The City of League City is expanding internship opportunities for college students who want to gain valuable, hands-on work experience in their desired career field. This summer, two students are applying knowledge learned in the classroom to day-to-day work they are performing as part of an internship with the City.
Katherine Brief, a Clear Springs High School graduate and Texas A&M junior majoring in Urban and Regional Planning, is interning with the City’s Planning Department. Katherine heard about the opportunity through Human Resources Director Janet Shirley and thought it would be a perfect fit for her. As part of her internship, Katherine assists staff with reviewing site plans, answering questions from the front desk, and looking over resubmittals and plot plans. She says she’s learned a tremendous amount in the brief time she’s been here.
“I’ve had a wonderful experience, she said. “A lot of what I am learning at A&M is very theoretical, but this is the first time I have worked with a city and I am seeing the practical side of how to review plans, which is not something you do in the classroom.”
Katherine will be studying abroad in Germany later this summer. She hopes to continue her path of becoming a city planner.
Over in the City’s Legal Department, Janina Wojtkowski, a St. Thomas University graduate and first-year student at the University of Houston Law Center, is interning with the City’s attorneys. Janina began her internship after hearing Deputy Attorney Michelle Villarreal speak to at her campus.
“I thought it would be valuable experience for me to work for my community, said Janina. “It’s been very meaningful for me to intern in League City because I grew up in this area.”
Janina is getting hands-on experience drafting contracts, reviewing ordinances, and conducting legal research. She’s also gotten the opportunity to work with the City prosecutor and work on bench trials. She says the experience has already helped to improve her research skills and has broadened her knowledge about municipal government and employment laws.
“I think having mentors is really preparing me for permanent work as an attorney when I’m done with school,” she said. “This is taking my doctrinal classes and putting them to use in the working world.”
The City’ Human Resources Department is working to expand the number of college students interning with the City. Their goal is to eventually provide internship opportunities in every department.
Katherine Brief
Janina Wojtkowski