Claire Palo
Summer Student Worker
I worked as a summer student worker for the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB). The IRRRB is a development agency that works to promote and invest in the businesses, communities, and work forces of northeastern Minnesota. Their vision is to advance regional growth by stabilizing the economy of northeastern Minnesota.
I had the privilege to conduct research on the Iron Range’s downtowns and compose a report for the use of the board. I was tasked with the job of doing a walking audit to take inventory of buildings on the main streets of the downtowns and report the overall feeling. I developed a template to evaluate the condition and occupancy of the buildings and transferred all the buildings’ addresses and ratings into an excel table. Not only did I evaluate the downtowns, but I looked at the available city’s comprehensive plans to see what the city had planned for improvement and took that information into consideration in my report. I also utilized outside sources in my report for reference of working revitalization procedures that could be possible on the Iron Range. When I had completed my research and composed my report, I presented my findings to the board through a PowerPoint presentation.
I learned a lot through my experience at the IRRRB. It was a stressful experience for me, because I constantly felt like I didn’t know what I was doing, but the stress made me work harder and do the best that I could. When I had finally finished, I felt a sense of accomplishment and I knew that I had grown from the experience. Being able to present to a board of professionals was scary, but it allowed me to gain experience for my future careers. Although I will probably never be comfortable disseminating the results of my research, I know from experience that I can do it. Through the experience I also was able to see how research is practical and how it can help the community. I was able to explore the community that I had grown up in and give my recommendations of how to improve the downtown and how the Iron Range can continue to grow.