Chapter 1: Branching Out
Greetings,
I would like to welcome you back to the political journey that I have been on
this year. My year began as a legislative intern in Delegate David-Fraser
Hidalgo’s office in the Maryland General Assembly. That was a pleasant
experience that enlightened my perspective on government and politics. This
opportunity served as an excellent foundation in politics and inspired me to
continue in that realm. I felt that this momentum would be well served to
explore more opportunities within government. Therefore, I decided to apply to
the Governor’s Summer Internship Program. This program started in 1987 and is
operated through the Shriver Center on UMBC’s main campus. This is a
competitive program as it offers twenty Marylander’s the opportunity to work in
Maryland’s executive branch. I rejoiced when I discovered that I was chosen to
be a part of such a prestigious program.
After the
orientation, it was time to begin and get to work. I was curious about my role
and if I would be treated as “just an intern” or as someone that was a young
bright mind that could assist in the daily activities of the executive branch. The
program is setup to pair each of the GSIP (Governor’s Summer Internship
Program) fellows with a senior level staffer. I was fortunate to be paired up
with Patrick Lally, Senior Executive Director of the Governor’s Coordinating
Offices. Patrick has a highly reputable career, one of his more prominent
positions was as the director of New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s DC office.
He has excelled in public administration throughout his career, which, is one
of the reasons that he was appointed to one of the top administrative positions
within the Hogan administration.
GCO’s purpose is to carry out the Governor’s goals by
coordinating with the public and private sector to implement his policies in an
effective and efficient manner.
Figure 1. Governor’s
Coordinating Offices (Front)
I soon
realized that my placement, the program, and especially Pat would treat me as a
Full-time employee and not as an intern. I learned this early on as I was
tasked with matters that were vital to the office and to Maryland. My first
task focused on the Banneker-Douglass Museum, which, is one of the best
African-American museums for material culture. I was tasked with ensuring that
the administration was doing everything it could to help the museum run
efficiently and was receiving adequate support. I worked with the museum and
the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives to assess any issues and to
develop timely solutions. It was a fruitful endeavor as we cultivated relations
that resulted in a renewed support of the museum. It should be mentioned that
the GSIP visit to Annapolis began at BDM as it is a fundamental aspect of
Annapolis and Maryland’s rich history. I feel that might be a pleasant place to
work/intern as they truly enjoy what they do.
Figure 2.
Banneker-Douglass Museum (Downtown Annapolis)
One of the
best traits of GSIP was its variety and the opportunities that we could take
part in. I enjoyed was our trip to Paul’s Place, which is a charitable
organization located in “Pigtown”, a section of Southwest Baltimore. For any
Orioles or Ravens fans, it is just a couple blocks west of Camden Yards and M
& T Bank Stadium. This area of Baltimore faces limited job opportunities as
most were taken away when the trains stopped coming in and the pig
slaughterhouses were shut down. Paul’s Place serves as a place for the locals
to acquire donated clothing, learn job skills, write a resume, conduct an
interview, receive counseling and most importantly just get a free hot meal. This
experience made the entire program worth doing just by itself. I met some kind
local folks of Baltimore that wake up each day not knowing if they will eat or
where they will sleep. I was glad to serve them and actually had some
intriguing conversations with “Wolfman” about martial arts. “Wolfman” is 72
years old and has been involved with Paul’s Place for at least the last decade.
Overall, this project served as a wonderful opportunity for each of us GSIP
fellows to serve the community firsthand.
Figure 3. Yamilex and
I enjoying our service day at Paul’s Place (Awesome Hats right?)
The journey
to the executive branch has officially started in the Governor’s Coordinating
Offices. I am ambitious to learn more about the administration and the ways
that I can help carry out policies that will best serve Marylanders. The GSIP
experience got off to a strong start with the Banneker-Douglass Museum and
Paul’s Place. I will delve into the second important part of the GSIP
experience. I feel that my momentum transitioned smoothly into GSIP and could
serve to make for a wonderful experience. Tune in next month for Chapter 2!
Sincerely,
Victor F. Mercogliano
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