Intern Receives Santa Cruz Honor
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

To say Muskie fellow Hasmik Melikyan (M.P.A.) made an impact during her summer 2002 internship would be an understatement. Mayor Christopher Krohn of the City of Santa Cruz, California, was so impressed that he acknowledged her contributions with the signing of proclamations declaring her an honorary citizen of Santa Cruz and naming August 12, 2002, “Hasmik Melikyan Day.”

Hasmik’s top interest is local government administration. In three months she assisted Mayor Krohn at more than 40 meetings with the city and business and community interests. She attended regular and special sessions of the Santa Cruz City Council, including budget hearings. She worked on projects that addressed rent control, deteriorating conditions downtown, a Transient Occupancy Tax (hotel), the organization of the San Lorenzo River Festival and others.

“I was eager to learn about the mechanisms of interaction between local government officials and ordinary citizens on different layers,” she said. “My primary interests were economic, social and political aspects of U.S. local government management.”

“I am convinced once more that local government indeed is a very interesting sphere to work in, and my interest in that area has increased a lot.” Hasmik said the internship allowed her to “fulfill my desire to see in practice what I have learned in theory about the administrative, social and political life of a local city government.”

“Internships such as Hasmik’s offer valuable experience and exposure to U.S. institutions and public administration in a wide variety of settings,” said Lloyd Nigro, department chair for PAUS. He noted that AYSPS internship placements are often personally rewarding as well as informative.