From the mayor’s office to the press conference to the development site
When Nicholas Neuman, an agricultural economics and political science double major, applied for a variety of summer internships, he was thrilled when he got offers from two of them. One position was with the Indianapolis mayor’s office, and the other was a position within the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD). Both were 20 hours a week roles located in the Indianapolis City-County Building. Neuman did not want to choose between the two opportunities, so, through talking with human resources, he was able to accept both positions through a dual internship arrangement.
Neuman said,
“When I went into the interviews, I was not expecting to be able to do both internships, but I'm very thankful that it happened. Working for the DMD gives me extensive hands-on experience within one department, and working for the mayor's office gives me a broader sense of city government.”
Neuman works Mondays, Wednesdays and part of Fridays at the mayor’s office, and his responsibilities and schedule vary each day. Going to lunch and learns, press conferences and community outreach opportunities, Neuman experiences events across Indianapolis as well as the behind-the-scenes planning that goes into them. He also learns about the many departments that make up the mayor’s office.
“When you're interning for the mayor's office, you can work in any department within the city,” Neuman said. “For example, I'm doing work for the deputy mayors, for parks and recreation, for the Office of Public Health and Safety and for the Office of Finance and Management. It really is across the board because the point of the mayor's internship is to give you a taste of all the city departments that you're interested in.”
On Tuesdays, Thursdays and part of Fridays, Neuman works with the DMD, which also aligns well with his interests. Having “a big passion for adaptive reuse of properties” (which involves renovating existing buildings to serve another purpose), Neuman enjoys the research he does about properties within the city and county surplus that may be candidates for redevelopment.
Nicholas Neuman poses next to a hallway leading to one of his two cubicles in the Indianapolis City-County Building Neuman expressed thanks for his background in agricultural economics for helping him to succeed in his internship roles.
“It is uncommon for a Purdue student to have this internship,” Neuman said. “Since the internship is based in Indianapolis, interns are typically from Indianapolis-based universities. But having that outside perspective has been really valuable, especially since I have a different major than most people in this role. As a Purdue agricultural economics major, I have a unique perspective on economic development, rural development and adaptive reuse than most people. That is what makes this internship so valuable and why I'm thankful for my time at Purdue and thankful for agricultural economics for where it's gotten me today.”
Neuman plans to continue pursuing his interests in government administration, adaptive reuse and economic development after graduating in May 2026. He hopes to go to graduate school abroad to earn a master's in international economic development and tourism.
