Genesis: Interning with Cleveland City Council

By Dani Young, Communications & Marketing Specialist | Sept. 5, 2025

Meet Genesis, who interned for two years at Cleveland City Council Ward 2 with Councilman Kevin Bishop and Executive Assistant Naila Deskins.

A 2025 graduate from Bard High School Early College, Genesis first did the Summer Youth Employment Program after her sophomore year. Wanting something geared more towards her career, she applied to the PEEKE Internship Program in 2024 and, based on her interests, was matched with this opportunity at City Hall.

“Choosing PEEKE with Y.O.U. has helped me learn if I want to do this occupation or not,” Genesis said. “And I feel like I have learned I really want to do it.”

“I came back this year after interning with them last year. I loved how they treated me,” she added. “Also getting knowledge about politics from the environment I'm in and between the other council people. And just having someone wise like Naila on my side who is always helping me with little things.”

This summer, Genesis primarily worked on community mailing lists as well as light filing and answering phone calls.

“Genesis was a huge help with a variety of tasks that directly impacted our community outreach,” mentor Naila said. “Her primary focus was on creating community mailers to notify residents about important projects, such as neighborhood dumpster days and street resurfacing. This involved everything from compiling mailing lists to ensuring the information was accurate and ready for distribution.”

Mentor Naila Deskins and Intern Genesis

Genesis was also able to attend some meetings with Councilman Kevin Bishop. “They are really fun,” Genesis said. “I really love doing meeting notes or just listening in, creating my own opinion on the topic that's recently happening.”

Her favorite part of the internship was observing and listening in the office. She noted how Naila will hear concerns and try to find ways to help, like through benefits or other actions they can do such as putting up street signs or speed bumps.

“She helps you virtually and that is really important. She never really has a customer service voice. She's always like a ray of sunshine, she is very kind, very sweet,” Genesis said of her mentor. “And then Kevin Bishop, the councilman, he's always doing work outside. He's never inside the office. He is outside actively talking with residents of his ward to help them figure out and resolve their issues.”

Through this internship, she has learned she likes being more active versus helping remotely in an office. “Like engaging in conversations like Bishop or going outside to do things for the environment,” adding that both options are important when helping people, “but me personally, I like doing things physically.”

Genesis said the main skill she’s learned is communication and maintaining etiquette with everyone. “In this environment, you have to keep it professional and have patience with what's coming.”

She recommends the PEEKE Internship program for the experience you gain, advising other interns to not be afraid to ask questions. She recalls how when she first began the internship, she was more stubborn and unaware.

“When I first came here, I didn't really know anything. I didn't really want to open my mind to anyone, and my opinion was always right in my head,” Genesis said. Talking with her mentor every day, she was able to open up more. “She valued what I said and even helped me write some of my college essay and helped me, in my opinion, get in.”

She notes how her conversations with Naila have allowed her to be more prepared for college, as she knows how to talk to people and show and express her feelings. “That is something very important and valued in the world, because not everyone is going to understand.”

“You know, if you keep to yourself and ‘only I'm right,’ you're never going to learn new things. In a world big like this, you have to learn new things every day to keep going.”

Naila noted how having a high school intern like Genesis in their department was a wonderful experience. “Watching her grow from a shy, reserved student into a confident and proactive member of the team was truly rewarding.”

“Over the past two summers, Genesis has shown remarkable growth,” Naila added. “I saw her truly come out of her shell and blossom. She became much more outgoing and hands-on, taking the initiative to work on tasks without waiting for a direct assignment. This proactive attitude and independence are qualities that will serve her well in any future endeavor.”

Continuing her career journey, Genesis is now a political science major at Boston College through the QuestBridge national scholarship program, which connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds to transformative educational, career, and life opportunities.

“Genesis's contribution to our office this summer was invaluable,” Naila said. “She brought a positive attitude and a strong work ethic to every task. We wish her the very best as she begins her first year at Boston College and look forward to hearing about her future experiences.”