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Charleston County interns describe summer roles in county podcast
Summary
Three summer interns on the Charleston County Connects podcast described hands-on work this summer in planning and zoning, human resources and voter registration, saying the paid program offered networking, civic experience and practical skills.
Three summer interns described their work with Charleston County on a county podcast, outlining day-to-day tasks and what they learned from placements in planning and zoning, human resources and the Board of Elections voter registration office.
The interns spoke on the Charleston County Connects podcast about duties they performed and how the summer youth internship program influenced their career and civic engagement plans. Shelby White, a summer intern in Charleston County's Planning and Zoning Department, said, "This program gave me an opportunity to make networking connections, and it was an opportunity where I could learn something new about Charleston County." She described the department's work: permitting, rezoning applications and, in some cases, appearances before the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Ramir Kelly, an intern in Human Resources, described work on job descriptions and an "employee spotlight" feature that the department plans to post on the county's LinkedIn page. "I would often either go to different departments and interview employees about, you know, their time here or email them and ask them questions," Kelly said, describing outreach and internal communications tasks. He also recounted touring the county 911 dispatch center and observing daily operations there.
Henley Bilbrough, an intern with the Board of Elections Voter Registration, talked about organizing outreach for National Voter Registration Day, collecting rewards for an "I voted" sticker contest, and preparing classroom kits and voter ambassador bags. "It's paid and there's a lot of options," Bilbrough said when asked how they would describe the internship to classmates. Bilbrough also noted the voter-registration team's year-round workload and that the office fields questions about polling locations and elected officials.
All three interns recommended the program to peers. White said the experience changed her outlook on potential classes and career choices; Kelly said the placement strengthened his interest in working with people; and Bilbrough said the internship reinforced a long-term interest in civic engagement, including continuing as a poll worker.
The podcast host closed the episode by thanking the interns and noting anticipation for future internship cohorts. "Looking forward to 2026 when you get our new crop of interns," the host said.
No formal county policy changes, votes or budget actions were discussed on the podcast; the segment focused on the interns' experiences and outreach activities. The interns' remarks provide a window into county operations for prospective participants and for residents curious about how county departments use summer help.
