Lawrence County Welcomes 8 Indiana Leadership Program Interns to Local Businesses

This Summer, Lawrence County is welcoming eight interns from Indiana University’s Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs into local public or non-profit businesses. For 10 weeks, interns will be participating in service and professional development opportunities with O’Neill’s community partners. Summer interns started with an orientation program and will be completing additional professional developing during their service. Brian Seavey, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Engagement at Indiana University, explained, “Internships are an important component to how we prepare O’Neill School students for their career. Through the Indiana Leadership Program, we’re fortunate to work with a dedicated group of supervisors and organizations that are helping our students understand how they can have an impact in their community.”

The Lawrence County Economic Growth Council (LCEGC) is hosting two interns this summer, Corbin Baldwin and Evan Georgas. Corbin will be a senior at Indiana University in the Fall of 2021 with a law & public policy major and a minor in political science. After working as a House of Representatives intern in Washington D.C. during the Spring of 2019, Corbin realized that although proud to have served at the national level, he missed the closer connection to those in his home state of Indiana. Corbin was impressed and intrigued by the enthusiastic and exuberant way that Joe Timbrook, Director of Career Development, described LCEGC’s Workforce Coalition program and the work that Corbin would be assisting with this summer. Within his first week as an intern, Corbin was assisting in the Introduction to Local Jobs and Skills (ILJAS) classes to allow local adult students to gain exposure to and develop entry-level skills within the areas of: automotive tech, health sciences, and adult employability skills. Corbin stated, “Working with people that are usually ignored in today’s society, such as low-income or justice-involved individuals, gave me a helpful sense of empathy. Watching the students leave the 3-week program with certificates was really cool.” Corbin enjoys biking, rock climbing, cooking for other people, and exploring “unique hometowns” throughout the Hoosier state in his free time.

Evan Georgas, a senior this fall at Indiana University with a public finance major, is also interning at the LCEGC this summer. Evan is a proud member of the Indiana Army National Guard. Evan explains why he wanted to intern at LCEGC, “The internship aligned with what I was looking for in an internship. It was proactive in that I would be able to leave the office and meet people face-to-face within the community. I had never been to Bedford and Joe Timbrook really sold the internship very well.” Evan also assisted with the ILJAS program by being a role-model for students and contributing to their success. Evan administered the Skills Assessment Test and assisted with any technology problems students had. After graduation, he plans to work in the public sector in a role that involves finance and budgeting. In Evan’s spare time, he has fun working out, playing sports, and doing anything related to outdoor activities.

Stonegate Arts & Education Center in Bedford is hosting Molly Brodzeller, an Indiana University nonprofit management and leadership major with minors in gender studies and communication & public advocacy. During her internship, Molly will be revitalizing Stonegate’s website, social media pages, and newsletters. She will also help organize the 2022 Summer Camp and find art events to bring into the community. She stated, “I enjoyed learning about all that Stonegate does during the interview process, but the interview with Linda Henderson (Executive Director) really pushed it over the edge for me! Our conversation was so lovely and made me very excited to get to work with her.” Molly roller skates and spends most of her free time at the skatepark or creating commissioned stained-glass artwork.

Michelle Testa is majoring in law and public policy and minoring in political science and human resources at Indiana University. She will be assisting Hoosier Uplands Economic Development Corporation by creating brochures that highlight resources and programs available to the surrounding communities. She will also be attending council meetings, learning about policy creation and implementation, carrying out background and data research for grants, and learning about the grant application process. Michelle said, “Hoosier Uplands has a direct impact on local communities, and I wanted to be a part of that impact and change.” Michelle is heading into her Junior year at Indiana University this fall but is looking to future careers as a Paralegal or Policy Analyst. She has also thought about continuing onto Law School. Outside of school and work, Michelle savors spending time with friends & family, listening to music, watching movies, or rollerblading.

The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence County has welcomed intern, Ashley Musso, a student at Indiana University majoring in law and public policy and minoring in healthcare management and policy to their team this summer. Immediately after beginning her internship, Ashley called and met with potential sponsors for an upcoming 2021 event, updated the event website, and assisted staff with various tasks. Ashley declared that the enthusiasm of the interviewer was a big draw-in for her. “I also took interest in the nature of the organization: helping people in the community. I was very involved with the community out-reach when I was in high school, so I am excited to get involved in that again.” After graduation, Ashley plans on going out into the workforce for 1-2 years and then starting law school. Outside of the classroom and working, Ashley loves to watch movies, dance, and play with her dog.

The United Way of South Central Indiana needed an intern to assist them in a number of projects. Olivia Phillips, an Indiana University student majoring in environmental management, was selected to fulfill this important position. One project Olivia and her supervisor are working on right now is a county-wide initiative in partnership with the Prosecutor’s Office, Hoosier Uplands, and other stakeholders on better serving domestic violence victims. She is also assisting United Way with a water quality project that she plans to present to Lawrence County Schools. “My Supervisor, Kim Burgess, is awesome. She is truly passionate about Lawrence County…. I am so excited to work with her,” expressed Olivia. “Getting to attend meetings with her for the domestic violence initiative has been very eye-opening, but it is also amazing to see the genuine concern coming from different organizations in the county.” Olivia, a Bedford native, graduates in August and is currently searching and applying for employment opportunities with hopes of working in the community in which she grew up in. When relaxing, Olivia loves to bake/cook, spend time with animals, and add to her extensive boot collection! During the fall, she can be found in the woods almost every day hunting.

Alec Hacker, an Indiana University senior majoring in law & public policy and a member of the I.U. a cappella group Another Round, is interning with the Prosecutor’s Office for the summer while awaiting approval on his application to attend law school. Alec recently began his internship with job shadowing staff members and a video special project showcasing the Prosecutor’s Office and what they do for the community. Alec is in the process of interviewing staff, videotaping the interviews, and editing the videos into a cohesive final project. Alec stated, “Since I plan to attend law school, this internship intrigued me because of its openness and an opportunity to get my feet ‘in the door!”

Kat Ellingson, the United Way’s intern, is working towards a degree at Indiana University with double majors in law & public policy and history. Kat will also graduate with a minor in Art History and is involved with the I.U. Student Government as a Parliamentarian and, since her freshman year, as a Creative Arts Director for the I.U. Memorial Union Board. Ideally, Kat wanted her internship to focus on the area of Educational Policy and the United Way had the perfect project for her to work on. Working alongside her supervisor, Kat created a survey regarding the 21St Century Scholarship program, collected the survey data from 8th graders at Bedford Middle School, and is currently working on a final report to present and help the United Way plan ways to increase participation in this free tuition for college program for low-income students.

Business leaders in Lawrence County continue their commitment to help shape the healthy, strong, thriving, and sustainable communities in which we live. Employers that host interns are also committed to educating, training, and developing the interns with the skills necessary to have a significant impact in diverse settings. If your company is committed to making Lawrence County a great place to live and you want to help lead the next generation, consider hosting a Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs intern. The Lawrence County Economic Growth Council did and it is a tremendous experience!