Internship with City of Valdosta Strengthens VSU Student Leader’s Career Goals

VSU senior and SGA President Kai Kemp is doing a summer internship with the City of Valdosta.

VALDOSTA, Ga. – Kai Kemp is proof that quality mentorship and shared goals can lead to meaningful opportunities.

The Student Government Association (SGA) President and senior at Valdosta State University (VSU) is doing an internship this summer with the City of Valdosta. Kemp is majoring in Organizational Leadership and is scheduled to graduate this December. He plans to pursue a Master of Public Administration at VSU following graduation.

Kemp is working toward becoming a city manager, and a conversation with mentor and Dr. Vince Miller, VSU’s vice president for enrollment and student affairs and SGA advisor, led to this first-of-its-kind opportunity.

We asked Kemp about how he secured his internship, what he is learning this summer, and how other students can secure internships that match their long-term goals.

How did you secure your internship with the City of Valdosta?

The internship was arranged through my Student Government Association advisor, Dr. Vince Miller, and the interim city manager, Al Crace. During one of my one-on-one meetings with Dr. Miller, I shared my career goals and explained my desire to become a city manager. He took those goals seriously and helped turn them into an opportunity by working with the City of Valdosta to establish the internship. As a result, I became the inaugural intern in the City Manager’s Office. It is a great feeling to have mentors who believe in your potential and are willing to invest in your personal and professional growth. I am grateful that Dr. Miller and Mr. Crace created this opportunity for me. It is meaningful to know that I made history while gaining firsthand experience in the career field I hope to pursue.

What are some of the areas within the City of Valdosta you have been working with this
summer?

Throughout the summer, I have worked with and learned from several areas of city government, including the City Manager’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, Engineering, Utilities, Public Works, Building Inspections, Municipal Court, Code Enforcement, Information Technology, and other departments. I have attended City Council work sessions, Quality Council and Technology Committee meetings, toured the Withlacoochee Water Treatment Plant, visited the traffic management center, and participated in a Building Inspections ride-along.

What have learned during your internship?

I have learned that effective local government depends heavily on communication, collaboration, organization, and strong leadership. Before this internship, I understood municipal government mainly through my coursework. This experience allowed me to see how policies, budgets, infrastructure, public concerns, and administrative decisions affect residents in real time. I have also learned that city management requires an understanding of many different areas. A city manager must be able to work with elected officials, employees, department heads, community partners, and residents while balancing immediate concerns with long-term goals. Professionally, I have strengthened my communication, research, organization, problem-solving, and project-management skills.

What has been the best part of your internship experience?

The best part has been gaining firsthand exposure to municipal leadership and seeing how city government operates beyond what the public typically sees. I have had opportunities to interact with the mayor, city council members, the city manager, department heads, and other government professionals. One especially meaningful experience was meeting Larry Hanson, a former Valdosta city manager who now serves as executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association. We discussed my goal of becoming a city manager, and his encouragement made that career path feel even more attainable. Overall, the relationships I have built and the opportunity to learn directly from experienced public servants have been the most valuable parts of the internship.

How do you think your experience as SGA President has helped with your internship?

Serving as VSU’s Student Government Association president has helped me develop skills that transfer directly into a professional government setting. In both roles, I must communicate with people who have different responsibilities and perspectives, represent the interests of a community, manage multiple priorities, and approach challenges with professionalism. SGA has also taught me how to lead meetings, collaborate with administrators, advocate for others, and follow through on projects. Those experiences helped me enter the internship with confidence while remaining open to learning from the professionals around me. The internship has also helped me become a stronger student leader by giving me a deeper understanding of organizational structure and public service.

What advice do you have for students looking to do an internship?

My advice is to be intentional and seek opportunities that connect with your academic interests and long-term goals. Do not be afraid to ask questions, introduce yourself, and express an interest in learning about areas outside your assigned responsibilities. Some of my most valuable experiences came from being willing to attend meetings, participate in tours, and learn from different departments. I would also encourage students to remain professional, dependable, and open-minded. Take notes, ask for feedback, build relationships, and treat every assignment as an opportunity to demonstrate your abilities. An internship is not only something to add to a resume, it is an opportunity to discover what type of work inspires you, strengthen your professional skills, and begin building the network that may help shape your future career.

Also on the Web:

Organizational Leadership degree at VSU: https://www.valdosta.edu/programs/b-s-degree-with-a-major-in-organizational-leadership/

Master of Public Administration at VSU: https://www.valdosta.edu/programs/master-of-public-administration-degree/

Doctor of Public Administration at VSU: https://www.valdosta.edu/programs/doctor-of-public-administration-degree/

City of Valdosta: https://www.valdostacity.com/