Politics have always interested me, no matter the scale. From municipal to international politics, I find it all fascinating.  So it is my goal to study social sciences for my post secondary and find a job for the government. So, when I discovered that I could work in a political office for my co-op job, I just had to jump on the opportunity.

It is really easy to forget sometimes that the government is run by individuals, as strange as that sounds. You have this whole city of 8 thousand people and supposedly there is one building at the centre of town that is full of people working to ensure the city is running properly. It is, at least for me, difficult to fully comprehend and I tend to think of the government as one entity, like a machine.

Meeting Councillor Horneck and his team helped me put a face to the machine. Seeing each of them manage calls from concerned citizens, answer important emails and tending to giant spreadsheets was, in a way, enlightening. It is also commendable, all the hard work everyone here at the Civic Centre puts in if it can be mistaken for the efficiency of a machine.

One of my primary jobs working for Councillor Horneck’s office is helping manage social media. I understood public image, especially for elected officials, was important but actually having a hand in the process has taught me a lot. It is very much a delicate job, trying the strike a good balance between information and personality while also and making sure nothing could be interpreted as insensitive or inappropriate.

All in all, I extremely excited to be here and learn all that I cant about the inner workings of a government while also helping out my city wherever I can.