Michael Nicholson '16 has received two awards in support of his internship at Mayor Mark P. Hawke's Office in Gardner, Massachusetts, the Kathryn F. Furcolo Award for Outstanding Service and the Edwin Gere Jr. Scholarship for State and Local Politics.

Nicholson has aspirations of running for Mayor of Gardner himself after graduation, and so interning in the office allowed him to better understand the range of responsiblities of a Mayor and complexity of topics one deals with in local government. "I worked with constituent services, legislative research, policy research, event planning, and even the political side of the office," he says. "I responded to constituents who reported issues, whether it was over the phone, through an email, or meeting with them in person at City Hall. I researched information on ordinances that the Mayor was looking to propose, such as the Municipal Meals Tax Option, environmental policies, and home-rule petitions."

Nicholson was also able to receive mentoring from the mayor himself. "The Mayor gave me a lesson each week on the dos and don'ts when it comes to running for office," he says. "I want to run for Mayor of Gardner one day, so this internship was a phenomenal experience for me." And the odds look good for Nicholson given his UMass connection; in addition to Mayor Hawke, Gardner's previous mayor, Stephen Erickson, was also a UMass alum!

Awarded by the Department, the Gere scholarship was established by alumnus Steve Etkin '81 to honor Professor Emeritus Ed Gere and supports students with academic and professional aspirations in state and local politics. Awarded by Career Services, the Furcolo Award was established by former Massachusetts Governor Foster Furcolo in memory of his wife and her commitment to community service. It recognizes students who complete outstanding internships in either public service or government.