Election 2019: Samantha Perlman for Marlborough (MA) City Council
Samantha Perlman is running for the Marlborough City Council because of her deep commitment to strengthening our city and adding new representation to local government that moves our community forward. Sam is a proud graduate of Marlborough High School and Emory University. She currently works at Generation Citizen, a civic education nonprofit in Boston that engages young people in local government. Throughout Sam’s personal and professional experiences, Sam’s passion for inclusive community building and public service have remained at the center.
Sam has long-standing roots in Marlborough, and the community here that raised her. It is where she took her first steps into activism as she and her peers advocated the reinstatement of a beloved administrator. At Marlborough High School, Sam honed leadership skills as an avid actress in school musicals and when nominated as a participant and then facilitator for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). Sam also spent five years working at New Horizons assisted living community throughout high school and college, giving her exposure to the hopes of Marlborough’s older residents and instilling in her the value of hard work.
While earning her degree at Emory University, Sam delved further into the world of grassroots organizing and public service. Sam participated in youth coalitions firsthand while studying abroad in South Africa, as students critically called for equity on campus. These students, who were directly challenging the systemic discrimination embedded in the university’s administrative structure, demonstrated to Sam the immense power of youth as catalysts for social change. Propelled by her time abroad, Sam continued her political exposure stateside through interning in the legislative and judicial branches in both Massachusetts and D.C.. All these experiences enhanced her understanding of how commitment to social issues coupled with collaboration and intentional relationships translate into authentic community building, a work ethic that Sam carries forward as a candidate for the City Council.
Through her current work in civic education, Sam renewed her passion for working locally as she advocates for equitable civics education and builds partnerships with government and advocacy organizations across the state. Whether helping the Obama Foundation train 150 young people on civic engagement in Boston or successfully advocating for passage of the MA Civics Bill to ensure quality and experiential civic education, Sam is invested in preparing the next generation of leaders. As a young professional living where she grew up, Sam committed herself to the civic life and community organizing of this city by becoming active in our local government, including as an appointed member of the Marlborough Cultural Council.
Sam is a graduate of the Commonwealth Seminar, MA Citizens Legislative Seminar and FAO Schwarz Fellowship in social impact. In 2019, she graduated from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice’s Community Fellows Program, earning a certificate in Community Leadership and Social Change from Tufts University. She was also selected as a member of the 2019 cohort for Emerge Massachusetts, an organization that empowers women to run for office. With her passion for civic engagement as well as experiences in collaborative community building and systemic policy change, Sam is ready to serve as a voice for our future on the Marlborough City Council.
https://www.samanthaperlman.org