Samantha Swartz is an intern in the Commerce Department. In this spotlight, she writes about her experience as a summer intern. This is the sixth installment of a seven-part series.

Can you share a little bit about yourself and why you chose the U.S. Department of Commerce for your internship?

My name is Sam Swartz, and I am a rising junior at Brown University studying International & Public Affairs and Entrepreneurship. I am a member of Brown’s Entrepreneurship Program and provide consulting services to non-profit organizations in the Providence community. After hearing Secretary Raimondo speak at school, I was inspired by her pragmatic approach to pursuing a more innovative, equitable, and resilient economy for all. Since understanding more about the Department of Commerce’s wide reach over a range of important policy areas, its focus on providing opportunities for those who have been systemically and historically barred from economic opportunities, and the unprecedented amount of funding it had recently received from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I knew that this internship would not only complement my deep interest in bolstering public-private partnerships for economic advancement but also expose me to a diverse set of policy issues that I wouldn’t get anywhere else.

What have you been working on during your internship?

As an intern in the Implementation Coordination Office (CIC) in its first few months of existence, I have supported the successful implementation of infrastructure and related programs. CIC’s entrepreneurial team has implemented new metrics for success, instituted data governance practices, identified and managed enterprise-level risks, and provided proactive oversight to bureaus and programs. I have compiled an environmental Permitting Action Plan, created presentations summarizing a report for a new department-wide data governance initiative, assisted MBDA with the State Small Business Credit Initiative by researching minority-serving non-profit incubator and accelerator programs, set up processes to prepare for the passage of CHIPS, called Native American Tribal leadership to increase awareness of an upcoming internet and broadband grant deadline, assisted in coordinating NOAA grant roll out, worked on Census Bureau Center of Excellence initiatives to standardize data and reporting, coordinated with agencies to answer monthly data calls from the White House, and prepared for and executed CIC’s first ever Cross Portfolio Review with Deputy Secretary Graves and bureau directors. I am so grateful for all the wonderful people in my office, in the Department, and all the fellow interns who I have met and learned from over the past two months.

What have you learned during this internship that you can apply in the future?

I have learned how to multitask, meet deadlines, and coordinate disparate groups of people – skills that I will apply to every task I take on in the future. While working with the innovative CIC members, I have also gained valuable insight into the process of instituting objectives, setting up key performance indicators, coordinating different groups, evaluating program success, and implementing new best practices. I have strengthened the listening and communication skills necessary to garner support for a new organizational recommendation, as well as experienced the challenges and opportunities that come with instituting fundamental change. In the future, I will continue to collaborate with diverse groups of people to increase the efficiency of any organization I join, while also staying mission-oriented and value-driven in the pursuit of impactful results.