- Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) is proud to have recently hosted five students working with us in communications, legal, and consumer information. Not only is having students with us an opportunity for the Commonwealth to offer meaningful public service experience, but their support and work contributions have been very valuable to the office.
Meet Our Most Recent Interns
Emma Lent is a fourth-year student at Northeastern University, studying Business Administration and concentrating in Management Information Systems. She is from Alexandria, Virginia and enjoys sailing on the Charles in her free time.
Jackson Marsh is a third-year student at Northeastern University majoring in Political Science and Business Administration, with a minor in Criminal Justice. He is originally from Trumbull, Connecticut, and has a strong passion for law, politics, and music.
Ella Morse is also a third-year student at Northeastern University and is majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. She grew up in both Minnesota and Tokyo and loves to travel in her free time.
Devin Weathersby attends Suffolk Law University and is on track to obtain two degrees: a Juris Doctor and Master of Laws in Taxation. He is from Southern California and went to undergraduate school at the University of California Los Angeles.
Catrin Jassynbayev is a third-year at Northeastern University and majoring in International Business and International Affairs with a minor in Global Fashion Studies. She is from San Francisco, California.
Working at OCABR
Consumer Information Specialists:
Lent, Marsh and Jassynbayev all worked as Consumer Information Specialists. “We supported consumers and contractors both on our consumer hotline and in person,” explained Lent. Marsh said, “It was great to see how my efforts could brighten someone’s day and helped make their life a little easier.” “I specifically enjoyed helping consumers with the Lemon Law. It was incredibly fulfilling to see how much of a difference guidance can make for someone facing a frustrating situation,” noted Lent. Jassynbayev added, “We also helped with the administration of the Home Improvement Contractor Program (HIC) and the Lemon Law Program.” She really enjoyed being able to “interact with government officials and learn about various administrative processes.”
Digital and Media Communications Specialist:
Morse served as OCABR’s Communications Intern and worked under Director of Communications, Michele Campbell. “I helped out with anything relating to digital media, whether it be creating content and managing OCABR’s social media platforms, writing blogs for our websites, or creating newsletters to send to consumers,” said Morse. She loved the creative aspect of the job and how she had the opportunity to learn about and experiment with content creation tools and social media management platforms. “It was rewarding to explore your own creativity and at the same time know that your work is helping people.”
Legal Intern:
Weathersby still serves as our legal intern and works under OCABR’s General Counsel, Clinton Dick. “I conduct legal research, complete public records requests, help with compliance, and other special projects,” said Weathersby. His favorite part of the job is how his work evolves to meet new demands. He feels that “novel work is challenging but also keeps him focused so he burns out less frequently.” Weathersby said that one thing he learned through being a Legal Intern is that “agencies generally have a dual character. In one respect agencies have enormous power because they effectuate the law directly with the public, but that power is restricted by written law. In so many instances, there are gaps in the law that agencies must wrestle with before they are permitted to act.”
The Value of Being an Intern
For the five OCABR interns, being an intern has given them invaluable experience as they transition from being students to being professionals. Several interns emphasized how their time at OCABR helped them bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. “For me, I have had many opportunities to work with program heads on projects related to Management Information Systems, my major, which has helped me grow professionally and sharpen my problem-solving skills,” explained Lent. Morse noted, “Before starting at OCABR, I was interested in the relationship between the analytical and creative aspects of digital and social media. This is something that I have gotten to explore here at OCABR.”
The interns also highlighted how working in public service has been eye opening. As Marsh put it, “I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the inner workings of state government. Most importantly, this experience has reaffirmed my passion for public service and pursuing a career that creates positive change in people’s lives.” Weathersby added, “Before working at OCABR, I fell in love with the idea of performing public service without having done the work. Now I have experience to say public service is amazing.”
