For Melissa Leal-Esquivel, local government is appealing for a simple reason: She can see the impact of her work in the community.
She joined Paradise Valley Town Hall roughly three weeks ago as part of the Marvin Andrews and Jane Morris Local Government Fellowship, an Arizona State University program that places graduate students pursuing public administration or public policy degrees with local governments to gain hands-on experience.
The fellowship is in its 20th class, with 12 fellows working with local governments for two years at a time. Paradise Valley is participating in the program for the first time. Leal-Esquivel previously spent a year with the city of Tolleson through the fellowship before moving to Paradise Valley for her second year.
She first heard about the fellowship shortly before the application deadline and decided to pursue it despite the tight timeline. She completed the lengthy application and secured multiple letters of recommendation because she knew the opportunity was rare and one she could not afford to miss.
“I really liked that you could see the impacts of the work you’re doing immediately in your community,” she said. “I really like that aspect of it.”
That sense of community has continued since she arrived at Paradise Valley Town Hall, where she said staff immediately made her feel welcomed and included.
“They’re willing to help you, because they know not only that you’re capable, but because they want to,” Leal-Esquivel said. “It’s very interesting to learn kind of all the different characters that are in the office and the personalities and all of that.”
She has also been struck by how much responsibility falls on the town’s relatively small staff, giving her the opportunity to learn about many aspects of local government and gain a wide range of experience.
“People wear a lot of hats here, which I think is great,” she said. “They get a lot of experience in things that maybe other people in other cities don’t.”
Leal-Esquivel said the involvement of Paradise Valley residents has also stood out to her. She knows residents attend council meetings, speak with town officials and take an interest in what is happening in their community.
“People care about the place they live in,” she said. “People care about Paradise Valley, and the residents really, really do care … there’s nothing better than a motivated people.”
That connection between residents and local government is part of what has drawn Leal-Esquivel toward a career in public service.
“It’s a good opportunity to help people,” she said. “It’s an honorable job.”
Leal-Esquivel is not the only fellow to find a place on the town’s team. Erin Sweeney, another member of the fellowship cohort, spent the previous year working with Paradise Valley and has continued with the town part time while Leal-Esquivel takes over the fellowship placement.
Sweeney said she had a similar experience when she first arrived at Town Hall.
“It felt very much like I was just part of the team right away,” she said. “They let me sit in on executive team meetings and participate and encourage me to speak up if I had thoughts on any of the topics that were being raised.”
Both fellows said the town’s small size creates opportunities to work across departments and gain a broader understanding of local government.
“Everybody’s very cohesive, and I do think that the department works together well,” Sweeney said. “There’s a kind of a spirit of collaboration and people aren’t afraid to bring in somebody else.”
Leal-Esquivel is a first-generation college student from Mesa pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at Arizona State University. She also earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and anthropology from ASU.
Community: I live in central Phoenix and my writing focuses on Fountain Hills education, and the Paradise Valley and Scottsdale communities.
Education: I graduated from Arizona State University in May 2026 with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. My studies focused on writing and visual story-telling.
Random Fact: Growing up I had over 10 pets including 6 cats, 1 dog, 2 hermits crabs, and too many fish to count!
Hobbies: I like to spend my free time hiking, crafting, cooking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here