A New Internship Brings New Possibilities for Elizabeth Rodriguez
By Jonathan Howle, Director of Alumni Relations
At Plaza College, Elizabeth Rodriguez has done it all.
She has maintained a 3.99 GPA. She served as President of Sigma Kappa Delta. She is an alumna of the Associate’s program and will finish her BBA in August. At the 2010 Graduate Recognition Ceremony, she became the first recipient of the Alumni Association Service Award, recognizing all the many ways she has given to the campus of Plaza College. Then, she was the 2010 speaker at Graduation. This semester, she was elected President of DECA and is now one of our top writers for Seasons. So, one may be tempted to ask Ms. Rodriguez, “What’s next?” Her answer these days is simple: politics.
Late this past fall, Ms. Rodriguez was one of two students (along with Richard Melara) selected for an internship with New York State Senator Jose Peralta, who serves the 13th Senate District. Given her track record at Plaza, it should come as no surprise that after interning for only a short time, Ms. Rodriguez was given more responsibilities on Sen. Peralta’s team.
She tells all about her experience so far in the following interview. Also, she reveals which courses at Plaza helped prepare her for this position. Who knows? Maybe one day, we will be calling her Senator Rodriguez!
Elizabeth Rodriguez poses with her new boss, New York State Senator Jose Peralta at a community event shortly after she was hired (and later promoted) in November.
How did you find out about the internship with Senator Peralta?
I learned of the internship at Senator Peralta's office from Prof. Howle. The Director of Constituents Services had called Plaza requesting interns, and I was lucky enough to have been chosen by Plaza to interview for the position.
Describe the interview process.
I was interviewed by the Director of Constituent Services, Ms. Jennyfer Marcano-Vargas. The interview was exactly what Plaza has prepared me to expect. I felt as if I was in MGT230 or MGT1007 again! I was asked questions such as what my strengths and weaknesses were; how did I prioritize my work load; and how would I handle an angry resident whether in person or on the phone. The importance of attendance, punctuality, good communication skills and proper office business etiquette was stressed. Overall, I can say that I was very well-prepared for the interview.
Elizabeth Rodrigues (l.) and Richard Melara (r.) pose with Senator Peralta’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Yonel Letellier.
You began as an intern, but your responsibilities quickly changed. Can you talk about that?
Within just less than 2 weeks, I was asked to assist the Chief of Staff, Mr. Yonel Letellier. I now work with him on sensitive and delicate resident issues which he only handles. I will be arranging meetings for him, responding to constituents’ letters, going to community events sponsored by the senator's office, creating reports with graphs and statistics, and doing research for any pending projects. For instance, the senator has received numerous letters from angry residents regarding school zoning. As the senator's right hand, the Chief of Staff is taking over this issue. I am gathering information from the Board of Education, NYC Planning and Zoning, and the community Education Councils for the respective areas. Then, I am creating a report that the senator will be able to use to see if he can help address the school zoning issue with the residents.
Elizabeth Rodriguez (r.) and Richard Melara (l.) rolled up their sleeves and worked an 11-hour day at the Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser last fall.
What has been the most memorable part of working in this volunteer position so far?
I guess I can say that so far it is all memorable. I did enjoy volunteering for the Thanksgiving "Turkey Give-away" and the bookfair sponsored by the senator's office. I am learning as I go. I have experience working in the not-for-profit sector, and although working in the senator's office is still helping the community, working in politics is different. There is so much to learn, and I am looking forward to it.
What have you learned about politics and the political climate in NYC?
I've learned that being a political figure is not as easy as most of us think it is. Looking from the outside in, most of us think that the people in politics can snap their fingers and get things done, but it isn't like that. I learned from my history class (LHU175) that there is a reason why there are separate bodies of government; each one has its own responsibilities and cannot overstep their respective power or responsibility. It is ironic because politics was the furthest thing on my mind. As a matter of fact, I wrote an essay last semester for my MGT 70 Business Law Class about how I was not into politics! I am going to take advantage of this internship and learn as much as I can about politics and how it affects us and shapes our future and our children's future.
Which classes/experiences at Plaza have prepared you best for this opportunity?
As I mentioned already, MGT70 (Business Law), LHU175, MGT230, MGT1007, MGT1005 Statistics and Research Methods, IT115 Excel and every business class I have taken at Plaza has prepared me for this internship. I will be using my skills I have learned from all of these classes while I am at the senator's office. Even the experience of the fundraisers I organized as president of Sigma Kappa Delta will come in handy now.