In September we are focusing on all things related to government. Forward Wayne County hired two interns this summer to assist with community planning and development. Tucker Burris, an IU East student, and Jaxin McCree, a Ball State student, spent the summer engaging with Wayne County communities and gaining insight from significant community members in each to help create the countywide strategic investment plan.
Their Tasks
Jaxin and Tucker’s roles were to gather information about each Wayne County Communities’ needs and help map out potential projects for the Strategic Investment Plan. Along with this, they also helped create housing and blight maps by surveying the surrounding communities. Much of their work involved working with town governments and communicating with community members.
Challenges Faced
Jaxin expressed that being assertive with community members was a challenge in the beginning of the internship. Tucker also experienced similar feelings when it came to setting up meetings with community members. However, Tucker noted that, “Once I realized how helpful and important this investment plan could be for these communities, it became easier for me to convince people that these meetings need to happen.”
Jaxin shared. “We also realized that many of these small community officials also had full- or part-time jobs. They do a lot of important work after regular business hours.”
Skills Gained
This internship put both interns into situations they had never experienced before, allowing them to grow and develop new skills. They found themselves acquiring greater attention to detail, better note-taking skills, as well as becoming better writers. Much of their work involved gathering and recording information for projects and creating clear project descriptions, so writing skills became very important as their internship progressed. Both agreed that honing these skills will benefit them in their future professional careers.
“Being a good listener and taking good notes helps you have ownership of your projects. And you become invested in the work. It was easy to get excited about a town’s potential and what Wayne County is trying to accomplish.”
Advice for Future Interns
Both interns expressed the value of being detail oriented. Making sure to write down every detail becomes important especially when projects span over multiple weeks. Tucker emphasized that, “Without the little things, finished products don’t come together.”
Jaxin also commented that not being afraid to make mistakes is a valuable trait to have, because it is bound to happen eventually. When it does, simply “…revisit your previous work, correct it, learn from it, and move on.”
They also both advised any intern in Wayne County to take advantage of any opportunity to explore the communities; go to every meeting you are invited to; go to events across the county; talk to leaders; put your name out there; and experience the unique restaurants and eateries in the county.
“The only restaurant we didn’t get to experience was Lumpy’s in Cambridge City. But we’ll be back!”
A New Perspective
With neither intern being from the area originally, they got to learn much about Wayne County. Jaxin and Tucker really enjoyed being in the community and seeing Wayne County up close. Tucker commented, “Being in the community and seeing Wayne County up close was awesome. It was wonderful to meet so many great people and have so many great conversations with people who have lived here their whole lives! There’s a lot of exciting things coming to Wayne County and I’m super proud to be a small part of it.”
Jaxin added. “Wayne County has so much history and we visited every community. People really care about what happens. Working with small, rural communities has been a real eye-opener for me. I’m excited to follow and see what happens in the next five years.”
Along with this, they both got to learn more about themselves. Both interns discovered that no matter where their careers take them, they want to have a job that leaves a positive impact on the community. And they could be convinced to make Wayne County their homes.
“Wayne County has good park systems, schools, employment options, and restaurants. Add some more amenities and diversified housing stock, and this will be the place for young professionals.”
Forward Wayne County enjoyed having Tucker and Jaxin as part of the team this summer and can’t wait to see where their career paths lead.
