Above: As an intern, Maisha Kazi (CAS’26) took constituent calls, did research, and wrote citizen citations for a Boston city councilor.
Summer fellowships put BU students from Boston to work in their local government
Maisha Kazi (CAS’26) first took an interest in city government while helping out at her father’s convenience store in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood: “[City officials] would come around and inspect the store, and he got a small-business COVID-relief grant, and he was always following the elections and what the councilors were doing. My dad was just always talking about the city, the city, the city.”
This past summer, she saw it from the other side, taking constituent calls, doing research, and writing citizen citations for Boston City Councilor Sharon Durkan. Kazi was one of eight students chosen for the City Scholar Summer Fellowship Program, run by our Government & Community Affairs office. The fellows are Boston public high school graduates who spend 10 weeks interning with municipal departments or councilors.
“I want to help people and contribute to a better and more just society—anything that gives back to the community in some way.”
Kazi is the child of Bangladeshi immigrants, a Boston Latin alum, and, now, a Menino Scholar majoring in political science. She also interned at City Hall in 2024, in the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
“From the way she talks about the work to the thoughtful questions she asks, it’s clear how deeply committed Maisha is to making a difference in our community,” says Durkan, whose 8th District includes the Fenway and Kenmore neighborhoods.
Kazi is planning for a career in public policy: “I want to help people and contribute to a better and more just society—anything that gives back to the community in some way.”