Internship Blog: RJ Susko Post #1

Introduction

Introductions often run the risk of tedium, so for the sake of brevity, let's get the housekeeping out of the way: my name is RJ Susko, I'm an in-betweeny (as I'll term the summer between being a first- and second-year) MPA student at GSPIA with a concentration in Urban Affairs and Planning, and for the next few months, I'll be the Local Government Academy intern for the Borough of Castle Shannon, a densely populated but relatively close-knit suburb in the heart of the south hills of Pittsburgh.

My undergraduate studies were centered in public and community health, which have proved to be an excellent foundation for my current responsibilities at the borough. More specifically, I'm getting the chance to apply the principles of building healthy communities to the borough's economic development and sustainability efforts. So far, the experience has been the perfect opportunity to put into practice everything I've learned through my academic career. I'm not flying across the world, and I'm not living in D.C.; my commute consists of a casual car trip 20 minutes down the road to a quiet little borough office at the top of a hill. But I've decided to blog about it, so I'll do my best to craft anecdotes of what I've learned into a narrative. That's what a blog is, right? Perhaps, like all good stories, I should start at the beginning (or at least, the beginning of this chapter).

I began college in the fall of 2009, leaving my hometown of Washington, PA - which I will affectionately refer to as "the boonies" - to start fresh in the Pioneer Valley of Amherst, Massachusetts. Equipped with little more than my Pittsburgh accent and Pennsylvania sensibility, my plan was to finish a five-year teaching master's program in English. At the time, it made sense: I liked to read, I loved learning, and I wanted to make a difference. With the limited course offerings available to most high school students, it's hard to figure out what academic niche you might fit into beyond the Big Four.

The UMass campus in Amherst, MA.

The shortened edition of my exodus from the English major is that it worked until it didn't. My experiences in electives related to community development and social justice allowed me to access a broader spectrum of talents I hadn't realized were mine to possess. Mentoring individual students via teaching is good work, to be sure, but what if I could shape the future of entire communities? What if instead of wondering, as I often did as a child, why the world was one way when it could be better off as another, I could actually make those changes myself? My passion for public policy was born.

My first experience with community building came on a whim. Needing an internship, but not really sure where to start, I headed over to the local Chamber of Commerce to see if they would take me on. As a person who has always shied away from anything even remotely smelling of the business field, I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was a wonderful opportunity to become a member of the community at large, rather than just a college kid passing through. By the end of my senior year, I'd helped coordinate two major community events, become a regular face in the local business community, and ended up on a first-name basis with both of the mailmen on the main street route. I got my first taste of being a part of something bigger, and it felt good.

The end of my time with the Chamber marked the beginning of the internship that led me down the path of becoming a GSPIAn. I was fortunate enough to be selected as a Governor's intern, working out of the Western Massachusetts regional office. I split my time between the Departments of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and Early Education and Care (EEC), and again had the pleasure of becoming a part of the community I worked with. If my experience with the Chamber taught me what it was to belong to a place, the Governor's Office taught me what it meant to care for one. The office director was an excellent mentor, and encouraged me to pursue a graduate degree that would allow me to work in the public field. I remain deeply grateful for her guidance and advice.

One of my greater moments: baby RJ, asking Governor Deval Patrick about the ethics of public service.

One year and frantic enrollment app later, I found myself in a master's program I felt I'd blundered my way into, working towards a degree I wasn't really sure I was cut out for. This description could be considered accurate for most of the major choices that have led me to where I am now - "well, this seems like a good idea, might as well give it a shot!" Despite having set out with a radically different end goal, I ended up exactly where I never knew I wanted to be. My vague idea of "community development" evolved into work with CONNECT and the Center for Metropolitan Studies; my general notion of "making things better" grew into a deeper understanding of how urban and municipal policy can serve the public. When the LGA internship fair rolled around in March, again, I said: well, why not?

So here I am, typing this blog post in a local government office, in the midst of my inaugural opportunity to make real, meaningful contributions to the health and well-being of a community within my home region. In the first few weeks, I've already tackled a great deal of a major property assessment project, attended a state-level professional conference, and picked up three of the best mentors I could ask for when it comes to urban affairs. Perhaps municipal government isn't considered the most exciting job, or the most exotic destination, but it's amazing how much you can affect when you're working at such a focused level. Hopefully, through my chronicling of this internship, I can transfer some of my passion to you, humble reader. I'm glad to have you along for the ride.