Luke Nadeau, a 17-year-old Gorham resident, has wanted to participate in local politics since he was in fourth grade. After learning he was still too young to run for office this year he did not despair or give up. He took action. He spoke to his mom who put him in touch with Sherri Benner, a former Town Councilor, who educated and inspired him to petition the town to create a new internship program and accept him as its first participant.
“Sherri reviewed my internship proposal, sat with with me over coffee to discuss my goals, arranged the meeting with town officials and also gave me great advice. She really encouraged me,” Luke explained.
This is the first internship in the Gorham Municipal Department and will continue for the school year. Nadeau will be assisting various departments in the Municipal Office with the goal of gaining a knowledge of town government and the many different tasks that are performed in the Town Clerk’s office.
Photo credit Laurie NordforsLuke Nadeau helps prepare for the upcoming election at the Town Clerk’s office.
“He has been working in my office since he started, cleaning up the voter card files and scanning property tax lien files from the Finance office. Luke will be assisting with the upcoming election as he is very interested in the election process,” said Town Clerk Laurie Nordfors.
Nadeau is taking advantage of a program at Baxter Academy for Science and Technology, the school where he is now a senior, called “Flex Friday” which encourages students to participate in internships or create and work on group projects. This unique program has given him both the incentive and the freedom to create the internship and then work every Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the town offices garnering the hands-on experience he craved.
“Everything I have a chance to do now will prepare me for my future goals,” he said. He added, “Working at the town office is teaching me how local government organizations work and this is the first step of my journey.”
He will also be taking classes in the spring as part of the Early College program at a local university as a stepping stone for his future plans; ultimately trying to position himself for success with the support from his family, school, and town officials.
When asked if he had advice for other teens Luke said, “Go for it. Follow your passions. Even if the job doesn’t exist. You can create it.”
Nadeau hopes to be a role model for the youth of today who, like him, are concerned about these turbulent times. His motivation to participate in our democracy and his desire to make a difference is to be applauded.
When asked if he had any final words, Nadeau simply said, “Get out and vote!”