I am Marissa Ballew, and I am passionate about helping people. I am a rising senior at Temple University majoring in Psychology with minors in Criminal Justice and Art. I joined the Mayor’s Internship Program (MIP) to familiarize myself with the public sector and better cater my resume to Criminal Justice.
Most of my life has been on the sidelines. We learn before we do, and the process of growing up is almost entirely learning. We learn in school, we learn when we fail, we learn when our parents say, “I told you so”. As I enter adulthood, I am overwhelmingly aware of the fact that now, I can do. I have gone through the growing pains, and I now have the ability to take action.
What drew me to working for the government is this idea that I can make a change. I spend a lot of time watching things happen, but I like the idea that my work can have a measurable impact.
As an intern, learning is still prioritized over doing, but it finally feels like it matters. I see where the knowledge will take me, and I am growing professionally. I was placed with the Office of Talent and Employee Success, not sure if it related to my long-term goals. However, I was surprised when I started networking with people and gaining transferrable skills.
My favorite opportunity so far has been interviewing City leaders for the bi-weekly intern update. Through this project, I have enhanced my writing skills, improved my professional speaking, and learned valuable lessons about what it means to succeed. I have learned to be adaptable with the work I do and the ever-changing climate of city government. I help people with different tasks every day, and the only constant in city government is change.
I hope to get involved in investigative work at the federal level or work with non-profits to support people impacted by crime and our justice system. I know I am young and will not know what lies ahead until it happens. I appreciate I may end up somewhere totally different than I can imagine.
I am grateful for this position because it gave me the ability to take the next step in my career. The connections I have made, and my newfound confidence in professional settings will guide me as I apply for future positions. Thank you, MIP! I am excited to see where I go next.
