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Kids & Family

Young Interns Get Experience at City Hall

Students say they got a glimpse at city government and professional life this summer.

Visitors to City Hall over the past few weeks may have noticed some younger faces: This summer, as in previous years, Mayor Rob Dolan invited high school students to volunteer for the city as part of his internship program.

"The internships accomplish several things," said Dolan. "On the one hand, the work that the interns do is genuinely valued, and on the other hand, it is great experience that helps them prepare for future jobs‹and learn about how the city works as well."

About 50 students took part in the five-week program, helping out in City Hall, Memorial Hall, the Parks Department, and at the schools. They are supervised by two 2012 Melrose High School graduates, Maggie Moriarty and Emily Conn, who are both former interns themselves.

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"This group is very lively and enthusiastic," said Moriarty. "I got a lot of volunteers. There are people who do things every single day without a problem, and there are people who want to get out and try new things daily."

The interns take on a variety of tasks, helping with filing, getting out mailings, and answering phones, but this year there were a few new twists. Several interns worked with a single office, rather than being rotated from job to job, which allowed them to get a bit more depth of experience.

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Groups of interns helped make a scrapbook of newspaper articles for the Parks Department, created a photographic inventory of Main Street buildings for the Planning Department, and assisted Recycling Coordinator Jesse Schmitt with a recycling survey. And several interns have been writing articles for Mayor Dolan's blog, exploring different facets of the city and its history.

Intern Keith Lovett said that interviewing city personnel was a learning experience for him. "I think about my future a lot and try to push my boundaries in terms of what I am comfortable doing," he said. "I was not too comfortable going into somebody's office and seeing if they are OK to talk about some particular thing, but I feel more comfortable doing that now."

Isabella O'Connell got a crash course in recycling last year.

"I know what commingles are," she said, referring to the plastic, paper, and glass that the city recycles, but beyond that, working in City Hall has given her a better sense of how the city runs. She also feels more comfortable dealing with adults as a result of her experience.

"A lot of times kids aren't good at talking to people who aren't their own age, but our city isn't run by a bunch of 15-year-olds on their phones all day, so it definitely peels you away from that," she said.

For Conn, being an intern coordinator helped her go beyond what she had done in her previous service as an intern. "A lot of my job involved coordinating interviews," she said, "so I learned a lot about how Melrose operates. It made it a fun experience for me as well as for them."

"Working at City Hall, you learn how the people of each department work and how much work goes into making sure the city is safe and running and successful," Moriarty said. "I learned how to answer a phone here, how to scan documents‹skills you will need later on."

And in fact, the internship has already helped her get other jobs: "When employers see your resume and you have worked with the mayor at your own City Hall, that shows you are responsible, trustworthy, all those qualities any employer would want to find in a person," she said.

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