Her cell phone rang, and she knew it was go time.
SHS alumna and current IU student Emily Mertz bolted out to the hallway of the Indiana State Senate building and caught her breath. She quickly picked up the phone and her worry soon turned into excitement.
When she heard the words “we would love to offer you the job,” Mertz felt ecstatic.
As a college senior, Mertz accepted her dream job to take on the position of the Director of Communications for the Court of Appeals in Indiana.
“I think it’s so rewarding that I get to help some of our great state leaders forge relationships with the community, and especially students,” Mertz said.
While seizing the responsibilities of a college senior, Mertz has received the opportunity to pursue her dream job in the Court of Appeals because of her perseverance and determination.
Her path towards a career in the legal field began during her junior year at Indiana University. There, Mertz was given the opportunity to intern at the Indiana Senate.
While she was there, she served as a Press Secretary intern and assisted senators with their press needs, social media, press releases and statements.
But the experience didn’t end there. Mertz was also able to get into contact with the Senate and got into contact with Anne Fuchs, the former Director of Communications.
During their conversation together, Mertz shared with Fuchs how the job piqued her interests and asked a variety of questions.
Her eagerness to learn led her to receive an internship alongside Fuchs the following summer, where she and Mertz traveled to run a variety of oral arguments.
“She prepared me in every way that she could and encouraged me,” Mertz said.
Months later during her senior year, Fuchs reached back out to Mertz, informing her that she would no longer stand in her position and encouraged her to apply for the newly opened spot.
With this job, the Court of Appeals expects its director to possess strong qualities that include expertise in public affairs, event planning, management skills and communication capabilities.
Her strong performance in each sector led Mertz to be named Indiana’s Director of Communications of the Court Appeals.
“I just accepted (the job) on the spot because I was so excited,” Mertz said.
While Mertz met the entirety of the criteria, what wasn’t directly noted on the application was the importance of working outside of her comfort zone.
Mertz, a rather introverted person, was given an extremely extroverted role. So it was a bigger fight to prove to herself that she was the right person for the job than it was to the court.
“It was definitely a challenge when I first started to try to be more extroverted,” Mertz said.
Mertz was motivated to get outside of her comfort zone after realizing that opportunities weren’t going to come to her without her leaving her shell.
And once she saw each opportunity that came her way depended on her courageousness, she knew it was time to leave her fears in the past.
“I think that helped me realize this is a really critical part of growing up and that I need to get over that fear,” Mertz said.
Although the introverted feelings still like to come and go, Mertz’s persistence triumphs the constant battle with herself.
“Sometimes, I still have those days where I’d prefer to be on the side,” Mertz said. “I just have to remind myself, ‘this is what needs to be done to get where I need to be.’”
And her father, Ken Mertz, is the one who she credits for her confidence.
“I made the suggestion (that) the more people you meet, the more opportunities come your way, ’cause you’ll understand what people do in different roles,” Ken said.
He’s taught Mertz the importance of staying confident even while being uncomfortable in her own skin. And because of him, Mertz has been able to improve herself in the professional sense.
“I feel like I’m still kind of introverted and would prefer to just people watch, but in a professional setting, I think I thrive with that extroverted personality,” Mertz said.
Besides Ken, Mertz attributes many of her successes to her high school years at SHS, and more specifically her time on the newspaper publication, The Journal.
This is where she developed a passion for writing outside of essay writing, and more importantly, set her up for a flourishing future.
“I think 99% of what I’m doing today can be attributed to The Journal,” Mertz said. “Because had I not joined The Journal, I don’t think I would have ended up in this position.”
Mertz finished up her senior year of high school as a managing editor on The Journal. This leadership position led her to prepare herself for real world job opportunities as she treated the publication like a work place.
And as she wraps up her last year at IU, Mertz will continue devoting her full time to the Court of Appeals while figuring out the ins and outs of her newfound job.
As Mertz locks down her pristine routine, she knows she’ll be sticking close with the Court of Appeals for a long while.
“I haven’t really started looking at the next step, but I love where I’m at right now,” Mertz said.
