This summer, Logan Moss, at far right, took a (physically distanced) seat at the table with Gov. Asa Hutchinson and five other interns.
This past summer Path Scholar Logan Moss had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness leadership in action during a global crisis. From Rosston, Arkansas, Logan is pursuing two majors: one in agricultural education, communications and technology with a concentration in leadership and one in agribusiness with a concentration in marketing and management. This summer was one of just six students selected to intern in Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s office. He pitched in wherever needed, from taking phone calls and drafting responses to constituents to working on new policy projects, and learned some valuable lessons in leadership and team building.
Over this past summer, I had the great honor of serving as one of six summer interns in the office of Gov. Asa Hutchinson. I am still dumbfounded at how incredibly privileged I am to have been given this opportunity, it was truly life changing. Looking back on the summer of 2020 many people will recall their time being spent on the couch uncertain of how to proceed with their “new normal” beyond quarantine. I had the opportunity to spend my time in the statewide decision hub lending a hand wherever possible. I am a native Arkansasan, so having the opportunity to do my small part in helping our state get through this pandemic was beyond gratifying.
Logan writes: “I was attending a meeting in the senate chamber with Senate Pro Tempore Jim Hendren and we got to ‘pick a seat.’ I live in Senator Maloch’s district – actually, the farm he lives on is about 20 minutes from my house! I naturally chose his seat because of his allyship with the agricultural industry and connection to my hometown.”
My primary report was to the governor’s constituent services department. The primary function of this department is to solve any problems that constituents may have and to relay these concerns to the governor. They are the primary liaisons between Gov. Hutchinson and the people he was elected to represent. The department is run by a group of genuinely amazing people. I worked on constituent concerns ranging from meat processing facility rules to COVID-19 concerns. I took phone calls and drafted responses from the governor’s office to various constituents. Because my internship class was half the size of recent years (due to social distancing protocol) our primary departments were not our only departments. I also worked on policy projects for the governor’s agriculture liaison and with the boards and commissions department on various occasions as well as other special projects that Gov. Hutchinson requested from my team of interns.
This experience greatly enhanced not only my resume but my understanding of the complex roles and responsibilities that fall on state government. During my internship, I had meetings with a wide array of stakeholders in state government. These included former Secretary of Health Nate Smith, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, and countless other cabinet-level secretaries and constitutional officers. Very few 19-year-olds have the knowledge and understanding of state government that I have developed from talking to these amazing leaders.
While it is extremely difficult to single out one moment to call my favorite, I had a few highlights. One that really stands out to me was during virtual orientation. The governor’s internship coordinator, Mrs. Phyllis Bell, alerted us that we would have a special guest drop by towards the end of the day. We all had a pretty clear idea of who would be joining our Zoom call and we were right. Following a daily press conference, Gov. Hutchinson stopped by and asked each intern their opinion on starting school back. What was truly remarkable about this instance is that that Gov. Hutchinson really listened to what each of us, all college students, had to say and took that information into account when making decisions.
Another amazing experience was having lunch with the governor and First Lady Susan Hutchinson at the mansion. Before lunch was served, Gov. Hutchinson took us all on a tour. We got to see his private office space, various historical artifacts and the amazing architecture and design of the beautiful mansion. During lunch, the governor shared stories from his time as a U.S. attorney and from his time in D.C. One of my fellow interns, Anna Rumpz, played the piano for our entertainment. Following lunch, First Lady Hutchinson took us on a tour of the grounds surrounding the mansion. Overall, it was a really great experience.
Aside from the professionals who I had the chance to meet, it was amazing to get to build a bond with my fellow interns. Anna Rumpz (international and global studies), Jenna Ronquest (interdisciplinary studies) and I each represented the University of Arkansas to the best of our ability. The rest of our team hailed from other parts of the Natural State; Hannah Walker from UCA, Joshua Johnson from UALR and Anna Roussel from OBU. Over the summer I grew to enjoy visiting with my tiny “intern-family” daily.
As a leadership major, I really love seeing a team grow and develop. At the beginning of our time together, our meetings were awkward and everyone kept to themselves. By the end of our short time together we were all friends, often collaborating on projects and catching ourselves hanging out and talking after what was required. Each of these remarkable students will do amazing things throughout their career and I can’t wait to see their future growth.
Interning in the [rather hectic] office of Gov. Asa Hutchinson opened my eyes to many things, none more than the characteristics that distinguish truly great public servants from average ones. One thing that I have learned from many public servants that I admire is that no matter what they do, someone will always disagree. The biggest distinguishing factor between an average public servant and an amazing one is their willingness to make the unpopular decision for the betterment of their community. Governor Hutchinson has done this time and time again, making decisions with the good of all Arkansans at heart. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study leadership from someone who truly embodies the full scope of the term. To any student interested in public service and looking to advance their knowledge of state government I’ll give you the same advice a good friend of mine gave me a few months ago: “Apply.”
