Quincy Resident Nolan O'Brien Named UMass Boston Student Trustee

North Quincy High Grad Makes his Mark as Freshman at UMass Boston

Related Media

Nolan O'Brien

BOSTON, MA (06/18/2013)(readMedia)-- Quincy resident Nolan O'Brien, a rising sophomore at the University of Massachusetts Boston, will be sworn in next month as the university's new student trustee.

O'Brien, 19, quickly became a force in undergraduate student government after arriving on campus from North Quincy High School. The political science major won a seat on the UMass Boston student senate just weeks into his freshman year, becoming vice chairman of the Campus and Community Affairs Committee and helping to organize a fall diversity survey.

He also worked closely with Undergraduate Student Government to organize a UMass Boston delegation at Massachusetts Public Higher Education Advocacy Day, a March event on Beacon Hill that gave students, faculty, and staff from the commonwealth's public colleges a chance to tell their legislators about the importance of public higher education.

"I truly believe in the importance of every person's right to be fairly and equally represented, whether that is in Congress or in the administration of a university," O'Brien said. "Everyone has a voice that needs to be heard."

O'Brien won a close election in April to become the next student trustee. He succeeds Alexis Marvel, who will serve as USG president in 2013-2014. His political work doesn't end at the edge of campus-O'Brien was a volunteer for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren's successful campaign last year, and used lessons from that race to inform his own successful run.

"I really reveled in the personal grassroots campaign style, and I thoroughly enjoyed sitting down with students and telling them about me and my goals for the university," O'Brien said.

About UMass Boston

With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston's only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston's 10 colleges and graduate schools serve nearly 16,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu.