Interning at Advocacy Solutions (AS) was like watching Zubin Mehta conduct a symphony. Government relations is all about synthesis and AS executes it beautifully. I am a recent graduate with a major and minor in political science and planning from the University of Rhode Island. With the job market less than friendly, and most positions requiring years of experience, I decided an internship in the field would be my best option. Over the course of six months at Advocacy Solutions, I have been exposed to a wide spectrum of projects and experience that has been invaluable and crucial to help me to succeed within this industry. Though I am far from the expertise that this firm holds, I feel one step closer to my goal.
Integrating public affairs, government relations and grassroots lobbying is truly a great business strategy follow, in my opinion it hits all levels of socioeconomics, breeding a more equal outcome in legislation. This was also a huge reason why I decided to intern at AS. With a country that is, in my opinion, severely and unequally divided, it is important to do whatever it takes to try and preserve the rights of the people, and I feel that Advocacy Solutions is a firm that embodies that preservation.
As an intern, I drafted blog posts, attended public hearings and press conferences, monitored rules and regulations for clients, helped with media relation needs, and more. My favorite project over the past six months was working on the Sweet Deceit Campaign, which collaborated with Providence Mayor Angel Taveras’ office and his Substance Abuse Prevention Council, in partnership with the R.I. Department of Health, and funded by the Department of Health and Human Services. Sweet Deceit is campaign for a healthier city which strives to educate Providence residents about the dangers of tobacco, and put an end to the sale of candy flavored products and tobacco pricing discounts which target the city’s youth. It was really exciting to see the campaign launch in October and evolve. My personal involvement included public affairs and media team meetings, writing blog posts, previewing commercials before they hit air, and discussing how to engage the public. The most rewarding part was watching the ordinances pass and signed into legislation by the Mayor at a press conference I attended.
As I write this final post for Advocacy Solutions in the intern office, I cannot help but become a bit nostalgic; not only did I learn a great deal here, I met genuinely caring, fun and kind people, and had some really amazing teachers! Thank you AS team (and my office neighbor, Steve Nardelli) for making my first post-graduation experience really awesome!
Jyoti Mehta was a fall ’11 through winter ’12 intern. She plans on entering the United States Air Force in June 2012.
