Shrewsbury, Westborough Students Intern For Rep. Hannah Kane At State House

SHREWSBURY, MA — Students from Shrewsbury, Westborough and other Massachusetts communities spent the summer working inside state government as interns for state Rep. Hannah Kane.

Kane, a Shrewsbury Republican who represents the 11th Worcester District, hosted six students in her State House office in Boston, where they conducted policy research, analyzed legislation, attended briefings, monitored local and regional news and participated in the House of Representatives Intern Speaker Series.

“These students have done a fantastic job over the course of their internship,” Kane said. “These young leaders all made positive contributions to the office, and I’m glad they enjoyed learning more important policy issues and the Massachusetts Legislature.”

Kane also thanked her legislative aide, Kerry Shea, who coordinates the internship program and supervises the interns.

Local Students Among Interns

The summer interns included Saurav Patki, a rising senior at Shrewsbury High School; Jax Phillips, a rising senior at Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury; Karen Samuel, a Westborough High School graduate and rising freshman at Boston University; Matti Vayrynen, a rising junior at Boston University; Zinia Sharmin, a doctoral student at UMass Boston; and Arzo Noori, a rising sophomore at Emerson College.

Samuel, who plans to study international relations and journalism, previously served on Westborough’s Youth Commission, led her school’s Law Club and worked as a youth advocate with Bay State Community Services. She also volunteered at the Westborough Public Library and St. Philopater and St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church.

Patki is captain of the Shrewsbury High School varsity basketball team, an officer in the school’s Engineering Club and a member of Speech and Debate. He has also volunteered with Sherwood Enrichment Camps, Shrewsbury Parks and Recreation Basketball, Veterans Inc. and Take Charge Basketball Camps.

Phillips serves as president of the Investment Club at Saint John’s, captains the varsity lacrosse team, coaches youth lacrosse and works as a youth hockey referee at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough.

“Interning with Representative Kane has been a remarkable experience and has given me a firsthand look into how the Massachusetts Legislature works and how state government impacts local communities,” Phillips said.

Internship Includes Policy Research, Briefings

Vayrynen is studying political science and economics at Boston University. He previously interned with Perspectivas, a government and institutional relations consultancy in Brasília, Brazil, where he researched COP30 and Brazilian congressional policy developments.

Sharmin, a Summer 2026 fellow with the Civic Action Project, focused on food security legislation before the 194th General Court during her internship.

“Working alongside Representative Kane and her team has given me unique insight into how state governance directly impacts local communities,” Sharmin said.

Noori studies political communications as a pre-law student at Emerson College. She also interns at the Court Service Center, where she assists self-represented litigants in probate, family, housing and district court matters.

The interns serve through the end of this week, when the legislative session ends and summer recess begins. Kane’s office accepts a limited number of rising high school seniors and college-aged interns each summer.

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