Georgia County Internship Spotlight

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Photo courtesy of Carroll County

University of West Georgia, Julissa Melendez, completes internship with Carroll County

Prior to interning with the Carroll County Public Defender’s Office, Julissa Melendez, a criminology student at the University of West Georgia, explained she had very limited knowledge of government operations. However, while with Carroll County, Melendez learned how mental health and drug courts operate to assist a variety of citizens. She was able to learn the importance of the need for different types of courts and facilities to benefit each individual client.

During the course of her internship, Melendez’s primary responsibilities consisted of reaching out to treatment facilities to research what each one had to offer a client. This included creating an organized treatment facilities binder to offer attorneys easy access to the information when it is needed. Her most significant success was being able to successfully identify a treatment center for a specific client utilizing the treatment binder. The client would not have found a facility that was best suited for them without Melendez’s diligent efforts in creating a comprehensive guide for all.

Melendez’s favorite part of the internship experience was collaborating with attorneys and communicating with clients. She explained that making connections with her co-workers and learning their roles was an encouraging experience for a college student.

To future interns, Melendez would tell her peers to try to establish new acquaintances with each person you meet. She states that they should also come into the internship with an open mind because county governments make large decisions that have immense impacts on the community they serve.

For more information on the GCIP, please visit the ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation website at http://www.civicaffairs.org.