Makena Fitzpatrick: Education Engagement Intern with Hennepin County Education Support Services

This summer, political science undergraduate Makena Fitzpatrick worked with Hennepin County Education Support Services as an Education Engagement Intern. Read the below Q&A to learn more about Makena's internship experience.

How did you find out about this internship?

I was in the Urban Scholars program, so I found it through placement selection in the program. I found the Urban Scholars program through Handshake and I also knew people in the Undergraduate Student Government that had previously completed it.

What were your day-to-day responsibilities?

My day-to-day responsibilities differed, but I typically found time to work on my main projects for about three hours, then attend to whatever else I had planned for the day, whether that be one-on-ones with other county employees or attending an event with the Education Support Services team. On Mondays, I attended the Scholar Monday sessions during which we practiced career development and developed our skills alongside the other interns. Overall, I attended many events, connected with professionals for career development & to aid my research, and was given the opportunity to learn a ton through Hennepin County workshops.

Were there big projects you had the opportunity to work on?

I had the opportunity to complete a research project on an area of need for the Education Support Services, in which I focused on best career and college readiness practices for youth in foster care and probation. I completed a 10+ page research paper as well as provided specific, implementable recommendations that I presented to the Education Support Services team to aid in their interactions with these youth populations. I also created a resource guide that provides low-cost out-of-school-time programming resources, focused on summer school and afterschool options. This resource went directly to the families that Hennepin County serves.

What did you learn from your internship?

I learned so much regarding the inner workings of Hennepin County and how the county operates, as well as so much about K-12 education in Hennepin County. I also learned about the overall operations of working in the public sector and developed my career skills, such as public speaking and professional writing.

What are your future career goals? How did your internship prepare you for this future?

My future career goals lie in working in the public sector, potentially as a policy aide, legislative assistant, or analyst. My internship prepared me for this by connecting me with professionals in my fields of interest as well as by allowing me to conduct research on legislation focused on the youth populations that Education Support Services interacts with, as educational policy is an interest area of mine.

How did your experience as a political science student prepare you for your internship?

The class that prepared me the most was POL 3085: Quantitative Analysis in Political Science with Professor Jane Sumner, as I utilized what I learned in the class about R for my research. My experience with the Undergraduate Student Government as an Outreach Coordinator also aided me in my internship heavily, as outreach was an essential part of my role with Education Support Services. I felt that my student group experiences aided me in interacting at events and conducting outreach, and drawing on my previous classes helped me to think critically about any real world issues that I was interacting with in my research and overall internship experience.

How did POL 3080: Internship in Politics or Government enhance your internship experience?

It enhanced my internship experience greatly. Professor Paul Soper provided feedback on my submitted assignments to expand my thinking in my projects with my internship. Taking time to reflect on what I experienced each week and how that coincided with the assigned reading proved most fruitful. Professor Soper provided readings that coincided with what I was experiencing in my internship, and I really feel these readings helped me think more critically about my experiences.

What advice would you give to other students interested in this type of internship?

I would highly recommend that they make the most of it and connect with as many people throughout the county as they can, as well as attend any learning sessions of interest. My advisor pushed me to attend anything I found interesting and I definitely gained skills and knowledge because of it. Also, express what you're interested in! My advisor geared my experience towards my interests, so that definitely made it super fulfilling.