Internship Story: Elly Bourgoine at the Maine Department of Education
Elly Bourgoine, the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center Internship, provided a welcoming and informative workspace for their summer interns. The center, housed at the University of Maine, places interns into a field that matches their interests, goals, and preferred area of work. Elly spent her summer interning for the Maine Department of Education as their Operations and Events Intern, a position that exposed her to the ins and outs of the hiring process at the Maine DOE.
How did you hear about this internship?
From Trina Schuler, the MBS Internship Coordinator. For the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center Internships, you do not apply directly within one department or area. Instead, you apply to the program and they place you in an internship. As someone who is interested in a variety of business areas, I was able to showcase my areas of interest in my cover letter for the application. Once accepted, the center offered me an internship that directly aligns with my areas of interest.
Why did you choose to intern with the Department of Education?
As a former political science major, I have always had an interest in working in public service. Switching to business, I knew that I would still be able to apply the professional and technical skills if I decided to pursue a career in government and politics. Operations and Events internship at the DOE aligned with all my interests and career goals; from human resources to event coordination and public service.
What were your internship tasks?
During my internship, I was on the operations side of things, mainly in supporting the hiring process. I acted as a liaison between the Bureau of Human Resources and hiring managers to help ensure a fair and consistent approach to interviews and candidate selection. I also sat in on interviews and worked on managing data and resources to help streamline the process for candidates. I was also on the event planning team for some fun events hosted by the Maine Department of Education, including the Commissioner’s Conference for Superintendents, Employee Recognition Events, and the Employee Field Day. One of my other main tasks was helping with the weekly staff newsletter. It goes out to all DOE employees and provides them with upcoming events, training, and any important internal updates.
What did you like most about your internship?
I’ve always been a planner, so being a part of event coordination felt natural and fun. My colleagues encouraged my ideas, and if they liked one, they’d let me run with it. I also felt comfortable and encouraged to bring up any concerns or opinions I had. Having that kind of trust and autonomy from my supervisor and teammates made the whole experience even better! I was able to design pamphlets, signs, pick out recognition awards, and plan events at the employee recognition field day.
What things did you learn during your internship that you couldn’t have learned in the classroom?
At MBS, we learn how to dress, act, speak, and write professionally, but having this internship allowed me to put what I learned into practice. I now feel more confident to interact in an office setting, especially with office directors and colleagues. Last semester, I received my Microsoft Office expert specialist certification, which I believe significantly helped me excel in my operations position. That said, being able to apply the formulas and use tools on real-world information truly transformed the way I can interpret, interact, and efficiently work with data.
Any advice to share with other students considering an internship?
You don’t have to know everything – or even anything! Applying to internships can be scary, especially when the job descriptions seem like tasks way out of your comfort zone and level of expertise. No internships expect you to be experts in anything. As long as you are willing to learn and work hard, you will do great! Also, if you are unsure what area of business you want to study, apply to the Margaret Chase Smith program. Being placed in an internship that aligns with your interests and goals is a great place to start. I have learned so much about what I like and do not like, which will help me narrow down my job search in the future. Not to mention, as a part of the program, you get to spend time with other Margaret Chase Smith interns. Having this community and the program director as a resource made the experience much less nerve-racking.
Hometown: York, Maine
Class: 2026
Majors: Finance and Management
Minor: Legal Studies
Internship Title: Operations and Events Intern
Story by Sydney Lavigne