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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – Most students will take a break from campus life during next week’s spring break. One group of Salem State University students will instead spend three days at the State House participating in an alternative spring break—one rooted in civic leadership and opening doors for them to pursue pathways into public service.
A selected group of undergraduate and graduate students spread across a spectrum of majors will spend three days and two nights in Boston next week as they participate in the Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics Alternative Spring Break, an all-expenses-paid hands-on political experience through the state’s legislative process.
“This cohort will engage with elected officials, activists, lobbyists, government staff, state agencies, and more to get an understanding of the Massachusetts legislative process, how it works, and what their role in it could be,” said Hannah Levine, assistant director of the Berry IOP.
Civic engagement is an essential component to Salem State University’s identity, reflected best by alumni that dedicate their lives to public service. Several leaders in the region are Vikings, including Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker, and many more.
The trip runs from Tuesday, March 17 to Thursday, March 19. Tuesday opens with a tour of the State House and a meeting with Salem’s state legislators, Sen. Joan Lovely and Rep. Manny Cruz, followed by a career panel featuring Viking alumni who work at the state level.
“Our goal with the trip is to showcase a breadth of opportunities for students to pursue careers in state government—not just in the State House—as well as growing our students’ professional networks,” Levine said. “This is a great opportunity for students to see themselves in these roles.”
On Wednesday, students are paired with and shadow experienced staffers at the State House. The pairings are based on the students’ areas of study, career interests, and other motivators they identified while applying for the opportunity to join the trip. Because of that, the trip is “tailored to the individual,” Levine said.
Students also spend part of Wednesday in a Senate simulation. They’ll meet with Senate Clerk Michael Hurley and Anne Zaija, executive director of the Senate Office of Education and Civic Engagement, after which they’ll enter the Senate chambers and hold a simulated session.
On Thursday, the students will meet with their respective elected officials from their home communities, or where their registered to vote, for one-on-one conversations about their careers, issues that matter to the students, or anything else that might come up.
The three-day trip will close with the IOP’s annual reunion, where many who have moved from Salem State to careers in public service return to get acquainted with the next group of student leaders to move through the Alternative Spring Break program.
“This is our fourth year doing a reunion,” Levine said. “We always host this reunion during the Alternative Spring Break trip as a networking opportunity for our students to grow their professional networks.”
For Mike Mitchell, director of engagement in Salem State’s advancement office, the reunion is a powerful opportunity for participating students to see themselves as tomorrow’s leaders by engaging with the alumni leaders doing the work today.
“Salem State alumni continue to lead and serve across many sectors of public life throughout the Commonwealth. Programs like Alternative Spring Break give students invaluable real-world exposure to the essential work of government and the importance of understanding how it operates at every level,” Mitchell said. “Through initiatives hosted by the Berry Institute of Politics, current students gain meaningful access to alumni leaders whose experiences help illuminate pathways for civic engagement and public service—empowering the next generation to step forward and meet the moment with confidence and purpose.”
The trip is funded through the Berry IOP, which itself is funded through a state budget appropriation voted on by the state legislature. It has run the last four years, bringing close to 60 students to Beacon Hill since the program’s inception.
“For me, the highlight of the trip was all the people I ended up meeting,” said Oliver Raposo, a third-year social work student who participated in the trip in 2025. “Meeting elected officials was obviously super cool, but there are so many other important people in the legislative process that hold so much knowledge. The networking event that was part of the trip was a great time to learn how to talk and interact in a productive, professional way—taking advantage of the opportunities presented to you, meeting everyone during the trip, and striking up even a small five-minute conversation is so empowering. It’s great practice, and it even helped me land an internship at the State House the following semester.”
For more information on the Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics, please visit its official page. For more on Alternative Spring Break, please visit its page.