The Mayor's Fellows

The Mayor's Fellows internship program provides both undergraduate and masters-level students the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of how a high-energy local government office operates.  This program caters to students satisfying class credit, fulfilling internship requirements, or those simply wishing to gain experience working in public service, the community, and the governmental arena.

How to Apply

The attached application, along with a resume and references, should be completed and mailed, emailed, or faxed to:

City of Columbia

Attn: The Mayor’s Fellows

1737 Main Street

Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Fax to (803) 733-8633

spjohnson@columbiasc.net

*In an effort to conserve paper, if you are able, please email the completed application.

Should you have any questions regarding the internship program or application, please contact Sam Johnson, Intern Coordinator, at (803) 545-3075.

Applications will be accepted until Monday, January 7th, 2013. The Fellowship for the spring semester will be from January 14th to April 29th.

Please note that this is an unpaid internship program.

Download for an overview of the Mayor's Fellows program.

Click here to download an application to join the Mayor's Fellows for the summer semester.

Mayor Benjamin welcomes 2013 Spring Mayor’s Fellows

Columbia, SC – Mayor Steve Benjamin is proud to announce the selection of the 2013 Spring Semester class of Mayor's Fellows.

Upon taking office, Mayor Benjamin launched the internship program that has welcomed over 40 students to date. It is open to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students and provides an opportunity to actively participate in the municipal government process.

The Spring 2013 Mayor’s Fellows are:

Andrew Kovtun (Cleveland, OH) is an International Business, Economics and Marketing triple major and French and Russian language studies minor at the University of South Carolina. Andrew sees the Mayor’s Fellows program as an opportunity to valuable gain insights into the inner workings of city government and hopes to apply that knowledge and his experience planning and collaborating on various city projects to a future career in civil service and public administration. In his free time, Andrew enjoys traveling, skiing, writing and learning new languages.

Anne N. Evangelista (Greensboro, NC) is a senior Political Science major and Criminal Justice minor at the University of South Carolina. Anne became interested in the Mayor's Fellows program because it provided an opportunity to experience government in a different way and hopes to learn more about the interaction between municipal government and the citizens it serves. Anne is also a Resident Mentor and a member of the USC Gospel Choir and Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity.

Elaine S. Farmer (Richmond, VA) is a sophomore Business Major and Spanish Minor at the University of South Carolina. She was drawn to the Mayor's Fellows Program by her interest in community service and saw the program as a unique opportunity to broaden that experience through working on programs like the new One Columbia: CityServe initiative. In addition to her wide-ranging community-based activity, Elaine is currently training for the Columbia Half-Marathon.

Keysha Arthur (Irmo, SC) is a Midlands Technical College student graduating with an A.A.S. in Human Services and will soon sit for her HS- BCP (Human Services- Board Certified Practitioner) credentials. In the Fall Keysha will continue her studies by pursuing a B.A. in Human Services, with emphasis in Community and Organizational Leadership at Columbia College. Committed to serving others, Keysha sees the Mayor’s Fellows program as an important step on the road to becoming an effective community advocate.

Mallory O’Brien (Charleston, SC) is a senior International Studies Major and Spanish Minor at the University of South Carolina. Mallory became interested in the Mayor’s Fellow program because she wanted to learn more about how local government works and hopes to gain a better overall understanding of how the city of Columbia operates. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with friends and family and play soccer.

Marcus Hart (Columbia, SC) is a junior Public Affairs Major and Communications Minor in Columbia College’s Evening Program. A Dreher High School graduate, Marcus sees the Mayor’s Fellows program as the perfect opportunity to further himself and his community. He is excited to work on initiatives aimed at retaining young, homegrown talent through community development, job placement and providing various recreational venues year-round. Marcus is a die-hard Gamecock and Green Bay Packers fan and loves to talk about football 365 days out of the year; to him there is no off season.

Sheimaliz Glover (Columbia, SC) is a junior International Business & Marketing major-Chinese minor at the University of South Carolina and a student in the International Business & Chinese Enterprise (IBCE) academic program. She is heavily involved with Student Government's Congressional Advisory Board and the International Student Association. In the future, she aspires to be a U.S. Foreign Service Officer specializing in social and economic development and joined the Mayor's Fellows Program in order to gain firsthand experience on how policy turns into practice. Sheimaliz grew up in a military family and enjoys dancing and creating works of art.

Shuyang Zhao (Guangzhou, China) is a Master of Accounting (MACC) student at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business. This is her second year in Columbia, SC and after graduation she plans to become an auditor. As someone who always likes to try many new experiences, she volunteers for the Marine Mud Run and helps at the YMCA by filing tax returns (VITA) for lower-income groups. Besides satisfying her passion for new experiences as a foreign student studying in America, she wishes to gain expertise by working in public service and the governmental area. Shuyang believes the Mayors Fellows internship is an opportunity to understand the City of Columbia while working within the community.

Taylor Fontan (Fishers, IN) is a freshman at the University of South Carolina studying Political Science with a double minor in Spanish and Business Administration and absolutely loves being a Gamecock! She believes being a Mayor's Fellow is a unique opportunity to immerse herself into Columbia and experience local government firsthand. In her free time she enjoys long walks on the beach, playing Zoo Tycoon and cheering on the New York Giants.

Taylor Lybrand (Spartanburg, SC) is a sophomore at the University of South Carolina studying Political Science and Philosophy. He sees the Mayor's Fellows program as an opportunity to get a feel for the practical side of politics that is rarely experienced by the public. Municipal government is also interesting to him primarily because it has such a direct impact on the lives of the citizens it serves and hopes he can assist the Mayor in making a positive impact in Columbia. After graduating, he plan to either attend law school or earn a graduate degree in political theory.