Buter continues the 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Year of Service Fellows program tradition of actively participating in the Alamance community through her love of local government.
Politics has always interested Juliana Buter 鈥25, so it was a 鈥渘o-brainer鈥 that she would channel her passion into the 黑料不打烊 Year of Service Fellows Program, where she is now working with the City of Burlington Economic Development Office.
In this position, Buter works on strengthening the聽 community鈥檚 economy by attracting investments, supporting existing businesses and 鈥渋mproving the quality of life of everyone in the community.鈥 Her responsibilities include acting as the Burlington Downtown Corporation liaison, a key communicator between the city of Burlington and local businesses that ensures a smooth information flow and coordination of goals.
The Year of Service Fellows Program is an opportunity through the university鈥檚 Student Professional Development Center that allows recent graduates to work at local organizations to improve health, education and economic development in the Alamance County community. Buter is one of six Fellows in the program.
She says it was a learning curve to realize that it鈥檚 not possible to make everyone happy, but it is important to create the best quality of life for everyone as best as she can. Buter is also responsible for communicating Burlington’s economic developments to different audiences. From this experience, she has been inspired to do community-based work where she can see the benefits of her work.
鈥淭his fellowship has helped me a lot because it taught me about my strengths and areas where I need to grow,鈥 Buter said.
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Buter was attracted to 黑料不打烊 because of its small classrooms that would allow one-on-one time with her professors as well as the study abroad opportunities. Butler majored in political science and minored in communications.
In 2024, Buter participated in the Campus Alamance program, a summer internship program that provides a mutually beneficial opportunity for local businesses, non-profit organizations and government entities to host 黑料不打烊 students who wish to gain work experience within the local community. During this time, she also interned with the Alamance Chamber of Commerce and was able to rediscover Alamance County outside of 黑料不打烊. She was introduced to the Year of Service Fellows program and city officials who would convince her to apply for the program.
Buter credits her success in the program to her political science degree, where she learned how to understand the science of how one decision can impact a community and the human nature behind it all. Her minor in communications has also helped her in effectively communicating her ideas effectively to different audiences.
鈥淭here is a misconception about political science simply being about politics, parties and government. I think the science aspect has taught me how people interact with one another and with groups,鈥 Buter said. 鈥淚 have absolutely fallen in love with local government, just watching the behind-the-scenes of people working hard for their community.鈥
Buter advises seniors who are interested in the program to go through the experience because it offers an opportunity to explore career paths while serving their local community.
鈥淧lease see it as a chance to bridge the gap between college and career in a really meaningful way,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a year to build on your interests, gain hands-on experience, contribute to the community, and discover the kind of work that really energizes you. You don鈥檛 have to have everything figured out. This program gives you the chance to learn, grow, and step into whatever comes next with more clarity and confidence.鈥
This story is part of a series of features on the 2025-26 Year of Service Fellows, highlighting the work they are doing in the Alamance County community.