Meet the Interns: General Services, Finance & ITS
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 HUNTSVILLE, AL (June 25, 2010) - As the school year drew to a close, college students from across the country began looking at internships. These internships would provide valuable experience that could eventually help them in the real world. There were over 50 applicants in a pool that would be eventually whittled down to 22. The city had its pick of interns and was able to take the best of the best.
Each week we have been focusing on different departments and letting the community know more about our interns. This week's article highlights the Finance, General Services, and ITS interns.
Every candidate for these coveted intern positions brought a substantial amount of experience to the table, but these four proved to be above the rest and were chosen for this year's intern class: James Young and Sujit Chudasama with Finance, Phillip Guthrie with General Services, and Brad Greene with ITS.
These four young men chose their respective departments based upon their majors and what would be of greatest benefit to them. At the halfway point of the program, these men have already accomplished a lot. They each have been working on a wide array of projects that will provide them with valuable experience for the careers they choose to pursue.
James Young, who is attending the University of Alabama in Huntsville, is a senior working on his second baccalaureate degree in accounting. His first degree was in Ecology and Environmental Science. After attending a Beta Alpha Psi event and meeting Finance department head Randy Taylor, James decided that the intern program with the city of Huntsville would be most beneficial to him. After being on the job for a month, James says that the internship gives him a clearer understanding of the inner-workings of a government entity.
Right now James is working on a manual of accounting policies and procedures. He says that this provides him with an opportunity to work with the staff of the department and learn from their years of experience. His goals for after school include "working as an accountant in a governmental or non-profit capacity, with an interest in pursuing audit work." Eventually James would like to return to school and work towards a Masters of Accountancy.
Sujit Chudasama, a Finance concentrator at UAH has come on board with the hope that he will be able to learn about city government and gain further experience in his degree. Sujit is working alongside James in compiling a manual of accounting policies and procedures. This goes hand-in-hand with is hope of eventually working with the finance department of a public company.
While the interns have been working hard, there have been some more light-hearted times in which the entire intern class is able to come together for group activities. Some of these have included a scavenger hunt and volunteering for the Boys and Girls Club. Sujit says that these group interactions have been some of his favorite while working here.
Phillip Guthrie, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, is working in the General Services department in the construction management division. Phillip is a graduate of Alabama A&M with a degree in construction management. He says that this internship is helping him to gain valuable field experience that he would not have otherwise.
While at A&M, Phillip played baseball. Recently he was invited to try out for the Atlanta Braves. He hopes to have a baseball career and then return to construction management after.
Brad Greene, the lone ITS intern, will be a senior this fall at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Brad is a GIS concentrator but wanted to work in the ITS department to further his knowledge of computers. Brad says that, "without the ITS department, the city would not be able to function." He also says that while ultimately he wants to work in GIS, he knows that this summer will prove to be an important tool in his educational development.
A recurring theme for these men is that of experience. They understand that this internship will help them to further their knowledge and eventually their careers. They have already accomplished a great deal in the short amount of time they have been here and we look forward to seeing what they can do with the second half of the program.
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Alan Reeves, an Intern with the Office of the Mayor, wrote this article.
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Follow the City of Huntsville on Facebook at facebook.com/hsvcity and on Twitter at twitter.com/huntsvillecity
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