On April 12, the Mass Media interviewed Gray Milkowski, the newly elected student trustee for the University of Massachusetts Boston to ask him questions regarding his new role and goals as a representative of the student body.

All UMass system schools are governed by a 22-member Board of Trustees. Five of those members are UMass students elected by the student body from all five UMass campuses. As student trustee, Milkowski’s role is to represent students’ concerns while working with the Board of Trustees and the UMass President, Marty Meehan. The student trustee is possibly the highest role to attain as a member of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) at UMass Boston. As student trustee, Milkowski will not only work closely with the USG but also the board where policy will be discussed.

“That is where work gets done,” Milkowski told Mass Media Wednesday.  
Milkowski is currently a sophomore studying political science. This past year, Milkowski has been a senator for the USG and later was the chair of the Student Events and Organizations Committee (SEOC), managing funding for all registered, on-campus student organizations.
When asked about the purpose of his new role, Milkowski said, “[It’s] an important period” at UMass Boston, adding,“ I think students need to have a say, that’s my priority.”
Like most UMass Boston students, Milkowski is a working student. He works at Pastoral, a pizza restaurant in Boston, and lives at Harbor Point. Milkowski enjoys playing the guitar and running during his free time. In the near future, he hopes to pursue a Master’s degree and eventually work as an aid in the state-house or capitol. As a freshman, Mikowski described his first impression of the school, arriving when UMass Boston was constructing University Hall and the baseball field.
Milkowski said, “I saw potential, that is why I came.”

Milkowski said that his first goal as the student trustee is to represent students’ interests and bring it forth to the Board of Trustees.

“I want to be able to channel that,” Milkowski said.

With UMass Boston’s student population reaching almost 18,000, Mass Media asked how all voices can be represented and heard.

“I have worked with YAL (Young Americans for Liberty) and SSDP (Students for Sensible Drugs and Policy), and pre-med students,” Milkowski said. “You get a diverse cultural spectrum in the university,” he added. 

In voicing students’ concerns, Milkowski said that he wants to increase transparency by notifying students consistently of decisions that are being made in the UMass Boston community. Milkowski referred to the recently held Board of Trustees meeting that took place earlier that Wednesday where Pantea Ardestani, UMass Boston’s current student trustee, sent a brief email notifying the community of what was discussed at the meeting. In response to the email, many students responded and began a conversation.

“That’s how you increase involvement,” said Milkowski. “I want to continue the change that is already being built by this administration and this school,” he added. 

When asked about the budget crisis that UMass Boston is currently facing, Milkowski informed Mass Media that UMass Boston was firstly built on a deficit where the substructures “were built poorly.” He added that the UMass System will allow the university to better itself.

“Keith Motley set the groundwork for us.” he said. “We are quite literally the future of the University of Massachusetts,” Milkowski added.