Summer Internship Review

• By Daniel Leaks
• September 16, 2024

This summer, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) welcomed a new cohort of enthusiastic interns eager to dive into the world of federal planning, urban design, and policymaking. I was among the four students whose journey with NCPC has been both impactful and transformative. In this blog post, I get to explore my experiences, working in the Office of Administration, highlighting how the internship provided hands-on learning opportunities, fostered professional growth, and offered a unique glimpse into the complexities of planning for the National Capital Region.

Applying to the NCPC Internship

I applied for the NCPC internship for three reasons. The first is that architecture is my passion and; I wanted to be an architect since I was in seventh grade. From building houses in video games like Minecraft to drawing my own sketches, architecture and design have been my passions since I can remember. The second reason is because I knew I needed to be exposed to, and learn from, practicing architects to decide if this profession was for me.

The last reason, and the one I feel is most important, was to make connections with design and planning professionals. The NCPC staff, including Policy & Research Division Director Michael Sherman, Urban Planner Brittney Drakeford, and Human Resources Specialist Lori Abdin have made sure that I have felt welcomed and worked to make sure that I received everything I can out of this internship.

Summer Site Visits

Throughout the summer, NCPC interns participated in site visits throughout Washington, DC including a GSA Art Tour of the William H. Clinton Building, Navy Yard, and the U.S. Commission of Fine Art offices. The site visits I went on were great. The first I attended was a tour of the Washington Monument. This visit was my first time being at the Washington Monument. Michael Sherman led the tour, and shared with us the history of the Washington Monument, as well as more information about the McMillan Plan. His insights helped to make the tour a great experience. After the tour, we had a conversation about the planning and construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and how the Heights of Building Act is implemented to preserve historic viewsheds in the city.

The second site visit I attended was at The Wharf. That tour was great because Urban Planner Kael Anderson, a former Civic Association president served as our guide. His point of view on community engagement, urban design, and community character was interesting. I learned a lot about how preserving views can impact the placement of buildings and how large development projects, require compromise to get things done.

Informational Interviews with NCPC Staff

My primary assignment for the summer was conducting informational interviews with NCPC employees. This assignment included creating interview questions and conducting the interviews. I conducted four interviews of Michael Sherman, Urban Planner Chrishaun Smith, and Senior Urban Designer Matthew Flis, and my fellow intern, Sururah Abdulrazaq. I decided to interview these co-workers because they either went to a school I am interested in attending or they have a profession I'm interested in. The questions I came up with were based on the interviewee's education, career, and advice.

Michael Sherman is the Director of Policy & Research. I wanted to interview Mr. Sherman, because he studied architecture at Hampton University a Historically Black College and University. Mr. Sherman's most helpful piece of advice was to work on your communication skills because they are needed to thrive in this career space. He believes that you need to be able to present well for professional presentations but also be able to communicate your thoughts to the people you work with or with clients.

Chrishaun Smith is an urban planner in the Policy & Research Division. I was encouraged to speak to Chrishaun about his college experience because he graduated from the University of Virginia, another school that I am interested in attending. As an urban planner, Mr. Smith works on zoning and comprehensive plans for projects. His recommendation was to shadow somebody in a position I would want the same way he did when he was younger.

Matthew Flis is a Senior Urban Designer in the Urban Planning and Plan Review Division. I wanted to interview him because he is also an urban planner, the career I hope to pursue. In his role, he reviews projects before they go through Commission review. These projects range from basic buildings to national parks and even monuments. He has always enjoyed designing which led him first to architecture and inspired him to become an urban planner. He enjoys working at NCPC because of its interesting mission and how D.C. and the Mall can evolve with technology. His most helpful piece of advice is to find out which part of architecture interests me the most and focus on that part.

Sururah Abdulrazaq is a fellow intern at NCPC who moved here from Nigeria. She is a graduate student at the University of Maryland. I interviewed her because she is studying to be an urban planner and wants to specialize in transportation. She wants to specialize in transportation because she grew up where it wasn't fair or easily accessible, and she wants to be able to change that. For her internship, she worked on updating the NCPC library and participated in project review by reviewing an assigned project. She also made a map of the Monumental Core, the grounds on which the Capitol, White House, and other important buildings are located. Her best piece of advice is to always keep an open mind when working with other people.

What I Have Learned and How I Plan to Incorporate it into My Future.

WThrough my NCPC internship I learned a lot from the language used by planners and architects, as well as the laws and rules used in the architecture world. This has made it so much easier for me to understand what is going on in my own community and to see what situations may be like with other architects. This experience has given me exposure so that I can see what it could be like as an architect and I am grateful for it. I hope to use this in the future to learn more things and to get into more situations like this so I can continue to learn.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.