Intern Spotlight: Kara Gooley

By Kara Gooley

This past semester I had the privilege of interning at the office of New York State Assemblymember Aravella Simotas.  Assemblymember Simotas represents New York’s 36th Assembly District, covering sections of Western Queens including Astoria and sections of Long Island City.  Since the Assemblymember was in session in Albany many days while I was interning in the office, I also spent a good amount of time in direct contact with her Chief of Staff, Samantha Darche.

One of the best parts about working for Assemblymember Simotas was that she is fellow member of the Fordham community! Simotas is a graduate of Fordham University, where she majored in Economics and Philosophy, as well as a graduate of Fordham University Law School.  Assemblymember Simotas and I would often talk about Fordham, both our social and academic experiences during our undergraduate years.  Having the chance to see first-hand what a member of the Fordham community has already accomplished thus far in her career was definitely one of the most rewarding aspects of my internship.

Assemblymember Simotas is also one of the most dedicated and passionate women I have ever met. Her background alone is proof enough that she is a trailblazer in many ways.  When Assemblymemeber Simotas was voted into office in 2010, she became the first Greek-American woman elected to the office in New York as well as the first woman elected to the office in her district.  Having only spent one semester working in her office, it was easy to see why Assemblymember Simotas was so successful; she worked tirelessly on projects and legislation that she felt were important to improving her community. 

This spring, I also had the opportunity to learn more about New York State’s legislative process.  Although I did some research prior to starting my internship, I went into my internship knowing little about the laws of New York State.  One of Assemblymember Simotas’ most time-consuming projects was spearheading the re-introduction of the Rape is Rape bill in Albany.  Understanding this particular bill also allowed me the opportunity to learn more about an issue that I knew little about prior to working for Assemblymember Simotas. Assemblymember Simotas re-introduced the Rape is Rape legislation in order to redefine rape to include additional types of forced sexual activities and simplify the standard used to prosecute these heinous crimes. Assemblymember Simotas worked closely with a rape victim from the area in order to urge the Assembly to pass this legislation.   

Assemblymember Simotas also worked hard to make sure that a proposed bikini bar, that was only a short walk from her office, was kept out of the Astoria neighborhood. “I’m going to fight against an establishment that doesn’t fit the character of our family-oriented community,” Assemblymember Simotas was quoted as stating.  While such venues seem to be all over Manhattan and the Bronx, I came to know Astoria as truly a “family-oriented neighborhood” myself and it was great to see someone taking a stand against the opening of such an establishment in their community.  On a few occasions I was able to go out a collect signatures for a petition to revoke the liquor license of this bar and it was surprising to learn, that many of the community members didn’t want to get involved in the matter … [Overall] it was a great opportunity for me to see someone use their knowledge and argumentative skills in order to convince members of the community as to why an issue was of direct importance to them.

During my internship I not only had the chance to work directly with Assemblymember Simotas and Mrs. Darche, but I also had the opportunity to interact with constituents.  I would greet and assist any constituents that came into the office, as well as draft responses to emails and letters for the Assemblymember.  I felt that such direct contact with constituents allowed me to really make a difference in the office.  Since Astoria is a predominantly Greek community, many immigrants, who spoke little English, would ask for help with problems pertaining to their bills, immigration status, or housing and education concerns.  Although I don’t speak Greek myself, it really showed me the value of mastering a second language.  Being able to speak Greek really helped my co-workers, since they were able to intercept problems that could be easily fixed and didn’t warrant further need from other departments of the city.

I felt that I was able to learn a lot during my time spent in Assemblymember Simotas’ office.  Overall, the opportunity really helped me to understand what this branch of government is involved in.   I was able to learn firsthand how local governments work to enact meaningful legislation within a community and see politics play out in every day life.  I know growing up I had little interest in the what my local government was accomplishing, but the internship was a great experience for me because it helped me to understand how local governments really set the tone for what happens at state, and even federal, levels of government.