadian friends however, were not as fortunate and looked as if they'd melt at any moment.

As far as the performances, there were not any acts that blew me away but there were a few that stood out from the rest. Some of the best shows were the lesser known artists that played at the Do-Lab.

It was quite an experience and I recommend going at least once if you've never been. I'm sure I'll be kicking myself at the end of this week when my final project is due, but you've got to take advantage of being young before it's too late!

For those of you about to graduate-the day is near...best of luck with finals!!

Post 8.

One of the tasks that I both hated and loved was transcribing public meeting recordings. For every contaminated site that is listed either under WQARF or Superfund, the Outreach Unit has to create a community advisory board (CAB) that functions as a go between for the impacted neighborhoods and the parties involved in the clean-up, whether it be those responsible for the contamination or an outside company contracted to clean up the site. Throughout the process, the details of the site are presented to the CAB as are the plans for how it will be treated and what that might mean for the residents living around the site. While I definitely advocate the creation of a community board, it oftentimes doesn't function as it should. Listening to the meetings that sometimes lasted 2 hrs was painful, even for someone like me who had background knowledge of some of the presentation material. The presentations were often highly technical in nature especially when they had the geologists outside of ADEQ present their findings to the public. In some cases, the public meetings were meant to deliberate on what would be the best course of action for the site and who the responsible party should be. You can imagine how heated some of these "discussions" got as companies tried to wiggle their way out of paying for the clean-up while local residents were greatly concerned about how this would affect their neighborhood.

I recently watched a PBS special regarding a small town in Kentucky who is fighting against coal mining companies. Here, we have a similar situation where a community advisory board is chosen to discuss what the best course of action should be for their town. Should they accept the monetary compensation offered by the coal companies that will ultimately end in mountaintop removal? Or should they fight the coal company and band together to help support their local economy using other means? Surprisingly, the little town won the battle utilizing simple strategies like public meetings and writing letters, but the difference was that the whole town participated and got behind a cause.

One of the main complaints from the supervisor I worked with was that they didn't get a lot of participation from the residents and it was like pulling teeth to form some of the community boards because people didn't "have the time" or thought it wasn't worth the effort and so on and so on. Unfortunately, this is the state of affairs in most US cities. Citizen engagement is a declining trend but is one that has the potential to be the most powerful-if only people realized it.

Soundwave Music Event

I don't know if any of you are into the electronic music scene or raving til dawn but if you are, and you didn't attend Saturday's Soundwave event, you will be happy to know that it was a huge success and scored big points for Phoenix's music scene. The event was held (legally, of course) at Big Surf right here in Tempe. It was backed by a major production company called Insomniac who organizes massive parties (100,000+ people) all across the West Coast. Even though the weather didn't hold out for those of us who wanted to utilize what the water park had to offer it was truly a unifying experience for everyone huddled together trying to keep warm while listening to our favorite djs. Major artists in attendance were Diplo, the guy from the Blackberry commercial ;), Boyz Noize, Anasia, Kraddy, and Planet of the Drums, a drum n bass super group consisting of the most talented dnb dj's (and mc's) in the world-they put on an awesome show!

Now, I know some of you may be thinking, "Raving?! I don't do drugs and don't want to be around people who do drugs and I don't want those flashy little lights in my face", which is a fair judgement-but if that's all you think raving is then you're missing out on the reason why people continue to go to raves weekend after weekend well into their adult years (and some beyond). I urge you to look past the stereotypes and media exploitation of raves and go to one with a few of your good friends and see what the fuss is all about. Leave all judgements at the door and just dance your ass off and meet new people, you may even run into someone you know!

If you're interested in looking into what parties are being hosted in your town/state/country check out: www.dontstayin.com

Post 7.

Another great follow-along I got do was with a project manager who was conducting preliminary tests at a site that was still in the planning stage. Contamination had been determined and now the team was evaluating the extent of the contamination and the best approach to cleaning it up. Although the results from these tests form the basis of most of the major decisions regarding clean-up, I discovered that a whole lot more goes into these projects that simply producing a few numbers. During this follow along I witnessed how teams measure the parameters of a contamination site using something called an auger flight. It's a crazy piece of machinery! These giant drills (for lack of a better word) punch holes hundreds of feet into the ground. Depending on the type of material they are drilling through this can take hours or sometimes days. They then go through a series of procedures for placing the measuring tools into the holes and sealing them back up so that they can take readings over the next few days or weeks. This job takes an incredible amount of technical skill and ingenuity...they often run into hang-ups along the way and have to come up with creative ways of completing their tasks.

Although this sounds like simply construction work, it has much larger implications. The measurements that they take will be used to construct a plan that will ultimately prevent the contamination from spreading and possibly contaminating surrounding areas which in some cases can be neighborhoods, water supplies, or other public places. So much behind the scenes work is done on these projects that often goes completely unnoticed by the public. But I guess that's the job of the public servant.

Career Service Workshop-Resume Writing

Today I attended a career service workshop that focused on resume writing. Scott was our instructor today and he emphasized the importance of content. We went over how to professionally discuss our accomplishments in our resumes and received great handouts that provided examples of action verbs we could use to describe the various responsibilities we've had in our careers and academics. For me, this is the area I've struggled with the most-how do I professionally explain the jobs I've had and the skills I've utilized in those positions? The handout gives me a starting off point for constructing my resume and I look forward to talking about my strengths and skills in a professional manner. Although these workshops are provided all year round I feel that they should be integrated into the university curriculum in every department. Resume's are something that we all have to write at some point in our lives and getting a head start or at least start thinking about how to view our life and work experiences in a manner that will be helpful once we need a resume would be more beneficial earlier on.

Costa Rrrrrrrrica!

Since we have 5 posts that can be about anything we want I figured I'd tell you all about my recent trip to Tamarindo, Costa Rica. I'm not really one to boast about the things I do or places I've been but I must say that Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places I've encountered in my life of traveling. Being the daughter of an airline employee I've enjoyed the benefits of cheap airfare and in all of my travels, Costa Rica is one of my top destinations (so far). What makes it great is not the sandy beaches, perfect waves, gorgeous volcanoes, or lush forests, it's the people. PURA VIDA!! The people of Costa Rica are so proud of their country that they go out of their way to make sure that you enjoy it as much as they do. The "pure life" as their motto goes is not only something they say after just about every sentence but it is truly a way of life for them. I would happily trade my middle-class life in the US to be able to live the "pure life" in a modest shack by the ocean. Being in a country like Costa Rica reminds you how little you need to really be happy and that happiness is attainable through very small means. I know I sound like a typical tourist disillusioned by the promises of a tropical paradise that has been created by man to get people to spend their money and come back for more, but I think Costa Rica is the real deal. How could a place that has no army, an impeccable human rights record, and is a top contender for "greenest" country in the world be an illusion?

Post 6.

In addition to working on Community Outreach projects I also participated in ADEQ outreach events. ADEQ participates in several enviro events across the state all year round. Interacting with the public is a major priority of each division at ADEQ and all employees are encouraged to attend any and all events they can fit into their schedule. This aspect of the job is embraced by many of the employees who often put extra time and effort into planning these events to ensure that the public is receiving the best information possible in an engaging and interesting way. The Earth Day Event at the Cesar Chavez Plaza downtown was an especially fun event I attended because it was as much a learning experience for me as it was for the public. It's always a challenge to figure out how you will attract people to your booth long enough to get them the information they need. Some organizations gave away recycled bags or they had other fancy giveaways. While this is a great strategy it is also a very expensive one and for a department like ADEQ who is not necessarily trying to expand their "brand" it is not a tactic they often use.

With budgets becoming even more restrictive there is a need for cheap and creative solutions. Talking with some of my superiors, I recalled a class from my undergrad that dealt with persuasion. There are several harmless tactics that one can use in order to motivate people to behave in a certain way. Social proof is one of those strategies that works very well in an environment where there will be a lot of traffic and you are trying to gain participation and create interest in your product or message. Since we had to work with what we brought with us, we utilized the Earth Day Pledge Sheet to draw attention to our organization and let the social proof theory work its magic. Just the fact that passerby's saw people signing our giant pledge sheet was enough to get them to come over and check out our booth. In the end, we got people to commit to recycling in some capacity, they felt good about being a part of something important, and we were able to put a face to ADEQ so that people didn't feel so intimidated about asking important environmental questions.

Post 5.

I had the pleasure of working with many of the project managers in the division and even got to go on a few field trips! I visited a handful of waste sites around the county-all in various stages of the clean-up process and observed just how technical the job can be. A project manager must be attuned to the department's needs, the project's needs, the stakeholder's needs, and the public's needs. They must be knowledgeable in the technical sciences in order to work with the contractors who devise the Work Plan, they must possess interpersonal skills to address any questions or concerns of the public, and they must be politically conscious if they are to satisfy the needs of all of the parties involved. Many of these projects involve public organizations at all levels of government. In some instances, ADEQ must work with the military or the EPA. At other times, it deals with local businesses and industries. On one follow-along we visited ASU East to ensure that all residents living on campus were in compliance with a state mandate regarding clean-up site regulation. Even when a project has been "completed" that does not signal the end of a project manager's responsibilities to that site. Oftentimes, project's require frequent check-ups to ensure that all treatment systems are still in place or that there are not any new problems springing up out of the blue. It's an ongoing process that could last for 20 years or more. For example, in my home state of Washington there is a major federal clean-up site in Hanford that will be ongoing for the next 30-40 years! A project manager at this site could spend his entire career in Hanford! Despite the magnitude of some of these projects they often go unnoticed. I doubt that many of you even realize how many waste sites are located in AZ-some of them may be in your neighborhood! The silent heroes of the public sector are the ones that should be getting all the media attention, rather then the ones accused of fraud and corruption. I guess that's the unfortunate reality for many public servants.

Post 4.

A second aspect of my internship was assisting the Administrative Assistant. I learned that a lot goes into that position and it requires someone who has a range of technical, professional, and personal skills. It also demands that you are able to creatively problem solve and figure out your own system for doing various tasks (effectively). The woman I was working with had an amazingly efficient system for everything! She was incredibly organized and typically created her own procedures for many of the duties she was in charge of. Most of her systems were developed over time, mostly through trial and error. She continually thought up new and interesting ways to accomplish her daily tasks in the most time-effective ways. I really admired the relationship she held with the manager of my unit. They worked very closely on various projects and she always had great suggestions for how to streamline processes and make the overall experience better.

Not only was she a great Admin Assis. but she was an awesome person as well. My first day, she invited me to lunch and introduced me to several of her co-workers whom I instantly connected with. I was so grateful that she brought me into her lunch circle and made me part of the "group". The relationships you make with the people you work with are so important to the quality of your work and the quality of your work life. "Vibing" is critical to producing "best practices" and being able to come up with new ideas. I gained a lot of useful, practical knowledge from my time working with the Admin. Assis. and I am glad that I was afforded that opportunity.

Post 3.

Every intern position has its drawbacks and half way through the semester I discovered what mine was going to be. DATA ENTRY!! My manager approached me one day and said, "Lindsey, I think you're ready to learn how to use one of our primary data systems" and I thought, "Sounds interesting, when can we get started!" Little did I know that learning the system would automatically volunteer my services to anyone in the office who was behind on his/her data entry work. Soon, I was flooded with stacks of papers from different project managers that needed to be entered into the system. Although this aspect of the job was tedious and boring it is an important part of working in the public sector because it ensures that agencies and departments remain accountable to the public and that the public has access to all the information available to them. This raises an issue that I have with the public sector and education in general.

Upon entering the MPA program, I had very little knowledge or experience in politics, government organizations, or anything within the public sector really. I had no idea that ordinary citizens could access the millions of documents each of these departments and agencies possess on the thousands of cases they deal with each year. And although I consider myself a well-educated person I was completely ignorant of my right to all public information. Many of my classes discuss the lack of civic engagement and participation currently plaguing our society and I have to put part of the blame on our de-emphasis of our right to public information. More people would get involved if they felt the government was accessible to them and had experience utilizing some of these resources to gain knowledge about everyday things happening in their communities. Starting in primary school we should have kids looking into agency documents so they know they can always have an affect on their world.

Post 2.

As an intern in the Community Outreach Unit I discovered the many mandates that guided much of the work that the employees conducted. Most mandates only hindered the unit's efforts to distribute information to impacted communities and hold public awareness meetings. The unit struggled to gain significant public participation in the issues facing these neighborhoods and often felt frustrated by the limitations placed on the activities of the community outreach team. There were some exceptions of course, since some neighborhoods were located in major federally funded contaminated sites where large construction projects were going to take place which could potentially impact the livelihoods of these homes and families. In these communities, more citizens rallied for the cause and attended most meetings. However, these often ended in frustration because the representatives of the businesses being held accountable typically gave very scientific and convoluted presentations full of technical language and subject matter unfamiliar to most in the audience. These were mainly geologists and hydrologists explaining the different types of treatments they could use to clean up the contamination but who were seemingly unaware that most people from the neighborhoods did not have a technical background.

When I was given the task of transcribing the recordings of the meeting to be used as public record I often thought that all of these professionals could really benefit from one refresher course in public speaking and presentations. Rule #1 for PowerPoint slides: do not use too much text. Rule #2: keep the number of slides to a minimum or you will lose the audience's interest. So many of these presentations went on for 45 minutes to an hour and a half. It was at this point that I realized how much we are needed in the public sector. Just the simple things, like putting together a presentation, could be greatly improved with the input from someone who has just gone through 6 years of presentations! In some situations, a stellar presentation could mean gaining support for a project with additional funding or simply helping your constituents understand an issue facing their community. I had several "aha" moments during my time at ADEQ where I realized that my education will help me in the real world-which made me happy about my decision to spend all that money :)

Post 1.

The format of my blog posts may not follow a traditional format since I will be writing from memory. I interned in the Spring of 2010 at the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. I spent most of my time working in the Community Outreach Unit of the Waste Programs Division but also helped on smaller projects in other units. The experience as a whole was very informative and incredibly fun! The supervisor of our unit made an effort to involve me in all of their activities, meetings, and events-I really gained a sense of what it was like to be a part of their team. She also volunteered my services to other managers around the office who were working on a variety of different projects and who had a variety of different tasks they needed help with. Everyday I learned something new and interesting! And everyday I got to work with someone completely different than the day before. One day it would be a geologist, the next it would be the Administrator's Assistant, and some days it would be a phone conference with people from different parts of the state. I was exposed to many facets of environmental regulation and clean-up-an area of interest that I hope to pursue after graduation. I experienced the administrative paperwork involved in documenting and processing environmental claims, the use of science and technology to extract hazardous material from the water and soil, and the human side of communities who are fighting to protect their homes and the quality of their environments.

I intend to use this blog to share with you the many great experiences I had at ADEQ and I look forward to hearing about your internships as well.