Summer Intern Corner 2019

My name is Diana and I am a recent graduate of Stamford High School interning at the DSSD through the Mayor's Youth Employment Program. 
I am an incoming freshman at the University of Connecticut at Storrs in the School of Business. Being a business student, this internship was a great experience as I got to see first-hand everything (big and small) that goes into creating, planning, and promoting an event or product. I had the opportunity to do projects with multiple people in the office that all play different roles and have different responsibilities at the DSSD. So, I got a better understanding of how important communication is in an environment like this where all the smaller pieces have to fit together perfectly in order for the greater goal to be achieved. I had to make lots of phone calls which definitely improved my communication skills and I became more confident with every call. I also improved my written communication skills as I had to record survey data from events like ArtWalk and the Movie Nights at the park; and email with not only my co-workers, but with business managers all over downtown. Working people are very busy, so I had to make sure I gave information as clearly and as efficiently as possible. 
Finally, with a summer whose weather has not been very forgiving, I got to see the troubleshooting process while making difficult decisions about the summer concert series Wednesday Night Live and Alive @ Five. 
The DSSD office is a very welcoming and exciting place to be and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to work here this summer before I enter the next chapter of my life as a college student. #stamforddowntown

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Last MYEP Update 2018

Hey everyone, it's Paola. This is my last week with the Mayor's Youth Employment Program and the DSSD! This week, I was able to work on newsletter articles for future retailers in Stamford Downtown. I also participated in an exciting walk through where I got to meet several small business owners and get an inside look on what it's like to operate downtown. Finally, I interviewed the Vice President of Operations here at the DSSD, where I was inspired by his strive to advance Stamford Downtown. Before my internship, I never realized all of the different projects and efforts that go in to our Downtown district. There are so many different people and pieces working together to make Stamford Downtown so clean, efficient, and fun! Although I am excited to begin college, I will definitely miss my time here at the DSSD where I learned about the correlation between a happy community and a great Downtown. Thank you to everyone featured in this collage who made this last month so great! 

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MYEP Intern Update #2

     

Hi everyone, it’s Paola again. This week has been very busy! I have been working on all the materials for the upcoming summer restaurant week. Did you know that there are so many different types of foods and restaurants to try in downtown Stamford? A perk of this internship is being able to see everything downtown has to offer between restaurants, parks, and events; I am getting a glimpse of it all. One of last week’s highlights included seeing the restaurants participating in restaurant week, and when I was able to sit in with the team who designs the marketing materials. It was cool to see a graphic designer take information about the event and make it into an eye-catching poster. I also was able to put together some graphs and numbers for the ARTWALK summary report which proved to be very useful.  Working here is really interesting and fast paced-as there is always something going on between preparing for Alive@Five or the various meetings that take place on a day to day basis. I like how everyone takes on a variety of tasks and helps each other out with projects; it makes for a really fun job!  #stamforddowntown

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Mayors intern (MYEP) corner....

Meet Paola!

"Hi, my name is Paola. I am a recent Westhill graduate and the new mayor’s youth employment intern at the DSSD! I’ve made lots of new connections in the office; everyone is so kind and welcoming. Being a business student, I am excited to get my feet wet in the world of marketing and business development. Over the past week, I have been working on gathering data for events like ARTWALK which was a huge success, lots of people left positive feedback. I’ve also been able to sit in meetings for the annual Alive@Five concert series, where I am getting a behind-the-scenes look of the event. On Wednesday I was able to take a field trip to West Hartford with my supervisor and learn about retail development in other communities. Needless to say, I am looking forward to the next month with the DSSD!"

Stay tuned for the next Intern corner.

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Summer Intern 2017 - reflections from Layla

Hi! My name is Layla and I interned for the Stamford Downtown Special Services District this summer. I really enjoyed the experience because I had the opportunity to try out usual intern work (scanning, copying, getting the mail, making phone calls, etc) to better prepare me for future jobs as well as work on bigger projects on my own.


 I really appreciated the respect and trust the employees, who were many years my seniors (in experience), showed me. There wasn’t concern that I nor my fellow intern Paige couldn’t complete tasks we were given. Paige had to put together the concierge book and prepare for Restaurant Weeks which looked very stressful, and I created the brochure book for available retail spots downtown. It was challenging but Jackie, the Vice President and our supervisor, let us do the work and only stepped in if we needed help. 
I felt very valued and useful in the office, and it’s a good feeling to know that you are contributing to something important and have helped other people in some way. On my last day MaryAnn, the receptionist, said to me that she realized after today “she would have to start getting the postal mail again.” Even a little thing like that, knowing that for over a month I’d given her a small break in her day by not having to get the mail herself, was really important to me. 

I personally feel more capable after having had this experience. The kindness and humor of the people in the office along with the opportunity to complete important work made for a great experience that I will always be grateful for.

#stamforddowntown

Layla and Paige

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Summer Intern Corner : Last blog entry this summer - reflection on thesummer gone by...

L

Reflections of a DSSD Summer Intern

By Melanie


Growing up is hard, everyone knows that. But it’s even more difficult when you don’t know what to expect. The majority of kids my age have never stepped foot in an office, they’ve never known the real responsibilities of having a “real” job. Most kids, thus far, have worked for themselves only. They’ve gone through all of their schooling getting grades only to reflect their own capability, their own work. But they don’t know how to work to please a boss. They don’t know the feeling of being relied on. I was certainly this way before I started working for Stamford Downtown. I’d never had a job before this internship. I’d never had a boss before. I worked hard in school for my gain, my personal benefit.

But by working at DSSD, I’ve gotten to witness a kind of foreign environment I’d never known. I’ve experienced first-hand how important it is to stay organized. If you lose a paper, or misplace a check, it’s more than just yourself that you’re disappointing. I’ve seen how essential collaboration is when representing a district, when choosing a piece of art to display, or putting on a show for people to enjoy. I’ve seen the DSSD staff come together to execute a concert series as well as debate over text size for an advertisement poster. But, when it really comes down to it, there is a common goal. There is a sense of teamwork, a sense of family here, a knowledge that everyone is working together on a single mission: to make Stamford better. Better to work, better to play, and better to live. As I reflect on my time at DSSD, I see that more than making my own boss proud, I have been made proud by the hardworking, diligent, opinionated, detail-oriented, caring people that work every day, not for their personal gain, but for the betterment of our city, our community.

So I thank every person working at DSSD for the opportunity they’ve given to me. I thank them for the knowledge they have bestowed, and their service to our lively downtown – a place where I meet with friends, where I enjoy a meal with my family, a place I call home.
Editors Note: Thank you Melanie!!! and to the Mayors Youth Employment Program for sending us two terrific summer interns -- they will be missed at our office, but we know they will go on to do great things. 

 #stamforddowntown

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Intern Corner: Queries of the week--What are you contributing at your new job? What surprises have you come across? How did you deal with it?

Intern Corner: Queries of the week by Melanie

What are you contributing at your new job? What surprises have you come across? How did you deal with it?

At DSSD, there's a lot that needs to be done all the time. It's a fast-paced environment with something always needing attention. I think a good portion of my job is to make it easier for others to do their job. If there are checks that need to be sent out, envelopes that need to be stuffed, or people that need to be contacted usually that is my job. So, I think I've contributed in that I've made others more able to do their job, and to do it right. But I've also worked a lot on the Stamford Downtown directory and the Stamford Tables Concierge Book which is sent out to 40 hotels and office buildings in the area.

One surprise I've had while working at DSSD is the amount of trust they have in me. With a recent task, I had to go around to several restaurants to ask for their membership fees. I felt like this was a large task because I was chosen to represent DSSD in front of several restaurant managers. I tried to approach the job with a professional tone, but also a friendly attitude. Most of the managers were pleasant in return and were willing to help.


  In what ways in this internship allowing you to pursue your unique interest passions and curiosities? How have your feelings towards your job changed since you were first assigned to it/first started it? Have your potential interests changed at all? If not, how come? 


I have always been interested in how our community operates, what it takes to put on an event, and how to develop a city. By working at DSSD I've seen all the "behind the scenes" operations that allow events like alive@five, restaurant weeks, and A Grand Summer Night. I have learned how much time, effort, work and money goes into these events in order to make Stamford better.

When I first started working at DSSD, I thought it would be fun and kind of an event planning firm where everyone had their seperate branches. But it it much more than that. They do more than events. They do retail development, beautification, economic development, and cleaning services. They work together and share their responsibilities. Every Monday morning, they have a staff meeting. Every staff member takes the time to volunteer at Wednesday Nite Live Concerts and Alive@five.

Before I started this internship, my focus was in journalism and media. I still feel the same way after having this experience. I have seen what events journalists cover and how those events are put on.


Editors note:  And we thank you for all your hard work Melanie and Shania!

#stamforddowntown

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Summer intern corner....

 Summer Intern corner #2:

Shania (rear) and Melanie (front)

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, I have realized how important it is to have a good relationship with your coworkers. Listening to critiques, following direction, and voicing an opinion is critical in being successful in a work environment. To be able and sufficient at those skills, it is important to feel comfortable and acclimated to a new job and new coworkers. I have tried to form positive relationships by being respectful, thoughtful, and hardworking. This past week, a fellow intern and I worked together to make approximately 500 goodie bags for an upcoming event. Through this teamwork, I furthered my bond with my fellow intern and grew the trust between my employers and myself.


The DSSD staff is vital when it comes to the betterment of our community. Being a part of their organization is a big deal. It has been a pleasure to work there, but I also know it will benefit me down the road to have gotten this experience. I know that when I go into other jobs in the future, I can refer back to this as a learning experience and to source several positive recommendations.

To build a network rooted in my DSSD experience I can keep in touch with my bosses past this summer. I can also choose to volunteer or attend future events that DSSD works so hard to produce.   

By Melanie

#stamforddowntown

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Summer Intern corner: How do would you explain all that Stamford Downtown represents?

Our Mayors Youth Employment Summer Interns give a presentation on Stamford Downtown fun facts and info:

  #stamforddowntown

Click here to view the presentation notes.

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Summer Intern corner is back for another year! Melanie's first few weeks:

 What is it like to be a summer intern with Stamford Downtown?  Melanie shares her first few weeks  experience.....

So far, I have really enjoyed working for The Stamford Downtown Special Services District. Like any successful business, it does get a little hectic sometimes, but overall I enjoy the pace. I also find it interesting to be informed of new development plans and events.
One challenge I have encountered is adapting to the way other people are organized and learning how to understand certain directions. I always try to follow up with several questions if I'm ever unsure about the task I've been given to avoid any confusion. I also find that prioritizing tasks helps get important projects done if I’m crunched for time. If I still have a few thing to finish up at the end of the day, sometimes I will stay a little later than 4 PM. During my first week, I realized that being part of a team is often times very helpful. Even having someone to talk to while stuffing envelopes really makes the job more fun. So, I learned to appreciate my coworkers.
I think my strengths are my dedication and my work ethic. One day I stayed after an extra hour in order to help out my boss. I think this shows dedication and responsibility because now I can be trusted with fulfilling large tasks. I think my weakness is my ability to become overwhelmed. I need to work on handling multiple tasks all at once.

Melanie, Cheryl & Shania

By: Melanie

 #stamforddowntown

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Intern update: Congratualtions Angela!

Congratulations Angela! 

Best of luck to our most recent graduate-intern, Angela, on her next journey.
 #stamforddowntown

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Spring/Summer Intern Update #3 and final farewell to Jaime & Angela....

Blog Post #3

As the end of our internship approaches, we feel a great sense of satisfaction in all that we have accomplished.  During these three weeks, we mostly worked on the behind the scenes portion of many events, but yesterday, we finally saw all of our hard work in action!  On Wednesday, there was a dinosaur sculpture launch party. Artists and sponsors gathered in an upscale ballroom as they dined on fancy hors d’oeuvres and delicious pastries from Dimare’s.  Guests also had the opportunity to sign up for trolley or van tours around the downtown area and marvel at colorful dinosaurs!  We’ve been writing scripts for the tour and practicing our routes for the past few days, so Wednesday was like the live performance to our rehearsals.  We gave 2 comprehensive 30-minute tours, and we felt like we were really engaging and enthusiastic with the guests.  From the positive feedback, we definitely did an amazing job as tour guides!!

 On Thursday, we had the pleasure of giving more tours to first graders from Roxbury Elementary School. This was an exciting experience and a chance to get out of the office and enjoy the warm weather. The kids were so excited to see 19 dinosaurs on their own “personal” tours. They loved Officer Rex and Punk Rex! The kids were also so excited to learn more historical facts about actual dinosaurs. At each dino, the students had a booklet where they could write down what they liked about the dino. They also got a Dinosaurs Rule! Sticker to take home.

This week was definitely Dinosaur-centric, however, in the midst of all that, a ton of progress was made on ARTWALK. The brochure, schedule of events, and map were all able to be wrapped up.  In addition, significant progress has been made on the Artists Profile Book.

The dinosaurs will be out on the streets of Stamford Downtown through August, so make sure to get out and see them all! ARTWALK, the other event we frequently mention, is occurring June 26-27 and is free to the public. Get out on the streets and go see all the art – you won’t want to miss it! #stamforddowntown

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Spring/Spring Intern Update #2 by Jamie and Angela

Spring Intern Update #2 by Jamie and Angela

            Hello!  Welcome to our second blog post.  One of this week’s highlights includes rehearsing through a dinosaur sculpture tour in preparation for our kickoff dinosaur sculpture party next week.  As a reminder, Downtown Special Services District has 40 beautifully decorated dinosaur sculptures scattered in downtown Stamford this year, and 29 of these have been woven into an exciting 10 minute tour given by us. The office just received the printed copies of the “Dinosaurs Rule!” which features pictures of all the dinosaurs out around Stamford. There are also biographies about all the artists! We encourage you to go out and look for all dinosaurs – they are awesome. Angela’s favorite is Fluorescent Brachiosaurus by Valeska Dudley – it is at 1010 Washington Boulevard. Jamie’s favorite is Dine-A-Saur by Nina Bentley – it is outside of the Stamford Town Center.

          

landmark square passageway

 Angela and Jamie also continued to prepare for Alive @ Five and Jazz-Up July. Angela spent a lot of time assembling season passes and counting tickets. We are both so excited for the summer to start so these two concert series to begin! Jamie also spent a lot of time preparing for ARTWALK, creating a book that showcases all the different artists. ARTWALK is on June 26 and June 27 and is jam packed with fun events! Make sure to add ARTWALK, Alive @ Five, and Jazz-Up July to your summer calendar.

            Angela and Jamie also ventured down to the mailroom a few times this week. By doing so, we got more acquainted with our surroundings in Landmark Square. On the way back one day, we decided to take an overpass that connects Building 1 and the Movie Theater. It overlooks the entire square! We decided it was a great photo opportunity and took jumping photos.

           

Highlights

-        Folding alive at five tickets

-        The dino tour run through

-         

Pictures

-        Alive at five tickets

-        Landmark square hallway?(pictured above)

Food highlights of the week:

·       Angela: Tiramisu Cup– I rate this 5/5 stars.·       Jamie: Turkey Club– I rate this 5/5 stars. 

Our interns at dimare downtown 

 #stamforddowntown

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Intern Corner is back!!! Spring Intern Update #1 by Jamie and Angela

Spring Intern Update #1 by Jamie and Angela

Jamie & Angela

            Hi! Our names are Jamie and Angela, and we are high school seniors who got the amazing opportunity to spend the last five weeks of our senior year interning with DSSD. We are both interested in studying some aspect of business in college, so this was the perfect way for us to get a head start on what we hope to pursue in the future. Jamie is the Retail and Events intern, while Angela is the Marketing and Signature Events intern. 
            Over the past few weeks, we settled into our respective departments and helped out with the events each department was in charge of.  Jamie spent a lot of her time working on helping to finalize the ARTWALK Event, while Angela focused on planning the dinosaur sculptures around Stamford downtown, Dinosaurs Rule!, and the annual summer concert series known as Alive@Five. Last week was very exciting for Alive@Five: the line up was released! We are so thrilled that Andy Grammer, Shaggy, and many other popular artists are coming to perform! On May 27, the office was abuzz again when the Jazz Up July Line-Up was officially published.

where it all happens

A cool thing about this office is that there's a morning meeting every Monday where everyone comes around the round table and shares what they're working on for the week. That really brings a sense of closeness and community in this office because we get familiar with what everyone has to deal with, and everyone inputs suggestions.So far, we have been a part of two Monday meetings, and we look forward to the upcoming meetings!

Some highlights from the week of 5/18-5/22:

·       Angela got to go see the painted Dinosaurs for the Dinosaurs Rule! Exhibit last week. She participated in a behind the scenes photo shoot, and helped stage every dinosaur so the pictures would look great!

·       Jamie toured the new apartment building, 66 Summer Street!

·       We both stuffed envelopes (more Angela than Jamie) with Maryann and she took us on a field trip to the mail room in Landmark Building #1.

·       Angela tackled the Dinosaurs Rule! Script for the launch event.

·       Jamie worked on the ARTWALK booklet detailing each artist.

Dino photo shoot

These tasks kept us occupied and thoroughly immersed in the busy, fast-paced atmosphere of this quaint little office. We’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone who works here and to learn how Stamford Downtown operates. Jamie and Angela never realized how much work goes into each and every event and how passionate the Stamford Downtown staff is about upcoming events!

Stamford Downtown has so generously provided us with the opportunity to sample the culinary delights of the Landmark Café, so we decided to end our blog post, we would do a food highlights of the week:

·       Angela: Gyro – I rate this a 4/5 stars.·       Jamie: Grilled Cheese – I rate this a 4.5/5 stars. #stamforddowntown

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Stamford Downtown 2014 Summer interns- Mahir's last blog post...

Mahir

Overall, my internship experience at DSSD has been great. I have learned how to become more responsible through completing many different types of tasks independently, and have been guided by very kind and fun people. I have gotten to see how many of the events in Stamford downtown are planned and have learned about the unique jobs that different people in the office have, and how they all contribute to the local area. One of the tasks that I completed here, giving tours on a van in which guests could see different art pieces around town, helped me become more comfortable speaking in public. Another task, helping with various decorations for different events, showed me how much organization and preparation is truly required in order to make plans go smoothly. Even small skills, such as working a copier or postage machine, were things that I had not done before coming here, and I learned just how important they are.

I think that much of my success and sense of fulfillment within this internship occurred because I was able to bring my determination from school into the tasks that I had to complete at the internship. I was eager to complete my jobs as efficiently as possible so that I could be very helpful to the staff in the office, and learn at the same time. Working and conversing with others in the office made the work that I had to complete feel more enjoyable, and was an important part of my internship experience. Through doing this, I realized that in the future I hope to have a career in which I can work regularly with others, as opposed to one in which I would be working alone all of the time. I am very glad that I had the opportunity to become a part of the DSSD family for some weeks.

(editor's note:  We'll miss you Mahir -- see you at the summer concerts!)

 #stamforddowntown

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Stamford Downtown 2014 Summer Interns- Maddy's last blog post

It’s hard to believe that this is my last full week at DSSD.  We finally finished ripping all of the tickets for Alive @ Five and Jazz Up July – there must have been 20,000 tickets! With that task out of the way, the fun stuff really started. This would include Street Seats, which we just had a couple nights ago. The whole event was very enjoyable, especially given the fact that the weather, to everyone’s pleasant surprise, turned out to be perfect. Before the kickoff for Street Seats started, I got to do a practice ride on the tram which was definitely a unique experience. To be riding around an amusement park style tram in an urban city is whimsical to say the least. After doing a more important practice run with the van, Mahir and I went back inside the Stamford Marriott just in time for people to start arriving. There were kids coming in – such as the Flood Middle School artists who designed one of the first benches on the tour – and adults as well. It was a good mix of people which would hopefully provide a good mix of people between the van and tram tours. However, because of the weather, that was not the case. Everyone signed up for the tram tours, even if it meant waiting half an hour longer for the next open tram. Since the tram was getting so full though, there ended up being a little spillover with the van tours. I lead the first tour at 6:20, which turned out to be a whopping two people. One of those people was an artist – Daniel Adams, whose bench happened to be on the tour. It was definitely a relief to start off the tours with just two people although having one of the artists on the tour did add some pressure. Thankfully his name is easy to pronounce! As it got later, it was clear that the tram trend was not going to stop. This was fine and even understandable since, as mentioned before, the weather was beautiful. Overall, I found the event to be well put together and a good showcasing of the beautiful benches around Downtown Stamford.

 

Mahir, Maddy and Emily celebrating at Cotto

.

zeppoles with nutella at Cotto

  Another event I enjoyed this week was going out to lunch with the office. We were there to celebrate some birthdays, as well as celebrating our last couple days as interns here at DSSD. I was definitely flattered to receive a gift and a card. Of course the gift ($50 gift card) was nice, but I mean it when I say that the card was the better gift. Everyone wrote little messages which were really sweet and hopefully proves that I made a positive impact at DSSD. Thank you to Sandy and Annette for the gift and card, and everyone else that not only signed the card but also made my experience at DSSD as sweet as all the desserts we had. We must have had 12 desserts that we were all sharing at the table which says a lot about the people here at DSSD. I hope to be visiting the office again soon, but most of all I definitely plan to be going to all the events I now know about in Stamford

Editors note:  It was our pleasure Maddy! See you at the summer concerts.
 #stamforddowntown

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Stamford Downtown 2014 Summer Intern update #2 - Mahir

As written by Mahir:

Mahir's selfie

During the past two weeks, I have learned a lot about the different events planned by DSSD, and how they affect the local community. I have had interesting experiences, such as purchasing fabric that we used to create tablecloths for the opening part for Street Seats in Stamford Downtown. Speaking of Street Seats, I have also spent a lot of time creating and assembling the scripts, directions and maps for the two different tours that will be running during the opening party. Recently, I was able to go around the and practice the tour that I will be giving during the opening party, and I got to see how all of the benches looked and where they were located. I am a fan of the Art in Public Places program because it allows artists to get a chance to contribute their talents and the works that they create are publicly available around the city for everyone to appreciate. This exhibit runs through the summer, and after it has ended the benches will be refurbished and auctioned off. A portion of the proceeds from this will be going to a theater group (Curtain Call) as well as The Palace theatre. .Here is the rest. During the past two weeks I have also been busy creating season passes and sorting tickets for two big summer concert series'--Alive@Five and Jazz Up July. These concerts attract thousands of fans and give the residents in the local area a fun way to enjoy live music during summer evenings with their friends and family. Another event that I have been hearing a lot about it Artwalk, in which locals can view art and participate in activities such as outdoor yoga and art classes. Something new that has begun this week is Truck in the Park, in which different food trucks come to Veteran's Park every weekday between 11am-3pm. There are tables, chairs, and umbrellas surrounding the trucks, and the trucks allow nearby employees or visitors in the area to eat a variety of delicious foods for lunch. I have enjoyed having different options from the few eateries near the office, and I can tell by the big lines that the local community is fond of the trucks as well. I am glad that I have gotten a chance to help out in many of these undertakings.#stamforddowntown

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Stamford Downtown 2014 Summer Intern update #2 - Maddie and Mahir

As written by Maddie-

Maddie's selfie

As I’m approaching the end of the third week of internship, I’m definitely settling down and keeping up with the pace of the office. I just got back from doing a test run of the tours for the Street Seats event kickoff, which I, along with Mahir, will be leading.  It’s cool to think that even though we’re interns, Mahir and I are trusted enough to edit a script and read it to a large number of people participating in the tour. Just last week, I got to pick out a color scheme with the input of Mahir and Annette (DSSD Staffer) for the Downtowner event. These creative projects are the ones that I enjoy the most, so if any of the employees are reading this, please take note.

            One of the highlights of this week has been eating at the Valencia food truck. The Venezuelan beach food takes me back to when I was eating food on the beach in the Dominican Republic this past Christmas break.  The food was cheap, but well worth the money. I had a chicken arepa, which is almost like a corn grits tortilla, and fried plantains which are similar tasting to bananas. It was delicious!  If only I had a refreshing smoothie and a nice view of a beach to go with my meal, then it would be absolutely perfect.

          
    I look forward to going to the Downtowner event later and hopefully mix in with the adults despite the fact that I have yet to graduate high school. As for next week, the Street Seats kickoff will be nerve wracking but definitely an event I will remember. That’s all for now!  #stamforddowntown

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Meet our 2014 Stamford Downtown Summer Interns...

For the last few years, we have been blessed with a couple of high school summer interns, that work for a few weeks, or for the whole summer at the Stamford Downtown office. They are given school credit for participating and spend 30 hours a week on average engulfed in Stamford Downtown Summer Events.      
This year we welcome Maddy and Mahir.  Here's what our interns has been working on so far...

Maddy & Mahir during lunch time.

As told by Mahir...

As a senior at Greenwich High School, I spent a lot of my year looking forward to going on internship in May (a full month before the rest of the school finished classes). When I saw the list of choices for possible internships, DSSD was one of the few that really stood out to me. Helping with marketing, organizing, and planning special events that thousands of people would attend seemed like an enjoyable experience that would come with plenty of responsibility.

In these first few days, I have completed tasks such as creating season passes for Alive@Five, organizing documents for meetings and presentations, finding pictures of events to be used in media, organizing records for Stamford Tables, finding new outlets to list events online, and assisting with benches for this year’s Street Seats event. These jobs, as well as others, have been unique and I have enjoyed the variety.

Every day this week I have gotten more involved with the employees and the things that are going on, and I look forward to attending the events that I have learned so much about. There is almost always something happening that I can help with, so my time here seems to be going by very quickly. So far, this internship has been interesting and has shown me a lot about how an office such as this operates from day-to-day.


As written by Maddy...

Hi! My name is Maddie and I’ve lived in Old Greenwich, Connecticut my whole life. I am about to graduate Greenwich High School and continue my education at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. What made me gravitate toward interning for Stamford Downtown Special Services was the involvement with relevant social events around Stamford. Given that I live in Greenwich, I don’t attend as many events in downtown Stamford as I would like. Already I have learned of many events, such as the Artwalk, which I plan to attend.

Coming into this internship, I didn’t have many expectations though I hoped not to be glued to a desk all day. I was greeted with warm welcomes on the first day and immediately felt comfortable. To think that Stamford Downtown events can be run through such a small office and by such a core group of people is definitely impressive. My initial fear of confinement went away when I got a behind the scenes look at the artful benches that were part of the Artwalk. Even being in the office wasn’t and isn’t so bad since everyone is friendly and there are often people coming in and out. This keeps the office interesting and exciting. Furthermore, being able to watch how an office runs and sitting in on meetings gives me a great look at business in the real world.

As I am wrapping up my first week here, I am looking forward to upcoming events that I will be a part of and know that I took some responsibility for. I definitely can get used to interning here, none of which has to do with earning a free Alive at Five season pass…

 #stamforddowntown

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TBT - Remembering our summer interns...

For more info for the 2014 program, contact  Teri Drew at tdrew@stamfordct.gov

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