1.
My STEP Signature Project was my Internship with BroadbandOhio, in which I assisted with writing the State Digital Opportunity Plan. I mainly contributed to entering and analyzing survey data collected from addresses that do not have access to broadband, but I also aided in scoring the grants for the Digital Inclusion Pilot Project Grant Program, drafting a Broadband101 Handbook for the office, and tracking stakeholder engagement.
2.
My experience with BroadbandOhio as a Digital Equity Intern has elucidated my perspective on my prospective career and working for the state. I can now see myself working for the state further in my career, especially after seeing how many unique and different roles there are to play. I would particularly like to work more in a position that deals with stakeholder or community engagement, as I would be able to communicate often with those whom I am trying to serve, enabling me to serve them better. My experience also made me question my pursuit of law school. Now, I am deciding between graduate school and law school.
I also learned that if I were to work for the state, I would want to focus more on basic infrastructure and resources, like internet, public utilities, transportation, education, health, etc. instead of more salient issues that are discussed more in legislation. This realization changed what I prioritized regarding political issues—I was always focused on the more politically salient topics, like reproductive justice and LGBTQ+ rights. I am not saying that these issues are not still important to me, because they very much are, but that there is still a hierarchy of needs. How will citizens be able to learn and educate themselves about the above issues without the internet in today’s world? How can people even think about using the internet when they may not have electricity available? And what if they do not even have a home? No food? No clean water? This internship reminded me that these basic resources still need to be addressed for many people in the state of Ohio.
3.
I can now see myself working for the state government after witnessing the diversity of positions that are available within it. For example, my supervisor, who used to work for the Department of Education, introduced me to one of her former coworkers, who got a law degree and worked in a private law firm for a few years. She found that she did not like working in the private sphere as much as she thought it would—she wanted to be influential in her work. So, she got a job with the Department of Education working with policy—recently, she was able to get funding for a new curriculum that would utilize a more science-based learning method for teaching children how to read. This initiative, among others she has pursued, has been much more fulfilling for her.
This meeting also first made me question whether I wanted to go to law school. She told me that she could have achieved her position without attending law school, and advised that if I wanted a similar position, or if I wanted to work in the state at all, I should reevaluate my plans. She told me that a person “should only go to law school for one of two reasons: if they can go to law school for free, or if they want to be a lawyer.” As of right now, I have hardly any experience with the practice of law, and do not truly know what a lawyer does. Thus, her advice both scared me and inspired me. She went on to recommend a Master’s program instead if I wanted to pursue a career in state government.
Before starting my internship, I never knew much about broadband access and its importance; because I live in a more central area with better internet access and options for high-speed internet, I overlooked the role of high-speed internet in my life. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to attend Zoom meetings for class over the pandemic or work on many different internet-based projects at once on my devices. Meanwhile, many Ohio residents, especially in rural areas, go without broadband, or even internet service at all, barring them from telehealth, teleworking, and streaming videos on multiple devices. After working for BroadbandOhio a while and looking at survey responses from residents all over the state of Ohio, I realized how many people are unserved when it comes to internet access. Thus, I learned that if I were to work for the state, I would want to focus more on basic infrastructure and resources.
4.
These realizations will greatly affect the choices I will make regarding my educational pursuits and career path. Now that I am considering going to graduate school instead of law school, I am also bearing in mind a senior thesis—this would be easy to pursue since I am already working as a research assistant with a Political Science professor. Focusing on a thesis and applying to graduate school would probably put me on a more research-based career path. I could become a professor and research the effects of laws on government, society, etc. I could become a pollster and analyze political polls and conduct surveys. I could go straight to the state level and work in research or grants. Or I could become a government and policy consultant.
If I choose to go to law school, I must become a lawyer, or it would be a waste of paying for law school. However, I could practice any type of law I want, including tax law, criminal law, civil law, family law, labor law, and more. Later in my career, once I pay off student loans and become financially successful, I can do more non-profit work or go back to the state and work in policy. In closing, this internship has opened a world of possibilities for me by introducing me to an array of career paths through the interactions I had and the connections I made.