After three weeks of the internship a few things have really struck me.

For those that don’t know, I am currently interning downtown at City of Topeka‘s communications office working hard to provide them with what expertise I have and also observing what they do down there in the hope I will be a better professional for it down the road.

The first thing that has really struck me is the misconception that most people work in government because they aren’t good enough to make it in the private sector. I find this to be an undeserved portrayal.

So far all the people whom I have had the fortune to talk to and work along side have been motivated people who are working hard every day to make life in Topeka better.

While things have been tough in the community lately, I have seen and done work in the communications office that makes me proud to be a citizen of Topeka. My boss for instance, Dave Bevens is a class guy.

He is always giving me feedback on stuff I write and projects I pursue. He is always willing to listen to my thoughts on various issues as well, even if they aren’t always all that articulate.

His trust in me has helped me to gain confidence in what I am doing as a soon to be graduate and practicing PR professional. By giving me sections of large press releases to write as well as allowing me to pursue my own ideas like writing articles that I am interested in for the internal newsletter I feel like I am gaining real practical experiences.

Beyond those experiences I’ve also been struck by the experience that the department brings to the table. All of the people I work with now come from somewhere else that they were successful.

Our graphic design guru in the office, Nels, is a Topeka native who went out into the world and worked in places like Atlanta, Dallas and other major markets and is now back in Topeka. His passion for the work he does and the skills he brings to work everyday are an inspiration to me to keep striving to get better. If I can be half the expert he is I’ll consider myself lucky.

Nels is just one example of the kind of people that are doing the work of making the City grow and prosper even in these tough times.

On a side note, go Celtics beat those dirty Lakers and watch out folks it might be an end of an era with the Big XII possibly breaking up. Regardless though enjoy the rest of the week!

Come back next time and I’ll fill you in on a little project I have brewing that, for those history buffs out there will be a interesting treat.