Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Student interns gain from positions with city of Wakefield

By P.J. GLISSON

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Wakefield - The city of Wakefield staff grows a little each summer as it welcomes a new crop of student interns who help with tasks both indoors and out.

According to city clerk Sue Ahonen, "They help with little things that we don't get to." For instance, she said teens in the Department of Public Works cut grass, paint curbs, and engage in park and cemetery cleaning.

The clerk said the city had 10 interns last year. Eight boys worked with DPW staff, and two girls worked on clerical tasks. The city paid for five of them, and the Gogebic County Extension Office, run by Michigan State University in Bessemer, funded the other five.

"We don't always have someone in the office," said Ahonen Thursday, but claimed the DPW has had steady intern help "for years."

The students come from the Wakefield-Marenisco K-12 School in Wakefield.

Sophomore Julia Tarro, 16, and junior Brianna Cross, 17, were among last summer's group of interns, and they talked about their experience in a recent interview.

The girls logged city cemetery information and organized books, cleaned shelves, and provided any other assistance needed at the Wakefield Public Library.

"I thought it was a good experience," said Tarro, who is from Wakefield. "I think I want to be a nurse," she added, but said she's open to learning about other types of jobs as well.

"I wanted to see what it was like working in an office setting," said Cross, who is from Marenisco.

"I was organizing grave plots and putting them into the computer," said Cross, who logged names of the deceased, causes of death, grave locations, and family members - "Just a history of the person, basically," she added.

"I liked being able to go through all the books because I want to go in a field that has to do with being a mortician or a coroner," said Cross, who thought the city's filing procedure "was really interesting."

Tarro said she also filed cemetery data, as well as other materials.

Tarro worked six hours daily up to four days a week. Cross worked six hours five days a week.

"They were really lenient hours, and I was grateful," said Cross. "I had dance every single day. I had to get ready for nationals."

Cross is an assistant teacher for the Next Generation Dance Instruction studio in Ironwood. In the past, she worked at Erla's Restaurant in Marenisco and at the Marenisco General Store.

"I volunteered at the hospital, too," said Tarro of last summer, adding she had the benefit of both a paying job and a volunteer one. She now works at 906 Café and has played basketball and volleyball during the school year.

Both girls said they enjoyed the opportunity to meet more of Wakefield's residents during their internship. They agreed they "definitely" would recommend other students to accept similar job options.

"It was really a good experience to have, especially if you don't know what you want to go into," said Cross, who added of the city staff, "They were very willing to guide you if needed."

"It was fun, too," said Tarro, who described the ladies on the city staff as "nice to talk to."

Wakefield-Marenisco superintendent Jason Gustafson claimed that internships, which are a graduation requirement at the school, help kids "to develop their skills in career awareness as well as communication."

According to the superintendent, internships allow students to "showcase" their skills while also alerting them to possible future job options.

Gustafson said he is "grateful" to the city and local businesses for providing students with internships.

Cross said she expects to get additional, targeted experience this summer. "I'm supposed to have an internship set up with the funeral homes in this area," she said, adding she will go "back and forth" among the operations to gain a variety of perspective on her chosen field.

Ahonen said the city council will vote soon on using interns again this year. She said the staff hopes it works out again, as usual.

"We appreciate them, I know that," said Ahonen. "The DPW appreciates the kids, and we appreciate them, too."

 
 
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