Thomas Prior is the 2017 Marvin Andrews Scholar. As part of his scholarship, he will be interning at the Town of Marana through August.
The first week at the Town can be compared to a child learning how to swim. The quickest way to learn is to dive into the deep-end and start swimming! This past week I have dived into department rotations and I am becoming familiar with the Town of Marana. I have already met dozens of friendly faces and look forward to meeting many more. My name is Thomas Prior and I will be getting to know Marana a little bit better over the next couple of months. I was born and raised in the Phoenix area and I am currently pursuing a B.S. in Public Service & Public Policy at Arizona State University.
Last week I spent a few days with the Marana Police Department keeping the streets safe on a ride-along, investigating crimes with a detective, discovering the intricate work of a crime scene specialist, and observing the expert multitasking skills of a dispatcher. After experiencing information overload by everything PD, I met with the Town Magistrate and witnessed the next stage of the criminal justice system. While some municipalities have a somewhat disconnected relationship between the courts, police, and the rest of town hall, Marana makes every effort to create a tight-knit community between all departments. In the short time I have been in the Town I have realized that the efficient interdepartmental harmony stems from Marana’s commitment to live by four cultural values: dedicated service, respect, teamwork, and engaged innovation.
Over the summer, I look forward to getting to know the wonderful citizens, employees, and business that make up the great Town of Marana.
