Georgia County Internship Spotlight

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 Photo courtesy of Hall County. Pictured left to right Tammy Croy Hall, County Engineer and Aileen Nicholas, Intern

University of Georgia, Aileen Nicholas, Completes Internship with Hall County

Prior to interning with Hall County, Aileen Nicholas, a University of Georgia geography master student, had only been exposed to county government through a class project. However, the internship gave her exposure not only to county government operations but also to the county staff and elected officials. Through these interactions, Nicholas learned how having staff that genuinely care about their community can lead to better government.  

Over the course of her internship with the Hall County Engineering Department, Swift’s primary responsibilities consisted of updating the geodatabase with new information and features. Her most significant success was learning how to operate the necessary engineering software and then using those skills to solve real problems.   

Nicholas’ favorite part of the internship was the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom and apply those skills to her work.  She explained that each task assigned allowed her to grow and improve her GIS skills, which will benefit her future career.

To her peers, Nicholas recommends taking advantage of chances to learn skills even if they are not in your specialty. She stated that contributing to a department while cultivating her own expertise was the most fulfilling part of her internship.

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