As a CAPS student, I would say that I have grown as a whole. From the night before my first day on the job until 4:15 on the last day of my job, I have become a different person. The night before my internship, I was worried and anxious about the worst scenarios. I thought that because I was only an intern, there would be a negative assumption surrounding what I did. However, as I walked out of the General Hooker entrance, I felt sad that I was leaving. Over the course of my internship, I really got to closely work with the people in my office as co-workers and as human beings. On my last day, a couple of Rep. Khan’s staffers and Rep. Khan herself told me that I was super calm and confident, which they loved about me. We were able to talk about important things in life such as religion, prom, and how to properly handle obnoxious people in politics. I saw my level of comfort change around my co-workers because they made themselves easy to approach. If I could have hindsight, I would tell myself not to worry. I feel proud of myself and my work because I grew into a better-informed citizen in regards to social justice issues and how to approach concerned citizens. I would also be impressed of my future self if I knew the elected officials I was going to interact with as well as the lobbyists.
1. Why would you want to work in the government? I have chosen to enter the State Government. My CAPStone internship is at State Rep. Kay Khan’s Office, and I will be working as a legislative intern. I chose to work in State Government because I want to understand what happens in state politics. I am personally interested in public policy and politics; I feel called to public service. Specifically, I want to investigate the severity of issues like education, taxes, and services provided by the state for the people. Over the past 3 summers, I worked in the State House as a docent giving tours to visitors; I assumed elected officials would be accessible and available. However, I’ve learned that our elected officials especially, Rep. Khan, are busy all day and is always listening to those around her.
Since the 5th grade, I have wanted to work in politics. It started when I spoke with Sen. Richard Blumenthal at a community fundraiser in my hometown of Old Saybrook, CT. He sat down with me in the corner of the busy event room and spoke to me with passion. He motivated me, a kid, to make change in my community by talking about problems I encountered. He told me about the federal government and responsibilities of a Senator, which made me excited. Before starting CAPS, I wanted to explore the State Government and Public Service Industry. I knew I wanted to go into Politics for most of high school but never had an opportunity, until now. Before the CAPStone program was available for me, I tried applying for jobs with numerous State Representatives and State Senators over the course of two summers and was always too young or the job was not open to me. So, I kept applying and finally got the job I was yearning for. Then, a few weeks before I started working, I had the opportunity to visit Rep. Khan’s office and “tour it” with a friend from Newton North. There, we met with her staffers and other employees of the State House. It is the perfect opportunity for me to explore an industry I wanted to be a part of since I was a child.
3. Within State Government, I have learned that it is funded by tax dollars by the people of the Commonwealth. Depending on how much a person earns, they pay different amounts to the Commonwealth. This affects how people perceive government because every resident is paying for the government's benefits and services. Every person has their own opinion as to how their hard-earned tax dollars should be spent. Since every person is different and thinks differently, the State Government is perceived differently depending on who is answering the question. For example, some people believe that the government should dedicate more funds to education and Medicaid while others believe that more funding should go towards rebuilding roads and public transportation. However, as a whole, employees of the local government are very respected in communities because they are typically very involved and close with the people of their city or town.
9. An employee ought to be defined as someone who is hired for their ability and specific skillset in that field. Additionally, this person should have the ability to reason and explain the choices they have made.
In my field, that definition has taken on another meaning. My office is dedicated to advocating for those who face injustices and do not always have the best of opportunities. I believe in State Government, every person in the Commonwealth should have equal opportunity and a level playing field. In this job, I strive to work hard in the office, work enthusiastically, and work to really understand the perspectives of the people who come into Rep. Khan’s office.
My goal as an employee at Rep. Khan’s office is to learn how what it’s like to be an advocate for groups that are often ignored or put down.
7. The goal of Rep. Khan's office and the goal of the Massachusetts Government is to simply achieve as much as possible to please the people of Massachusetts. However, this question makes me think of a much deeper question; what is the purpose of government? For me, the purpose, or goal, of government is to uphold the rights of man and provide people with the proper necessary resources they need to have an equal opportunity. From what I have observed, the government of the Commonwealth tries very hard to protect all people all the time. My boss, Rep. Kay Khan, believes in advocating for those who are seen as the minority in society. This includes: women, children, people with disabilities, and minorities. When I was working for her, legislation was passed to ban conversion therapy, which pleased the LGBTQ+ Community as well as the general public.
12. Lunchtime at my office is very unique. On any given day, my office will try and eat lunch together. During lunchtime, we try and avoid talking about politics as much as possible because it's our break from work. Usually, I order something with meat or something that is not what the rest of the office is eating. A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a cubano sandwich for lunch, which sparked an interesting conversation about pork. I learned that a few of the staffers couldn't eat pork because they were muslims. Even though I knew that muslims weren't allowed to eat pork, it sparked an interesting conversation about religion. I listened to staffers' stories about how their fathers have controlled almost all of their decisions until they get married. As a whole, lunchtime is treated the same way the work is treated; everyone works together and cares deeply about each other inside and out of work.
16. For me the MA State Government represents chicken noodle soup. Chicken noodle soup is familiar to everyone, like government. Chicken noodle soup is savory, salty, and warm. In the chicken noodle soup, each ingredient can be made individually and special depending on the chef. In my office, each person can be described as an ingredient in chicken noodle soup. First and foremost, there's Rep. Khan; she's the chicken. The chicken, to me, represents the main attraction because with out it, you're eating noodle soup. Furthermore, Rep. Khan is the focal point of the soup, and everyone who eats it wants to have tender, fresh chicken. Second, the noodles, or my boss Jessie. She is everywhere all the time and always knows how to make you, the guest or the eater, smile. As I said earlier, each ingredient can be cooked a particular way, so for me Jessie represents egg noodles. Egg noodles are always on my spoon, and I am never disappointed to eat them. Third, there's the carrots, or Amani, the communications director. Amani represents the carrots because she is always helpful and I am always uncovering something new when I am around her. When I'm eating carrots in chicken noodle soup, different chefs prepare the carrots differently, so every time I'm eating the carrots, I taste something new. Lastly, there's the celery, that to me is Emily, the head of Rep. Khan's research. Emily is always there, always fresh, and is always pleasant to be around. And the final ingredient that is always there but never discussed is the broth, which is represented by the physical government building.
Overall, I would argue the MA State Government represents a savory, salty chicken noodle soup.
18. As a CAPS student, I would say that I have grown as a whole. From the night before my first day on the job until 4:15 on the last day of my job, I have become a different person. The night before my internship, I was worried and anxious about the worst scenarios. I thought that because I was only an intern, there would be a negative assumption surrounding what I did. However, as I walked out of the General Hooker entrance, I felt sad that I was leaving. Over the course of my internship, I really got to closely work with the people in my office as co-workers and as human beings. On my last day, a couple of Rep. Khan’s staffers and Rep. Khan herself told me that I was super calm and confident, which they loved about me. We were able to talk about important things in life such as religion, prom, and how to properly handle obnoxious people in politics. I saw my level of comfort change around my co-workers because they made themselves easy to approach. If I could have hindsight, I would tell myself not to worry. I feel proud of myself and my work because I grew into a better-informed citizen in regards to social justice issues and how to approach concerned citizens. I would also be impressed of my future self if I knew the elected officials I was going to interact with as well as the lobbyists.
1. Why would you want to work in the government? I have chosen to enter the State Government. My CAPStone internship is at State Rep. Kay Khan’s Office, and I will be working as a legislative intern. I chose to work in State Government because I want to understand what happens in state politics. I am personally interested in public policy and politics; I feel called to public service. Specifically, I want to investigate the severity of issues like education, taxes, and services provided by the state for the people. Over the past 3 summers, I worked in the State House as a docent giving tours to visitors; I assumed elected officials would be accessible and available. However, I’ve learned that our elected officials especially, Rep. Khan, are busy all day and is always listening to those around her.
Since the 5th grade, I have wanted to work in politics. It started when I spoke with Sen. Richard Blumenthal at a community fundraiser in my hometown of Old Saybrook, CT. He sat down with me in the corner of the busy event room and spoke to me with passion. He motivated me, a kid, to make change in my community by talking about problems I encountered. He told me about the federal government and responsibilities of a Senator, which made me excited. Before starting CAPS, I wanted to explore the State Government and Public Service Industry. I knew I wanted to go into Politics for most of high school but never had an opportunity, until now. Before the CAPStone program was available for me, I tried applying for jobs with numerous State Representatives and State Senators over the course of two summers and was always too young or the job was not open to me. So, I kept applying and finally got the job I was yearning for. Then, a few weeks before I started working, I had the opportunity to visit Rep. Khan’s office and “tour it” with a friend from Newton North. There, we met with her staffers and other employees of the State House. It is the perfect opportunity for me to explore an industry I wanted to be a part of since I was a child.
3. Within State Government, I have learned that it is funded by tax dollars by the people of the Commonwealth. Depending on how much a person earns, they pay different amounts to the Commonwealth. This affects how people perceive government because every resident is paying for the government's benefits and services. Every person has their own opinion as to how their hard-earned tax dollars should be spent. Since every person is different and thinks differently, the State Government is perceived differently depending on who is answering the question. For example, some people believe that the government should dedicate more funds to education and Medicaid while others believe that more funding should go towards rebuilding roads and public transportation. However, as a whole, employees of the local government are very respected in communities because they are typically very involved and close with the people of their city or town.
9. An employee ought to be defined as someone who is hired for their ability and specific skillset in that field. Additionally, this person should have the ability to reason and explain the choices they have made.
In my field, that definition has taken on another meaning. My office is dedicated to advocating for those who face injustices and do not always have the best of opportunities. I believe in State Government, every person in the Commonwealth should have equal opportunity and a level playing field. In this job, I strive to work hard in the office, work enthusiastically, and work to really understand the perspectives of the people who come into Rep. Khan’s office.
My goal as an employee at Rep. Khan’s office is to learn how what it’s like to be an advocate for groups that are often ignored or put down.
7. The goal of Rep. Khan's office and the goal of the Massachusetts Government is to simply achieve as much as possible to please the people of Massachusetts. However, this question makes me think of a much deeper question; what is the purpose of government? For me, the purpose, or goal, of government is to uphold the rights of man and provide people with the proper necessary resources they need to have an equal opportunity. From what I have observed, the government of the Commonwealth tries very hard to protect all people all the time. My boss, Rep. Kay Khan, believes in advocating for those who are seen as the minority in society. This includes: women, children, people with disabilities, and minorities. When I was working for her, legislation was passed to ban conversion therapy, which pleased the LGBTQ+ Community as well as the general public.
12. Lunchtime at my office is very unique. On any given day, my office will try and eat lunch together. During lunchtime, we try and avoid talking about politics as much as possible because it's our break from work. Usually, I order something with meat or something that is not what the rest of the office is eating. A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a cubano sandwich for lunch, which sparked an interesting conversation about pork. I learned that a few of the staffers couldn't eat pork because they were muslims. Even though I knew that muslims weren't allowed to eat pork, it sparked an interesting conversation about religion. I listened to staffers' stories about how their fathers have controlled almost all of their decisions until they get married. As a whole, lunchtime is treated the same way the work is treated; everyone works together and cares deeply about each other inside and out of work.
16. For me the MA State Government represents chicken noodle soup. Chicken noodle soup is familiar to everyone, like government. Chicken noodle soup is savory, salty, and warm. In the chicken noodle soup, each ingredient can be made individually and special depending on the chef. In my office, each person can be described as an ingredient in chicken noodle soup. First and foremost, there's Rep. Khan; she's the chicken. The chicken, to me, represents the main attraction because with out it, you're eating noodle soup. Furthermore, Rep. Khan is the focal point of the soup, and everyone who eats it wants to have tender, fresh chicken. Second, the noodles, or my boss Jessie. She is everywhere all the time and always knows how to make you, the guest or the eater, smile. As I said earlier, each ingredient can be cooked a particular way, so for me Jessie represents egg noodles. Egg noodles are always on my spoon, and I am never disappointed to eat them. Third, there's the carrots, or Amani, the communications director. Amani represents the carrots because she is always helpful and I am always uncovering something new when I am around her. When I'm eating carrots in chicken noodle soup, different chefs prepare the carrots differently, so every time I'm eating the carrots, I taste something new. Lastly, there's the celery, that to me is Emily, the head of Rep. Khan's research. Emily is always there, always fresh, and is always pleasant to be around. And the final ingredient that is always there but never discussed is the broth, which is represented by the physical government building.
Overall, I would argue the MA State Government represents a savory, salty chicken noodle soup.
18. As a CAPS student, I would say that I have grown as a whole. From the night before my first day on the job until 4:15 on the last day of my job, I have become a different person. The night before my internship, I was worried and anxious about the worst scenarios. I thought that because I was only an intern, there would be a negative assumption surrounding what I did. However, as I walked out of the General Hooker entrance, I felt sad that I was leaving. Over the course of my internship, I really got to closely work with the people in my office as co-workers and as human beings. On my last day, a couple of Rep. Khan’s staffers and Rep. Khan herself told me that I was super calm and confident, which they loved about me. We were able to talk about important things in life such as religion, prom, and how to properly handle obnoxious people in politics. I saw my level of comfort change around my co-workers because they made themselves easy to approach. If I could have hindsight, I would tell myself not to worry. I feel proud of myself and my work because I grew into a better-informed citizen in regards to social justice issues and how to approach concerned citizens. I would also be impressed of my future self if I knew the elected officials I was going to interact with as well as the lobbyists.