During the months of June and July, I was afforded the opportunity to be employed with the City of Natchez by way of the stimulus package’s Summer Youth Work Program. The experience I had will be beneficial to me the rest of my life.

I specifically worked for the Natchez Visitor Reception Center and the City of Natchez’s Planning Department. All of the employees in these departments along with Mayor Middleton and his staff, Temple and Danessa, had an impact on my life. They help provide me with skills and instructions that I can use in my future work endeavors.

I also had the opportunity to meet people from all across the United States and from other countries on the days I worked at the visitors’ center. I was very happy to provide them with information on our beautiful city, and I learned a lot from them about their homes.

Working with the city planner and his staff of the planning department helped me understand one of the many facets of how city government operates. Furthermore, I got a chance to meet many Natchez residents that had planning issues, and I was able to be involved in the process of helping to extricate some of those issues.

Finally, I again thank President Obama and Congress on providing the young people across the country with an opportunity to work this summer that I believe impacted many lives. Thanks to the state of Mississippi for receiving the funding for this program. Thanks to the employees at the WIN Job Center for their hard work of administering the program. Thanks to the mayor and board of aldermen for having me work for the city. Thanks to all my employers and co-workers for your mentoring and the experiences you provided, that will facilitate me through my life. God Bless you all.

Valyncia Danielle Alexander

Natchez resident