Thank You Letter

Olivia Zelaya

Phoenix AZ, 85014

May 1, 2015

Isabel

Intern Coordinator

Board of Executive Clemency,

1645 W. Jefferson, Suite 101            

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Dear Isabel:

Thank you for the opportunity to intern with this agency. Not only was it a pleasure meeting you, but also working side by side with you and learning something new each day. I had the opportunity to work with several administrators at this agency and each one had new knowledge to share with me. Isabel you are an extraordinary employee that is not afraid to show what you know and develop other employees to do their best, this is commendably essential to this agency. 

Thank you for taking the time and displaying patience as you trained me each day. You gave me the opportunity to understand the process of commutation, parole and revocations as well as the clemency process. As an intern with the Board of Executive Clemency, I was impressed with the amount of law knowledge needed to carry out this job. I had the privilege to witness several board hearings that allowed me to grow not only as a professional criminology major, but also as a person. My view of the criminal justice system with pardons and paroles have changed since taking on this internship. I have more respect for those that work behind the scenes to ensure that everyone in the department of corrections has a fair due process.

The experienced acquired in this agency, I know will help me in the future. I will be able to use earned skills in the criminal justice field. Again, thank you for the opportunity and I am glad I had the opportunity to work together with this amazing team that makes the Board of Executive Clemency what it is today. Thus, ensuring public safety and giving second chances to those inmates that do not pose a threat to society. More than this, your friendship is truly appreciated. Again, thank you.

Sincerely,

Olivia Zelaya

My organization and what I take with me from this internship

In the internship with the Board of Executive Clemency, I had to opportunity to learn foremost the legal process of parole, revocations, commutations and clemency. Prior to entering this internship I had absolutely no knowledge of this agency and how it worked. I have learned to work under conflicting leadership. Yet, the strengths of this organization is the very hardworking employees under her that allowed me and welcomed me to learn by asking and doing as much as I wanted to. I took advantage of every single opportunity to learn process, duties and responsibilities. I would definitely call it a positive learning experience of what to do and what not to do.

Three goals that I aimed to achieve in my internships at the beginning were:

1. Applying what I have learn in a real life setting.

2. Love the profession I have chosen to study and make a lifetime career from it.

3. Expand my knowledge of leadership while serving the public and maintaining their best interest in mind.

I believe I have met these goals because I am taking with me experience from different leaders in this agency. I understand and have better awareness how government agencies administer their agency and employees. I was very lucky that not only did I have the opportunity to see one leader, I had the opportunity to see 5 leaders at their best and worst.

I do plan to make a lifetime career working in federal agencies.

There is always room for improvement yet, my passion for public policy and public service, as well as public administration only got stronger. I do plan to work hard in public service and keep in mind that I am there for a purpose of serving others than myself.

Congressman Ruben Gallego's One Minute Speech on the Importance of a Deb...

Hello everyone! 

In one of the agencies that I intern, there will be an opportunity for us students at ASU downtown to attend. On Monday April 27, 2015 Congressman Ruben Gallego will host a speech on College debt at the POST Office RM 135 at 10:00 am. Hope you get a chance to attend this event. 

Importance of Debt-free college education

He touches on the fact that more and more students are getting into college debt because of high tuition costs. He is advocating for American students to have affordable education so that we can integrate onto society with a level of means so that we can contribute to economy by buying homes, cars or even starting a family. Student loan debt is a big issue in preventing future generations to obtain degrees and something must be done in Washington.

Hope to see you on Monday and support someone, regardless of party affiliation, is advocating and trying to protect of our generation from getting into student loan debt.

Symposium on racial justice

     On April 10th I had the opportunity to attend a forum offered by the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice call Racial Justice. It was held inside the Cronkite building from 1:15 pm to 3:00 pm. It was very interesting since the speaker lineup that were present, touched on racial problems that the state of Arizona is faced with. The topics were racial profiling, the use of taser guns, professional policing and proper training, and community perspective on overuse of police force .

     It was an information session and a focus on the factors that contribute to current social, racial and criminal justice issues. We had the opportunity to ask questions and get answers from very prominent professionals in these fields. I definitely left with a different perspective on what law enforcement have to face everyday when left with making decisions that affect the lives of many. I also had the opportunity to meet Sarah Buel, clinical professor of law and was very pleased with her input on racial justice. Also, several students from the School of Criminology gave great information on teens and violence and Ayensa Millan, an ASU law school graduate spoke on Arpaio and the issued we face with police and immigration in Arizona.

Interns in actions

Every month Arizona Department of Administration offers interns an opportunity to tour am public agency. I have had the opportunity to tour the Health Inspection building with department of health services, and the traffic control building with Department of transportation.

 I learned so much on how our traffic is monitored as well as accidents and all of the freeways or highways signs.

The employees at this agency went above and beyond to let us have hands on experience in how our Arizona Department of Transportation is handling our traffic to better serve the drivers.

TOUR OF THE CAPITOL

TOUR OF THE CAPITOL 

WE HAD A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MEET REPRESENTATIVE CECI VELASQUEZ . she was gracious enough to give us a personal tour and introduce us to some of the over achievers representative that were still hanging out after a ardous well job well done passing bills.

we had a wonderful time and after the tour she allowed us to ask as many questions 

as we wanted in regards to legislature process. She is a very vivacious

and passionate representative and I  learned a lot. I have more 

respect for what this publi leaders do fo the citizens

that voted for them .

TOUR OF THE CAPITOL

Career Service Handshake to Hire

     I had the opportunity to attend the Handshake to Hire information and mentoring session offered by School of Public Affairs and ICMA Student Chapter, on Tuesday April 28, 2015 at 3:00 p.m.
They  had a panel of government HR Professionals coaching and mentoring us on how to interview better, review your resume and what not to do during your interview.

The agencies that were there were: Arizona City County Management Association, City of Mesa, City of Phoenix, City of Surprise, Fountain Hills City Council, Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), Maricopa County, State Of Arizona - Department of Administration, Town of Gilbert, U. S. Department of Commerce – US Commercial Service in Arizona, International Trade Administration, Valley of the Sun United Way, AND MORE. 
I had the opportunity to talk one on one with a coupe of managers and they had great insight on how I could sell myself and what to do prior to the interview.

It was a information pack session that explained the hiring process of each agency and how to make your resume stand out. One of the suggestions that had was to change your resume to better tailor the needs of the job, to write an updated cover letter and to write a thank you letter as a follow up.

The Strengths of My Organization

The strengths of my organization can be efficient in carrying out the obligations of the agency and it's mission and purpose:

The Board's Mission

The mission of the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency is to ensure public safety by considering and granting parole to inmates who are certified by the Department of Corrections and who appear not to pose a threat to society and recommending to the Governor only those executive clemency actions that are in the best interests of the citizens of Arizona.

The Board’s Purpose

The Board conducts monthly parole hearings for inmates who were convicted of offenses committed on or before January 1, 1994. Hearings may also be held to consider Work Furlough, Home Arrest, Absolute Discharge from Imprisonment or from Parole Supervision: Parole Rescission; and Parole Revocation requests. The Board also conducts hearings for clemency actions that include Pardon, Commutation of Sentence and Reprieve.

The agency's employees are thorough in their case gathering process to ensure that the Board Members have all the information that they need to make a fair decision for all of the citizens of Arizona. 

If I was in charge,are there any things I would do differently? 

If I was in charge, what I would do differently is to hold team meetings more often than the limited few they have today. I would communicate my vision of a changed agency, the process and buy in of the process, I would ask for constant feedback and make sure that the changes stick to our overall mission and purpose. I would communicate in a positive and consistent manner including communicating in way to make my followers feel validated, encouraged, supported, motivated and above all appreciated.

Public Service in my Oganization

     In the Department of Board of Executive Clemency we provide public service by attending to the needs of inmates, their families, the citizens of Arizona, and the Executive Board members. The board hearings and meeting are transparent and open to the public. No need for appointments of clearance in order to attend these meetings. Since the inmates might have a possibility to be released before their release time, the citizens are encourage to hear how their decision was made for or against release. The boards mission is to make sure that this inmate upon release will not be a threat to society.

     Urban Governance dictate that the agency must have accountability and transparency. The state agency I work for takes this duty very serious. Their responsibility is to fairness in enforcing laws, codes of conduct with all involved in the process, procedure and regulations clarification and specification or performance standards within the board and law representatives.


     The agency also allows for advocates for victims and advocates for inmates as well as family and friends to speak at hearings for or against the inmate.


Below you will find the Board of Executive Clemency Mission Statement.
The Board's Mission

The mission of the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency is to ensure public safety by considering and granting parole to inmates who are certified by the Department of Corrections and who appear not to pose a threat to society and recommending to the Governor only those executive clemency actions that are in the best interests of the citizens of Arizona.

Career Day

Last week was a very busy week. I had an awesome opportunity to help intern colleagues work the Internship Fair at Arizona State University West Campus. It was great to be on the other side of the table and be able to answer fellow students questions as well.
Question raised were from students that have never registered for internship. Some of the questions included were, how do I like what I do? What are my skill and abilities? Have a learned anything?
It was awesome because it make me realize just how much I have learned in my internships. I love what I do and I love to work doing community outreach for this organization.
A lot of students were present during this fair, as well as a lot of employers that are eager to hire and give information on how to obtain a job with their agency. The qualifications that they were explaining are crucial to succeed in applying for jobs or job hunting. I learned a lot during this fair and I am so excited to be able to share my experiences with students that are in the position I was last semester, undecided of where to intern.

Cesar Chavez Celebration

I had the opportunity to attend the Cesar Chavez breakfast celebration. Not only was the food so good, but the show was spectacular. Cesar Chavez was a huge advocate  and labor organizer as well as a civil rights activist. He fought for farm workers to have water, restrooms and fair treatment and pay for all farm workers. If you have not had the opportunity to see the movie version of his life, I recommend you doing so, it is very inspiring.
The breakfast was filled with most of Phoenix Arizona's representatives. We also had the honor to meet the Chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, Dr. Ned Norris, J. His speech was very moving and inspirational. He spoke on how all politicians need to work together for the betterment of the whole state. He also made it very clear that regardless of our political affiliation or beliefs, the job of public officials was to act on behalf of those that elected them to improve our beautiful state. Unity is what will bring Arizona to the top of development and innovation.

Profile of a person & career I aspire to

           The   career I aspire to is Immigration and Family law. I had the opportunity to meet an Arizona lawyer Ms. Millan that the majority of her cases are immigration related. I was able to see the passion she has to serve the public and that she loves what she does. As an Attorney she volunteer with agencies to provide assistance and information to immigrants in need. She takes her time to explain the Executive Order and why it has been delayed,  

      

         With the executive order that our President gave, although halted for a moment, it is seemingly important to offer services to the millions of immigrants that will qualify for the  Deferred Action for Parents of American children (DAPA). It is imperative to offer proper law representation or education to avoid fraud against these parents. Immigration reform has been thrust to the forefront of American politics. There is no denying that this is a topic that comes up repeatedly as well.  I aspire to have my own agency that can offer these services as well as family law.

      

          To work in a capacity of a paralegal when you are not an attorney, you may become a certified paralegal. Also in order to be more distinguished and competitive they can earn a A.A. or B.A in Paralegal studies  or become certified. The National certification purpose is to increase the professionalism of paralegals by making sure that they have mastered and are competent in the national requirement of this field. This is offered by national paralegal associations. They must also passed one of four exams, the PACE, PCC, CLA/CP or PP.  In Arizona there are two professional associations that offer these exams. They are The Arizona Paralegal Association and The Arizona Association of Independent Paralegals. 

     

       Working in a Law Firm side by side an experienced attorney like Ms. Millan will be beneficial to my career. Ms. Millan has worked in non profit organisations and various law firms. She is an immigrant herself and relates to the needs of the immigrant community. She advocates with several community organizations and handles pro-Bono cases as well. She was a recipient of an award for her commitment to the community for Hispanic Leaders. 

        She joined Emerge, a women leadership for democratic future. She attended Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, and was the Hispanic Outreach Director for the Democratic National Convention Committee. I have much to learn from her and I am looking forward to spending time with her and hopefully intern with her office as well over the summer.

      

Career Event: Professional Etiquette

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a career event at ASU West. It was very interesting because we were required to wear professional attire as if we were on a dinner interview or a sales dinner. Not only was the dinner exquisite but delicious. We were guided on how to use all utensils, paying attention how so out of touch I was of proper etiquette living with all males at my house. We were also taught what conversations were considered appropriate and what weren't. 

One interesting point was taught when you are done with dinner. That was to make sure you pay for the bill and tip in advance and to walk the client to the car then come back and pick up the bill. Regardless if you are a female or not.I have to admit I found this a little odd to leave your credit card to the waiter as soon as you get in and add the gratuity then come back and get it.

Everyone in the table was very confused when we were told it was bad manners to pick up the bread,split it in half and spread the butter. Proper etiquette requires for you to pinch the bread without picking it up and tear a little peace of bread at a time and add a dab of butter. Just though I would share that. 
The point of the who meeting was to learn that the way you eat, carry yourself in conversation can determine whether or not you will get the job or close the sale.

Leadership in my internship

I have several leaders in my internship. I am able to see different aspects of leaderships as well as different styles. Unfortunately for me, I do not see a transformational style of leadership from any of them. This agency has gone through different directors in the last years and the employee morale is low. The new director is very busy trying to run administration that she neglects the aspirations and goals of the employees under her. I admire everyone's work and ethics as far as trying to run the agency the best way possible under new direction.

I am confident that once administration is set in place the new director will value her employees and bring a sense of team attitude to this agency. Perhaps implement positive reinforcement, team meetings, personal achievements celebrations, goals and missions and a environment that is welcoming where employees can feel free and happy to work in.

I also understand the directors point of view in her leading style where she feels that she must do whatever it takes to run the agency. Including running her employees away and injecting the agencies with fresh talent.

Advantages of being a Non-Traditional Student

    As most of you know I am a Non-Traditional student. If you are wondering what type of student this is, I will explain. A Non-Traditional student is one that is mature in age and has decided to re enter school after working in various jobs where you can not grow to administrative positions due to lack of a Bachelor Degree.
     have held several jobs where I worked very hard to get to management or to a leadership position, within that department or organization but I could not become director, district manager or other aimed positions because I did not a degree. So, I decided to return to school and get a degree. At first it was for Human Resources but since they only offered that in Tempe, I opted for Public Policy/Public Service (Criminology) and my two certificates Public Administration and Leadership Ethics, and I am so glad I did.
      The main reason why I chose to get my degree at my 40's is because I have two boys a 16 and a 14 that are awesome young men and students. They have goals and aspirations to attend a college and university and I want to be able to help them out financially in order to have them avoid getting into debt. That is the best legacy and inheritance I can ever give them, an education.

Career Service Pre Law information session

This week I attended a pre law information session. It was very interesting to find out about the long process that takes place when applying for law school. It was very surprising to find out that after students have gone through 4 years of university or college expenses, they are still required to pay close to $1000 for applications, programs and tests.
I know that it is worth it for the education and degree you are seeking, and I am glad to know that there are ways to as for financial aid in filing for this process. The adviser that was there was very informative and allowed everyone to ask questions. I always have questions so one of them was the length of time it takes to finish law school and we were told 3 years. I forgot to ask if financial aid was available for graduate students and I believe it is.
She explained the process of taking the LSAT test. A test that everyone has to take and score at least a 160 in order to be accepted to ASU Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law. She explained how the questions are all correct but you must use your analytic skills and choose the best one. They test four times a year and offer classes to get you prepared that cost about $1000. Also and very important, is the fact that if you carry a GPA of 3.7 it would be most likely that you can be accepted easily.
Hope this information was useful for you as it was for me.

Justice In The Mind of A Board Member

Interning with the Board of Executive Clemency is exciting, yet challenging. It challenges your way of thinking about fair justice. In one side you can understand victim services point of view, at another the Department of Corrections point of view, and in the end the job of the Board that I work for. I am getting to know the Board more and more each day. I am beginning to see how each individual brings a load of knowledge, experience and comprehensive skill in each and every situation they face.
Dealing with cases day by day can bring a load of stress. Honestly, I do not know how they do this and still maintain a smile at the end of the day.
I am learning so much from them. Some of the things I have learned is how each one can have questions that lead to how they are going to decide at the end. Good listening skills are a must. After all, they are watching the security of all citizens of Arizona by allowing an inmate to leave or stay in our prison system.  I find it fascinating that inmates have the ability to speak on their behalf and to change the way that their sentence will be carried.
I still have a lot to learn and I can't wait to ask one of them if I can interview them at a personal level and ask all the questions I have each and every time I see them at the hearings. Some of these questions would be; How do they carry all of this information home with them? Does it affect they way of living? Are there any cases that they wished they had voted different on? If you were not doing this type of work, what would you be doing?

Branding Yourself

I had the opportunity to attend a workshop with MS. Douglas Zunk, in Career Services. This workshop was interesting because she explained how key words are essential in describing your abilities and skills. This class allows you to bring your resume and allow her to look at it and help you change the way you write your resume to be more of a brand of yourself.  I had already had the honor and opportunity to speak with Ms. Zunk about resumes because she helped me get my internships I have now. She is very knowledgeable and if you have the opportunity to attend one of these, you should. 
Knowing how to rewrite certain abilities and skills may be the key to landing or missing on a job opportunity. I have learned so much from her. She is very patient and has great ideas on what to add or remove from your resume. She states that  branding and selling yourself to employers is crucial to landing successful jobs and careers
I plan to take more workshops and seminars that she offers. Best of all is free! what a great way to practice interviews, face challenges and be prepared for future interviews. I have to admit at first I found that I just couldn't fit these workshop into my busy schedule. I am so glad that I did. I want to be ready and equipped when I graduate from school.

A Typical Day at Work

A typical day at work for me at AZ Board of Executive Clemency:
I start this internship at 8:00 and finish at 12:30. I truly enjoy coming in and finding out what is scheduled for me to work on for that day. Usually I already know what I have to do.
First, I look at the files from the previous day and make sure that they are complete with all of the information needed to make a case for the Board members to review.
I get all of this files from my supervisor who has trained my on which information we copy from the Department of Corrections on the inmates files. These are inmate that are coming before the Board to ask and prove that they deserve to have a sentence reduced or parole as well as clemency.
Once all of the information is gathered we make four copies and hand them over to the Board members. We make sure we add all of the letter that we receive from inmates as well as victim or family of victims. Once the hearing is over, we get the decision from the board, and let anyone involved in the case of the outcome of the hearing.
It is very interesting how the justice system work, and how they decide whether or not this inmate can reintegrate back into society.

Opportunity to watch my work in action

Today I had the opportunity to watch how all of the case files that I research, gather and analyze are used by the Board  when they are in a hearing session. As I explained in my earlier blog, I gather the information that they will need for some of their hearings. My job primarily deals with commutations. However, I have the opportunity to learn how the other agency employees perform their duties that include parole and revocations.
Since the Board hearings are public anyone can go in and see any hearing at any time. The reason why they are public is because as a citizen you have the right to know what actions and decisions are being taken when felon or convicted inmate is being granted release or a reduction in sentence.
Today I saw the Board Members in action and I was impressed of how well they handle the cases that were before them. I was able to see how important it is for them to see all of the aspects of how their decisions will impact the inmate, his family, society and the families of the victims as well. I was able to go back after a hearing and ask questions of how and why some questions were either asked or not asked. It was very interesting and I hope to be able to sit at more of these hearings and see how our justice system carry through after years of incarceration.

Interns in Action Field Trip

Friday was an interesting day for me because we had the opportunity to visit Arizona Department of Health Laboratory. Arizona Department of Administration has an awesome opportunity on a monthly basis to visit a state agency and have a complete guided tour where they explain everything that they agency does and how it functions and its effects on Arizona's citizens.
The Laboratory was very interesting, especially since it was my first time visiting. We were required to wear lab coats and safety goggles throughout our visit. We were introduced to all the elements that are inside that building. Some of the interesting things I saw was a small fox that they had received from the wild that was not acting properly and his behavior was alarming. They only receive the head and cut it open to examine the brain.
We were also taken to the floor that studies Ebola and the Measles. Another interesting department of this laboratory also test foods and minerals from the state to test for diseases. After the tour we were taken for lunch and had the opportunity to network with the rest of the interns from different departments. I can't wait to see which agency we will visit next month. I will keep you posted!

Arizona Board of Executive Clemency

The agency that I work for is the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency. This agency is in charge of processing and conducting daily parole hearing for inmates convicted of offenses. The Board conducts hearings that considers home arrests, work furlough, absolute discharge from imprisonment or from parole supervision. Most importantly, is the function of the board of conducting hearings for clemency actions that include, pardon, commutation of sentence and reprieve. These hearings are public, and the inmates do not come directly to the agency, they are televised in the general foyer of our agency.
There is a Board that is composed of four individuals that base on the facts, letters and actions of those being heard, their family and the victims services, determine the fate of these inmates. This board is also inside of our agency and there are six employees that run the administration of the agency and assists the Executive Director.
My role, responsibilities and duties are given to me by the agency manager of interns. She is very knowledgeable and very resourceful. I am given daily responsibilities that include the research and information required to put cases together for the board to inspect, research and analyse before the hearings. These cases are the inmates application, their versions of incident, criminal records, and letters from those that support their release.
I am very excited that everyday I learn something new and realize how important it is to be part of the justice system that has the interest of all Arizona's citizens safety in mind when making decisions.

My name is Olivia Zelaya. I am a Senior at Arizona State University. My major is Public Service Public Policy (Criminology) and two certificates, Public Administration  & Management  and Leadership & Ethics .I am a non traditional student. Meaning, I have worked very hard throughout my life in different management capacities that has allowed my leadership experience and now decided to return to school to earn my Bachelor degree to help further my career.

Currently I am working on two very interesting internships. The first one is at the Office of Congressman Ruben Gallego as a Community Outreach Intern, this satisfies my Public service and Administration intern requirement. The second one is at AZ Board of Executive Clemency and this satisfies my Public Policy and Leadership requirement. Since there is already an intern in the Office of Congressman Ruben Gallego in this class I will chose the latter one for the purpose of this blog, Although I am very limited on what I can share with you what goes on at the Board of Executive Clemency, I will blog about my involvement and experiences within this agency.

Three goals that I aim to achieve in my internships are:
1. Applying what I have learn in a real life setting.
2. Love the profession I have chosen to study and make a lifetime career from it.
3. Expand my knowledge of leadership while serving the public and maintaining their best interest in mind.