Mendelson was cited by the Greenburgh Town Council on Aug. 27 for his work as an intern over several year with the town government.
"I was first introduced to interning when I picked up a campaign phone call from Paul Feiner when I was 10 years old," Mendelson said. "I talked to him on the phone about school bus diesel emissions. When I gave the phone to my mother, he asked if I wanted to speak to the Town Board about school bus diesel emissions. I accepted and delivered a speech about how diesel fuel is detrimental to the health of students like me."
That experience inspired a citizen's career with a public access television show titled "Speak with Robert", in which he interviewed local figures in the Town of Greenburgh.
"I interviewed Alan Harmon, local environmentalist, Paul Feiner and former Chief of police John Kapica," he said. "I also co-hosted on Paul Feiner's radio show, interviewing guests from the area. One guest was author Peter Moore, who wrote the book "Red Moon Rising".
Mendelson continued his work in public service and media on a program called SNN in which he wrote news stories over the course of a few years.
"I wrote my own articles in the first two years and helped other students with their articles the next year. I also wrote public service announcements for Town Clerk Judith Beville about upcoming events in the Town of Greenburgh," Mendelson said..
Mendelson said he is interested in government and politics and that being involved as a intern taight him the differences between local and state and federal government.
"The Federal Government tends to have more controversy than local government and local government runs much more smoothly than the Federal Government because everyone in the town respects each other," he said.
Mendelson said he plans to study business and law in college and interested in history and political science. He will be taking Advanced Placement Government this year, which will help him learn more about government.
"I am interested in possibly becoming a historian, a corporate lawyer, a local government worker, or a stock broker," he said "I expect to choose my career while I am in college."
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