Bridging Global Insights with Local Impact: Naomi Knight (Pardee ’26) Joins Boston’s City Government
Naomi Knight, photo from BU Today
Global perspective meets local action! Naomi Knight (Pardee ’26) recently brought her international studies expertise to the bustling halls of Boston’s city government through the BU City Scholars Summer Fellows program. Over 10 weeks, Naomi gained hands-on experience in urban governance, working alongside City Council members and addressing real-world challenges. This immersive internship complemented her Pardee School education by demonstrating how local issues intersect with global concerns. The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies is proud to see our students, like Naomi, applying their academic knowledge to practical scenarios. Her experience embodies our commitment to bridging classroom learning with real-world application. As she writes, “Over the past couple of months, I had the amazing opportunity to intern with the Mayor’s Office of Civic Organizing. During my time there, I helped to manage and distribute block party grants, design social media posts and website updates, and plan the beginning of 2025’s Civic Summit. I also conducted a summerlong project researching different civic engagement initiatives and programs my office could incorporate that would benefit the city of Boston and its residents. Through my time at City Hall, I learned so much about project management, effective internal and external communications, and how to be a better community member. As a native Bostonian, I grew up with the belief—like many—that City Hall rarely did enough for its residents. Working there this summer has shown me that that is far from the truth, and that many city employees work hard to make sure that Boston can be a vibrant city and accessible to all of its residents. I was able to see and hear how my colleagues were laying the groundwork to ensure every neighborhood and all voices are heard. The best part of interning with the Mayor’s Office of Civic Organizing was all the amazing people I met and the new connections I made within the city. It was amazing to see how passionate people are about Boston and how dedicated they are to making it better every day.”
Read more on BU Today:https://bit.ly/4e9cNtx
Over 10 weeks, Naomi gained hands-on experience in urban governance, working alongside City Council members and addressing real-world challenges. This immersive internship complemented her Pardee School education by demonstrating how local issues intersect with global concerns.
The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies is proud to see our students, like Naomi, applying their academic knowledge to practical scenarios. Her experience embodies our commitment to bridging classroom learning with real-world application.
As she writes,
“Over the past couple of months, I had the amazing opportunity to intern with the Mayor’s Office of Civic Organizing. During my time there, I helped to manage and distribute block party grants, design social media posts and website updates, and plan the beginning of 2025’s Civic Summit. I also conducted a summerlong project researching different civic engagement initiatives and programs my office could incorporate that would benefit the city of Boston and its residents. Through my time at City Hall, I learned so much about project management, effective internal and external communications, and how to be a better community member.
As a native Bostonian, I grew up with the belief—like many—that City Hall rarely did enough for its residents. Working there this summer has shown me that that is far from the truth, and that many city employees work hard to make sure that Boston can be a vibrant city and accessible to all of its residents. I was able to see and hear how my colleagues were laying the groundwork to ensure every neighborhood and all voices are heard.
The best part of interning with the Mayor’s Office of Civic Organizing was all the amazing people I met and the new connections I made within the city. It was amazing to see how passionate people are about Boston and how dedicated they are to making it better every day.”
Read more on BU Today: https://bit.ly/4e9cNtx