Jackson Albrecht ’21 — I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities that Wabash has provided me through this internship. Working for Mayor Todd Barton and for the Crawfordsville Fire Department’s Community Paramedicine Program has allowed me to explore and participate in a variety of different fields. In the Mayor’s Office, most of our time is exhausted in meetings. If you were to follow the mayor around on a typical workday, you could expect to take part in 5-10 meetings, which he considers to be a “light day.” They often concern economic development, project planning, and resolving various issues regarding local government. He meets with other officials and multiple committees throughout the day while filling in each spare window of time with individuals discussing their personal concerns.
When I’m not in meetings, I have spent time writing proclamations, press releases, and taking photos for the city’s website and social media platforms. When working with the Community Paramedicine Program, most of my time has gone toward creating marketing materials. I have made inserts, fliers, and brochures for the various initiatives of the program, including fall prevention, behavioral health, Project Swaddle (for at-risk, pregnant mothers), substance use disorder, etc. Some of these initiatives have been designed to take to health conferences to spread the word about our unique system of care, some to help with referral processes, and even some for those who have overdosed on opioids, given to them to help understand their situation. I have also created new business cards for the fire department and its chiefs.
On the non-marketing side, I have written a grant proposal; successful award nominations for paramedics and medical directors; and communications between the CPM, its partners, and to the Universities of Michigan and Harvard concerning a collaborative effort in studying substance abuse. I have also continued work on a project that I began through CIBE during the school year, cross-referencing data to better understand the correlation between subsidized housing and the frequency of calls to the fire department.
Each day in the city building provides me with an opportunity to learn something new about several different subjects. Whether it’s about local government, economics, healthcare, or simply just day-to-day wisdom passed down by those I am surrounded by in the office, I am fortunate to be presented with new learning opportunities each day. That being said, I would like to thank the CIBE Innovation Internship for the opportunity.
