The Interns are back in action with the start of the 2019/2020 OLIP year! Each and every one of us are incredibly excited to begin our adventure at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and to experience this unique opportunity. Although we have only been at Queen’s Park for a week and a half, we have already learned so much about the operations of the Assembly and the people who keep the place running. A quick recap: The first three days began in our office learning the ins and outs of OLIP itself with our Academic Director, Dr. Peter Constantinou, our Programme Coordinators, Jocelyn McCauley and Michael Vidoni, and our Programme Manager, Elisa Natarelli.
The first week, we’ve had a non-stop flurry of meetings with a number of important figures of the Legislature such as the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Todd Decker, the Speaker of the House, Ted Arnott, and the Sergeant-at-Arms, Jacquelyn Gordon. Since then, we have been making our way through the divisions of the Assembly and meeting with the executive directors, directors, and staff of the various branches and offices. Along the way, we have also been meeting with OLIP alumni who have shared stories of their experiences and offered advice on how to succeed over the next 10 months and beyond.
In two weeks, we will begin our first placement with the Legislative Assembly, and many of the people we have met will soon be our (temporary) supervisors! As many of you will know, the House is not returning to Queen’s Park until October 28th. Therefore, the ten of us have been placed with different divisions of the Assembly to assist with their various projects throughout the month of October.
As a group, we are quickly getting to know each other personally. Each of us have very diverse backgrounds and experiences but all are very excited to learn and grow from this exceptional program! As our year advances, stay tuned to this blog and our other social media platforms for updates about our journey through the world of Ontario politics!
