October 2
Pictured, l-r, Eric Movio, Marianne Bohn, Josue Hernandez
Three North Shore Community College (NSCC) students made the most of their summer by gaining fiscal experience serving in local municipal finance offices.
The students were all recipients of a Local Finance Commonwealth Fellowship, an internship program available to community college students where participants serve as paid fellows and gain an understanding of general concepts and practices related to municipal finance.
The Fellowship provides career preparation — via a training program managed by the Division of Local Services (DLS) and supported by both the Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Association and the Massachusetts Municipal Auditors’ and Accountants’ Association — and a work-based learning experience via local government partnerships with host cities and towns across Massachusetts.
The Fellows and the towns they served were Marianne Bohn, City of Salem; Josue Hernandez, City of Lynn; and Eric Movio, Town of Tewksbury. All three participated in 160 hours of training during June and worked at their selected municipalities during July and August. Hernandez and Movio are enrolled in the Business Administration Transfer Program and Bohn is in the Accounting Program.
“The month of online training gave me a lot of insights and general information about how the municipalities operate with all their different departments,“ said Movio. “Additionally, I’ve been shadowing various town employees, learning about things such as the payroll process and assessing property values. It was a lot to digest in a small period of time but gave me the opportunity to get to know a little about each department.”
“It was an intensive, immersive training,” said Bohn. “I was able to experience working in different areas such as auditing, purchasing, and accounts receivable and gain a better understanding of finance at the municipal level.
“The program allowed me to apply what I learned in class to real situations,” stated Hernandez. “I was able to solidify my understanding of accounting and finance principles while opening my mind to learning new concepts.”
“Experiential learning and internships allow students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world industry settings,” said Karyn King Fargo, Experiential Education & Internship Coordinator. “These experiences are essential for gaining practical skills, industry awareness, and professional networks.”
Learn more about NSCC’s Career Services and about the Local Finance Commonwealth Fellowship Program.