ORONO — Forty-one undergraduate and graduate college students are working in state, municipal and county offices through the 2020 Maine Government Summer Internship Program, according to a news release from the University of Maine.

The Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at UMaine administers the program that provides full-time, 12-week work experience to students who are Maine residents and scholars attending Maine colleges.

Thirty interns are working in state departments, including Education; Labor; Economic and Community Development; Environmental Protection; Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; and Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. Eleven are taking part in municipal and county internships from Saco to Rockport to Bridgton.

The students’ educational backgrounds include law, business, government, environmental studies, engineering, economics and accounting. They’re utilizing knowledge and skills they’ve gained in higher education to work as GIS specialists, data analysts, infrastructure analysts, hydrogeology assistants, laboratory assistants, marketing and planning specialists, media content creator, and tourist development assistants. Many have expressed interest in pursuing a career in government or public service.

The MCS Policy Center pairs each intern with a host agency, department or municipality and matches them with a direct supervisor. Students tackle assigned projects and provide their skills, enthusiasm and fresh approaches to issues facing departments and communities. Students gain professional work experience, networking opportunities, and insights into the functions of local and state governments.

Because of COVID-19, many interns are working remotely; most hope to transition to in-person work as government offices reopen. A few will work remotely throughout the summer.

Following are the interns, in alphabetical order, as well as their hometowns, school attending, and placements.

• Walter Backman of Raymond, University of Maine at Farmington; actuarial analyst, Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Insurance;

• Hannah Bonine of Arrowsic, University of Southern Maine; planning and economic development intern, City of Saco, Planning and Development Department;

• Nina Ciffolillo of South Portland, University of Maine School of Law; legal assistant with the Maine Executive Department, Office of the Public Advocate;

• Skye Cote of Belgrade, University of Redlands; town manager assistant, Town of Chelsea Town Manager’s Office;

• Taylor Cray of Readfield, University of Maine; Governor’s Welcome Home Program, Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future;

• Taylor Crosby of Greene, Hobart and William Smith Colleges; municipal manager assistant, Town of Fayette Town Manager’s Office;

• Scott DeLong of Portland, University of Maine School of Law; vehicle emissions program assistant, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Air Quality;

• Julie Derzawiec of Cape Elizabeth, Skidmore College; assistant research analyst, Maine State Housing Authority, Communications, Planning and Development;

• Allison Emery of Mechanic Falls, Saint Joseph’s College of Maine; community development and comprehensive plan assistant, Town of Gray Community Development/Planning Department;

• Louisa Goldman of St. Louis, Missouri; Colby College; assessment webmaster, Maine Department of Education, Office of Learning Systems;

• Emily Grzyb of Lovell, Bowdoin College; digital records assistant, Town of Bridgton, Office of the Community Development;

• Eric Hall of Lewiston, Bowdoin College; management assistant, Town of Damariscotta, Town Manager’s Office;

• Danielle Harris of Bath, Unity College; hydrogeology assistant, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Remediation and Waste Management;

• Andrew Hutchins of Alna, University of Maine; business development intern, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of Business Development;

• Tony Inhorn of Cape Elizabeth, Northwestern University; Volunteer Maine research associate, Maine Department of Education, Volunteer Maine;

• Robbie Knowles of Skowhegan, University of Maine at Farmington; assistant project manager, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management;

• Taylor Krowitz of Westbrook, University of Maine School of Law; consumer credit examiner intern, Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection;

• Olivia LaRoche of Searsmont, Wellesley College; town manager’s intern, Town of Rockport, Town Manager’s Office;

• Emily Lathrop of South Paris, University of Maine at Farmington; benefits and policies coordinator, Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Employee Health and Benefits;

• Noal Leonetti of Edmonds, Washington; Bowdoin College; road scholar, Town of Winthrop, Public Works;

• Michael Levesque of Augusta, University of Maine at Farmington; cemetery census and mapping project organizer, Town of Vassalboro, Town Manager’s Office;

• Garrison Looke of Camden, Davidson College; assistant to the town manager, Town of Union, Town Manager’s Office;

• Lily Matson of Rockland, Massachusetts; Colby College; laboratory intern, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry;

• Levi McAtee of Alna, Bowdoin College; Center for Workforce Research and Information research assistant, Maine Department of Labor, Center for Workforce Research and Information;

• Nathan McIvor of Jefferson, University of Maine at Farmington; Volunteer Maine public affairs associate, Maine Department of Education, Volunteer Maine;

• Hayden Ouellette of Augusta, University of Maine; energy and engineering assistant, Maine Department of Defense Veterans and Emergency Management, Maine Army National Guard;

• Cassi Parker of Livermore Falls; University of Maine at Farmington; research assistant for solar siting and short-term rental issues, Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry, Land Use Planning Commission;

• Nicole Ritchey of Coralville, Iowa; University of Maine; GIS assistant, Maine Department of Marine Resources, Public Health;

• Ryan Roy of Manchester, University of Maine; solid waste engineering unit assistant, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management;

• Gabby Smith of Windham, Unity College; destination development intern, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of Tourism;

• Timothy St. Pierre of Brunswick, Swarthmore College; assistant to director of opioid response, Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, Opioid Response;

• Liz Theriault of Saint David, University of Maine; communications intern; Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future;

• Natalie Thomsen of Lisbon, University of Maine at Farmington; county planning and GIS assistant, Lincoln County Planning Department;

• Owen Vadala of Rowley, Massachusetts; University of Maine; Step Up Program assistant, Maine Department of Labor, Vocational Rehabilitation;

• Benjamin Willertz of West Bath, University of Maine; engineering assistant, Maine Department of Defense, Veterans & Emergency Management, Maine Army National Guard;

• Kaia Williams of Durham, Dalhousie University; emissions inventory and outreach specialist, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Air Bureau;

• Olivia Wilson of Bangor, Husson University; website development and content specialist, Maine Department of Education, Office of Special Services;

• Leslie Wilson of Portland, University of Maine School of Law; worker advocate assistant, Maine Workers’ Compensation Board, Advocate Division;

• Samantha Wood of Franklin, New Hampshire; University of Maine at Farmington; Bureau of Rehabilitation Services summer intern, Maine Department of Labor, Rehabilitation Services;

• Dexter Wright of Columbia, University of Maine at Farmington; data management specialist, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Maine Forest Service; and

• Jake Young of Lewiston, University of Southern Maine; conservation assistant, Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Maine Army National Guard.

The 103rd Maine Legislature established the Maine Government Summer Internship Program in 1967 to attract and select college students with ambition and talent for temporary internships within government. Over the past 50 years, nearly 1,800 students have completed internships.

For more information, visit mcspolicycenter.umaine.edu.

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