Jordan Robbins ’26
Guest Writer
For this past academic year, I have had the privilege of interning in the office of the Mayor of Worcester, Joseph Petty. During the fall semester, I spent the majority of my time working on Mayor Petty’s re-election campaign, accompanying him to various events, from ribbon-cutting ceremonies celebrating the openings of new businesses, to presentations of keys to the city, to campaign fundraisers, sign-holding standouts and more. My work at these events has been coupled with time spent working at City Hall, aiding the Mayor’s Chief of Staff and Assistant Chief of Staff in preparing materials for these events and completing constituent services. Learning about the City of Worcester through working directly for the local government has been incredibly enlightening and rewarding. Absorbing information about the election process, how legislation is passed, and how the public interacts with all of the facets of city government has been fascinating. I could discuss what happens everyday at City Hall for pages and pages, but one question I keep reflecting on personally is the role that students, specifically Holy Cross students, play in larger city dynamics.
This semester, I took Professor Michelle Sterk Barrett’s course Seeking Justice, throughout which I have been working on a semester-long project with my partner Seneca Baldi, working to advocate for those who are experiencing homelessness in the city. This course and our project has led me to consider how I have been, and will continue to be, a person for and with others in my community. It is easy to get caught up in the bubble of campus, rarely leaving Mount St. James and spending hours upon hours in class, at campus activities, in the library, and with my friends. Especially as an underclassman, it was harder to physically leave Holy Cross;\. While I am grateful I was provided with everything I needed on our small campus, I feel as if students miss out on getting to know Worcester. Our campus is part of the city, but it is easy to feel distant from what is happening around us. But, it is important that we try to bridge this gap and better respect the businesses and organizations that host us.
Through the city events I attended on Mayor Petty’s campaign and through meeting constituents at City Hall, I was given time to really connect with those served by city government and see what spaces and groups around Worcester bring vibrancy to the city. What I found is a community of people that show up for each other, care about making a difference, and want to see young adults getting more involved. Between my internship and advocacy work this semester, I have met incredible people; those who work for the city and accomplish great things every day, constituents who call because they are struggling but maintain optimism through the bureaucratic processes, small-business owners celebrating their opening day that they have worked so hard for, and those who have given their time to public service. Interacting with them all has been illuminating, and has allowed me to broaden my understanding beyond the comfort of campus. Simply just encountering others and getting to know how they are doing can change one’s perspective completely.
I urge my fellow students, especially those who still have time left on the hill, to take the opportunities you can to learn about Worcester, whether through politics or otherwise. Holy Cross provides us with programs and opportunities that can help bridge this unnecessary divide between campus and the wider city. All you have to do is join in these programs with a willingness to learn and grow, or take your own steps to get involved in something larger than Holy Cross. Worcester has so much to offer, and it is my opinion that those who choose not to get to know the city beyond the hill are missing out.
Through getting to know Worcester and completing work both through the advocacy project and in Mayor Petty’s office, I hope that I am leaving my community even just a little bit better than when I entered, and I hope others can continue to do the same.
To Mayor Petty and all those I have had the pleasure of working with and meeting throughout this year, thank you so much for being so welcoming and for teaching me all there is to know about city politics. I am unbelievably grateful to have been granted this opportunity and I will take the lessons I have learned with me as I close out my time here at Holy Cross and City Hall!
Featured image courtesy of Wikipedia
Copy Edited by Sophia Mariani ’26
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