Horace Greeley Senior Gets A View At Top Interning With County Exec

CHAPPAQUA, NY — In some ways, leadership skills are an innate quality, but future leaders can always hone their skills with a little help from the current leaders in our community.

Netra Easwaran, a soon-to-be senior at Horace Greeley High School, recently completed the 2022 Summer Fellowship Program with Westchester County Executive George Latimer. She and nine other college and high school students interned at the Intergovernmental Relations Department at the Office of the County Executive in White Plains.

Over the course of three months, they had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the daily workings of the office and get an insider's view of the workings of county government. The interns engaged in research, authoring briefs on topics that ranged from infrastructure development to employment trends to gun violence and clean energy. The interns were also allowed a behind-the-scenes peek at county institutions, like the Westchester County Records and Archives and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services.

The students were able to meet with County Executive Latimer in small groups and discuss some of the responsibilities, challenges and rewards of the County Executive post.

In addition to the political aspects, the interns were also given an overview of how media is utilized in local government. They attended press conferences by County Executive Latimer and inaugural events to announce new initiatives, including the construction of the Overture at Brookfield Commons, an affordable housing development. In addition, the interns were introduced to political campaigning and learned about canvassing efforts for Legislator MaryJane Shimsky.

Easwaran said her most poignant experience of the summer came when she was able to attend a Board of Legislators Meeting on June 27, in which the board passed the Reproductive Health Care Facilities Access Act.

"As a young woman myself, it was incredibly empowering to watch, as a bill protecting safe access to reproductive healthcare facilities, was signed into law,"Easwaran said.

The Fellowship Program was led by Copernicus Crane, Assistant Director of Intergovernmental Relations, who mentored the interns throughout the experience and coordinated the opportunities.