My Summer Internship: Analyst with the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability

Student: Drazzel Feliu, Class of 2019

Position: Summer Analyst, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability in Chicago, Illinois 
 

What is your policy area of interest?  Is there anything you want us to know about you? 

I am a rising second year student at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy graduating in 2019 with a focus on housing policy and municipal finance. Prior to attending Harris, I was employed at an advertising agency in New York City. I received an undergraduate degree in economics from Fordham University.

Tell us about your internship and the organization you are working with – what is the organization’s mission? What are your responsibilities?  What projects are you working on?

I am currently spending the summer interning at the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability as a policy analyst. The organization's goal is to use a data-driven approach to present policy reforms that promote social and economic justice for all. My responsibilities as a policy analyst are primarily to gather data, perform robust analyses, and present information in a clear, communicable manner. My projects for the summer have been to gather and analyze the City of Chicago's budgetary outlays under Mayor Rahm Emanuel and identify which services and functions the city has prioritized as well as a thorough analysis of several housing authorities throughout the state of Illinois and their utilization of Housing and Urban Development funding towards housing construction and vouchers. This is an addition to smaller projects such as assessing the viability of existing and potential revenue sources for the city and evaluating policy proposals in other cities/municipalities and their relevance to the Chicagoland area. 

What was the interview process like? How long did it take to secure your internship?

I reached out to the Career Development Office (CDO) and shared my interests in housing policy and municipal finance, and they referred me to Daniel Kay Hertz at CTBA. He and I met for lunch and ended up in such deep conversation that I forgot to ask if there were internship positions available at CTBA for the summer. He emailed me later that night and told me that if I was interested, a position was mine. In one whirlwind week, I secured my internship.

 What has been the most valuable part of the internship so far?

Working with Daniel Kay Hertz and the rest of the team at CTBA has been truly phenomenal. As a tight team, they work closely and provide insight for each other whenever possible. It's a trait that has immediately rubbed off on me and my fellow intern, as we share valuable knowledge when our projects venture into different territories that can overlap. Seeing how easy it is to contribute and feeling valued for my opinion, it's valuable to understand how successful an organization can be when fostering a trusting, collaborative environment.

What has surprised you about this experience?

One of the biggest challenges has certainly been in collecting data and validating what the data says compared to what an agency reports. It's easy to assume that any kind of discrepancy exists because of individual motives, but the most important part is realizing how a change in policy can impact the way resources are organized. Tracking down the context around the content of financial reporting has been a challenge, but is leads to a more nuanced understanding of how a city as large as Chicago manages a robust budget. 

What skills are you using most in your internship? Are there any Harris courses that helped you develop skills you are using?

The statistics and advanced economics core classes have influenced much of what I've been doing at CTBA. Compiling large datasets and aggregating information quickly has been a skill that has immediately paid dividends.  

How has this internship helped with your career path as you transition to your second year at Harris?

Given my prior focus on housing policy and municipal finance, this internship feels tailor-made to provide me with the context necessary for diving deeper into my interests as I focus on the policy analysis and municipal finance certificates in my second year. Having this level of familiarity helps to quickly translate academic context into real world applications.

What is the one piece of advice about holding an internship that you wish had been given to you?

Be open. Things have a tendency to get challenging quickly and being ready to think outside of the box greatly improves your ability to adapt to and overcome any obstacles. Additionally, any internship can build a strong base for the skills you want to master. Being open to that process allows you to deeply tap into your strengths and abilities, while also learning new ones. 

Any social media handles you’d like us to tag (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)?

Check out my LinkedIn and my student profile! And be sure to follow the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability on Twitter!