Last week, I started at my new position as Intern to Mayor Comitta. I’m so grateful for this wonderful opportunity and am really excited for the semester ahead. To learn more about what to expect this semester, I interviewed former interns Charlie James and Joelle Tolifero, who both worked with Mayor Comitta this past summer.
James and Tolifero are both Political Science majors planning to graduate in May 2012.
“The best part about being Mayor Comitta’s intern was being able to participate and observe local government firsthand from the viewpoint of an elected official,” James said.
“Soaking up all of her knowledge and talking about our life experiences. Being a part of the development of the West Chester Borough was fun and exhilarating, but Mayor Comitta herself was the true prize of this internship. She was a great mentor and guiding force for me this summer,” Tolifero said.
In the future, James wants to become a paralegal and after a year or two, attend law school for international law and diplomacy. Then, he wants to work as a lawyer or diplomat and eventually enter politics. Tolifero has always had an interest in national politics and wants to get more involved in the international scope of work.
She is interested in international human rights and wants to focus on volunteer recruitment and training or fundraising for an international human rights agency such as Amnesty International or Oxfam.
“When I get tired of traveling the world, I would love to settle down in a place like West Chester and get involved in my local politics, which I never even considered until this internship,” Tolifero said.
James said that the most interesting thing he learned while interning with the Mayor is how to address different officials and guests of the Borough appropriately. Tolifero was very surprised by how negatively members of the community view the attendees of our university.
According to her, it seems at times that no matter how much we give back to the community (over 250,000 hours of community service from WCU students), the noise on Walnut Street every Friday night is emphasized over the good we have contributed to the Borough. Noise and other issues overshadow the service provided to their neighbors and the massive amount of money WCU students contribute to Borough businesses.
“Students have a lot to contribute to this community, and I can only hope that through the continuation of this internship, residents and the Borough Council themselves will begin to realize our contributions to West Chester Borough,” Tolifero said.
When asked about advice for new interns, James recommends to “always be punctual, prepared and professional when working at the internship, and always address the Mayor as Mayor or Mayor Comitta.”
Tolifero’s advice to people new to the position of Intern to the Mayor is to “have fun, fully embrace every opportunity handed to you, and network, network, network. Mayor Comitta knows some wonderful people who are willing to help West Chester students striving to make a difference in our community and world.”
James’s most memorable moments as the Intern to the Mayor were the D.C. trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy and hosting the Chinese foreign exchange students and UAE Women’s soccer team.” Tolifero’s most memorable moments was all the ‘feisty’ yet fun moments that happened in the Borough Council meetings. “You really get to know the personalities of the Borough Council members, and trust me, they are hilarious!” Tolifero said.
For students who are interested in applying to this internship in the future, James advises to dress professionally and appropriately, apply early and plan out your time to know that you will be able to fulfill your duties as Intern to the Mayor.
Tolifero shares her advice for anyone applying or striving for anything in life: “The worst someone can say to you is ‘no’. Always go for what you want and eventually if you work hard enough, someone out there will notice and you will get the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.”
Courtney Potts is a fourth year student majoring in political science and international relations with minors in Spanish and Latin American studies. She can be reached at CP678599@wcupa.edu.