Name: Emma Dermansky
Class Year: 2027
Major:  Political Science         
 
Internship Organization:  Manhattan Borough President Budget Office + Office of Council Member Shaun Abreu
Internship Title:   Budget Intern/Constituent Services Intern
Location:  New York, NY
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

The current Borough President, Mark Levine, is leaving in January to become the comptroller, so I’ve been archiving past grant information for the next budget team. Council member Shaun Abreu just won another term! And the day-to-day work goes on. The office has a case load of around 300-400 constituent cases a month. The cases I work on are mostly related to housing, sanitation, and parks. We’re also planning a summer block party, and I’ve been helping organize the vendors for that.

Why did you apply for this internship?  

After taking a few political science courses, I knew I was interested in working in public service, and I was drawn towards local government. Working at my city councilor’s office and the Manhattan Borough President’s office offered me the chance to understand how NYC’s government affected the issues in the city I grew up in.

Was there anything special about how you found this internship? 

I had to do something way out of my comfort zone: emailing. I sent so many emails. When I was looking into internships, there was no active internship posting for my city office, so I reached out to ask. As for the borough president, I wasn’t initially planning on working with the budget office, I was connected with them through a mentor I had met at the PLEN conference I went to in January. Power of networking! 

What is most rewarding about your internship? 

Helping people with their issues, but also giving people the tools to advocate for themselves. When I talk to people and explain 311, or tenant rights, or police precinct community meetings, It gives them new opportunities to empower themselves within NYC’s system. In housing especially, there are a lot of resources out there, but not that many people know about them, and I get to change that!