Exploring Public Service: CLA Students Connect with City Hall Professionals

Local Government Up Close 

What does local government actually look like up close? For more than 20 University of Minnesota students, a recent visit to Minneapolis City Hall turned that question into something tangible. 

Organized by CLA Career Services in partnership with the City of Minneapolis Ward 12 office, the visit was designed to move beyond abstract ideas of policy and into the day-to-day reality of public service. Students toured the Public Service Building and City Hall, including a look inside the public service mezzanine, City Hall rotunda and the city council chambers, before sitting down with policy aides who handle much of the work that keeps the city running.

CLA student and Political Science major Abiha Kashif saw the experience as both practical and approachable.

“This trip made networking feel more accessible rather than just cold emailing or asking for meetings,” Kashif says. “It was a well-organized and scheduled way to interact with people and learn more about their jobs."

Seeing the Work Behind the Scenes

For Amy Umanzor Diaz (BA '21, political science), a senior policy aide for Council Member Aurin Chowdhury, that work is exactly what students need to see.

“When I was in college, I didn’t know the impact local government had and what they oversee within their jurisdiction,” says Umanzor Diaz. “I was really focused on federal policy at that time, and I didn’t know I had a council member or a local representative and the different policies that impacted my daily life.”

That realization helped shape the purpose of the visit. Umanzor Diaz knew CLA Career Coach Junior Avalos through organizing work, and together they built the day around four key learning outcomes: understanding how agencies collaborate to serve the public, exploring diverse career paths in government, connecting with professionals, and practicing professionalism in a real-world setting.

“We wanted to highlight the policy aides on the panel and make that a point because a lot of the work does happen behind the scenes,” says Umanzor Diaz.

During the panel, aides from multiple city council offices described work that is fast-moving, people-centered, and deeply connected to the community.

“Local government is so hands-on,” says Umanzor Diaz. “A lot of people may think council members are here in an ivory tower and not connected to the community. A lot of council members are really out in the community and trying to meet the demands people are asking for.”

Skills That Carry Across Careers

For students, that framing shifted how they thought about careers in policy. Instead of focusing only on titles or technical experience, panelists emphasized skills that translate across roles. That message stood out to Kashif, who says it mirrors what she is learning in the classroom.

“I think one of the things that was interesting to me was the emphasis on soft skills that you can utilize to differentiate yourself as a candidate. The aides focused more on that and less on the tangible resume bullet points,” says Kashif. “That’s something to think about in these spaces.” 

Fatima Aden, newly elected University of Minnesota Student Government President, who works with CLA Career Services and helped with outreach for the event, connected the experience directly to her own interests in policy and public service. She is a previous Urban Scholar, a program that intentionally connects students and organizations in pursuit of an equitable workforce, and has had internships with people who work directly with the city. The day at City Hall reinforced the importance of those relationships she is building.

“I learned the importance of having personal connections, especially within public service,” says Aden. “I knew that with my own internship experience, but sitting here today and hearing all the policy aids talk about how the majority of them got their position through explicit experience working with city council members, working on their campaigns or knowing them by crossing paths validated my need and want for continuing experiences in the public service field.”

Connecting Classroom to Career

Those takeaways align closely with CLA’s core competencies, meant to reflect the very essence of a liberal arts education, bridging academic and professional life. Unlike job skills that may become outdated, these ten competencies prepare students for long-term success in an unpredictable and dynamic future. Throughout the visit, students saw how those skills show up in real time, whether through responding to community concerns, collaborating across offices, or navigating long-term policy work.

Panelists also encouraged students to take advantage of resources like CLA Career Services. Umanzor Diaz noted that she wishes she had utilized those resources more while navigating a largely virtual college experience from 2019 to 2021. Early in her career, she quickly saw how important networking can be. While working as a field organizer during the 2022 midterms, she met Chowdhury, a connection that led to a major opportunity.

“A week after the election, we were celebrating and (Chowdhury) gave me a call and told me she was going to run for city council and would love for me to be her campaign manager,” says Umanzor Diaz. “I was like, ‘woah I went from field organizer to campaign manager.’ It was a steep learning curve but there were always people to lean on for help.”

Finding a Place in Public Service

By the end of the visit, students left with a clearer understanding of how local government operates, who is involved, and how they might begin to see themselves in that space. What started as a short trip across the river became something more lasting: a shift in how students understand both their city and their place within it. As a final takeaway, Umanzor Diaz encouraged students to stay engaged in their communities.

“There is room for everyone and room for every single issue out there. I can guarantee there is already a local organization doing the work,” says Umanzor Diaz. “Or get involved in campaigns, that is the route I took. I was job searching after college and it was so hard to find a job, but I got connected to people who were working on a campaign. Lean into those genuine relationships, go into the community and find out what organizations are doing the work you are interested in.”