Symbiotic Success

Published Date September 17, 2024
News Type Public Address

Josephine Harders (right) shares her internship presentation, “Financing Public Transportation in Ohio,” with Charlotte Kirschner, fiscal research supervisor in the research and performance section at the Ohio Office of Budget and Management.

By Joan Slattery Wall

During an internship at Ohio’s Office of Budget and Management, Glenn College student Josephine Harders became passionate about strong financial leadership and a career in public sector finance.

“I enjoyed the many learning opportunities — state budgeting touches every policy area, from transportation to education. Because of this internship, I had the opportunity to learn how state funding intersects with my policy passion areas,” Harders said. “After working in a budget office, you can see the important impact that strong and responsible financial practices have on ensuring good policies become a reality.” 

She researched one of those passions, public transportation, by comparing and contrasting Ohio’s financing with other peer states. She also researched the progression of notable economic events, such as the 2023 United Autoworkers Strike, and drafted memorandums summarizing the impact on the State of Ohio for Office of Budget and Management executive leadership. In addition, she supported the development of state program performance metrics to implement performance-based budgeting. 

I realized that I wanted to pursue a career in public finance because it involves many aspects of what I enjoy: research, analysis, math and policy.

Josephine Harders
Glenn College graduate

By the time she graduated this spring with a Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Public Management, Leadership and Policy, the Office of Budget and Management had hired her as a budget/management analyst. 

Charlotte Kirschner, fiscal research supervisor in the research and performance section at the Office of Budget and Management, said Harders helped with data collection and setting performance metrics for the office’s new Popular Annual Financial Report. 

“It was taking a long document, the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, of boring tables and text and shrinking it to visuals and short, pithy information — something the average person can understand — and she was a driving force in that,” Kirschner said. “She was clearly ahead of the game.” 

Kirschner, a former Glenn College faculty member, said that like Harders, several Glenn College interns have later been hired as part-time or full-time employees.

When I get the first applicant pool, I often will look for Glenn College people because they typically come in with a better grounding of how government works and that balance that I personally need for economics and program evaluation.

Charlotte Kirschner
Ohio Office of Budget and Management

Investing time and resources in these students — Office of Budget and Management interns are paid — Kirschner said, provides a return not only because it eases the workload in the office but because it’s a good way to test job candidates without a final commitment. 

Engage With Glenn College Students

The Glenn College prepares the problem-solvers of tomorrow and can help connect you with talented students in Ohio and in D.C. Start by contacting Jim Ellison, Glenn College career and internship specialist. 

“I like being able to introduce business and finance as a career,” Kirschner said. “We have an entire accounting team, but when you think business and finance, you should be thinking of other things besides just that. I think it’s important to continue to build the business and finance workforce of the future.”

Glenn students in particular, she said, have a public affairs lens and critical thinking skills. 

“I can help people write, use Excel and Tableau, and conduct program evaluation, but if you’re not willing to think and you don’t have good critical thinking skills and the willingness to ask why, I can’t teach that,” she said. “I typically am able to find that from Glenn College students.” 

Jim Ellison, Glenn College career and internship specialist, said almost all of the college’s students choose to do one public service internship, with the majority interning at multiple sites before graduation. Students are supported in their professional goals through several for-credit internship programs, including the Washington Academic Internship Program and Ohio Government Internship Program, as well as in-college career coaching and professional development classes. 

Students: Explore Your Passion

Students who complete at least one internship typically experience faster job placement with work that is more personally and professionally satisfying. Explore Glenn College internship programs.

“Most college students don’t have a default setting to think of a government internship or a job as a way to effect change,” Ellison said. “However, Glenn College students understand how public service works, which allows them to better contribute to helping our communities and to know how to influence policy change and to understand the nuances of how government works. This makes them ready and enthusiastic to be high achievers in internships, which makes them highly sought after in Columbus; Washington, D.C.; and across the country.” 

Two more Glenn College students share their internship experiences:

Maceda Berhanu

Glenn College student Maceda Berhanu, right, poses for a photo with April Jones, senior government affairs and policy counsel at Apple, on the first day of her internship at the Carnegie Library, home of the DC History Center and Apple.

Maceda Berhanu, a public management, leadership and policy and sociology major, spent this summer as a government affairs intern at Apple on the Environment, Policy & Social Initiatives team in Washington, D.C.

Berhanu’s primary responsibilities focused on conducting legislative research, summarizing hearings and tracking legislation. She also drafted briefing materials for engagement with members of Congress and key staff, along with providing general support to the government affairs team.

“This internship aligned perfectly with and helped me realize my career goals by providing practical experience and exposure to the intersection of technology, policy and societal impact,” Berhanu said. “It has also opened up my eyes to pursuing a career on Capitol Hill after graduation.”

“I have a clear vision and passion for making a positive impact by funding and implementing solutions to social, cultural and economic issues. Recognizing the pivotal role that businesses and technology play in driving societal change, I aim to integrate my skills at this crucial intersection,” Berhanu said. “I want to pursue roles where I can contribute to holistic and sustainable impact through effective policy and philanthropic work. By aligning business strategies with societal needs, I believe I can help create meaningful and lasting change.”

I enjoyed the opportunity to explore and deepen my understanding of various fields such as privacy, education, competition, trade/supply chain, climate policy and telecommunications. Additionally, delving into these areas allowed me to stay informed about critical issues, contribute to meaningful discussions and develop solutions that can positively impact society. This internship offered unique opportunities that I wouldn’t have access to otherwise, such as networking with key individuals outside my area of expertise both in the D.C. area and in other locations.

One key aspect of the curriculum involved working on policy briefs, where I was required to focus on specific issues and develop comprehensive solutions from multiple policy perspectives. This really helped me learn how to break down complex problems, think about different perspectives and make clear, evidence-backed recommendations. The focus on critical thinking and structured analysis from my coursework was directly useful in my internship, where I often researched different policy topics. Additionally, the writing assignments have sharpened my ability to communicate effectively and persuasively. Whether I’m writing reports, memos or briefs, the skills I’ve gained from my classes allow me to present information clearly and compellingly, which is essential in any professional setting.

Coming from a low-income household, the financial support from this internship helped ease some of my financial pressures and enabled me to save for school expenses. It also allowed me to concentrate more on gaining valuable work experience and learning in my area of interest without the constant worry of financial strain.

Alan Mathew

During a tour of the U.S. Capitol Building, Sen. Sherrod Brown (left) posed for a photo with Alan Mathew in the vice president’s office.

Alan Mathew, who is pursuing a B.S. in Public Policy Analysis and Economics, this spring had a Washington Academic Internship Program (WAIP) position as a legislative intern with the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs.

During his internship, he regularly conducted research for committee staffers, wrote memoranda on various economic topics, attended hearings and provided assistance for a variety of oversight tasks.

"This internship further cemented my passion for economic policymaking that focuses on the wellbeing of all members in our society,” he said. “For me, this area of study and practice is part of how we help create an inclusive and well-functioning economy.”

The most incredible part of the internship was having a front-row view to policymaking on some of the most relevant economic and financial issues in America today. The opportunity to sit in the room as policymaking occurred was extremely unique for me. Seeing the thought process of staffers as they evaluated costs and benefits to different ideas was hugely informative.

WAIP’s academic component provided a broader view for my time in D.C. — instead of only having information on my specific issue area, the classes emphasized the entire system of American government and ways to be smarter about it all.

Luckily, the internship was a paid position. In fact, part of the way through, I even received a slight raise because the committee’s staff wanted to better align the pay with D.C.’s minimum wage. Having a paid position made the entire experience much more feasible, especially as D.C. — wonderful as it is — is a very expensive city.

Read the latest edition of Public Address, the Glenn College magazine.