Zwirko Made Melrose Better For Me, He Can Do It For All: Letter

The following was submitted by Adam Liebermann, 196 West Wyoming Ave. Let your voice be heard by signing up for a free account and posting.

I was born in Melrose and have lived on West Wyoming Avenue my entire life. I went to Lincoln elementary school and played in little league. My life in Melrose was great until the end of fifth grade, when, in March of 2011, my older brother Bobby passed away from an accidental overdose.

When sixth grade came along, I was doing well at first, but the longer I went without my brother the more I missed him. Eventually, I no longer cared about school and my grades suffered. In the fall of 7th grade, the Guidance Counselors at the Middle School noticed I was struggling and trying to cope with a very significant event at a young age and referred me to the MAAV Mentor program. This is where I first met my mentor, Mike Zwirko.

The more I met with Mike, and the more he got to know me, the more he pushed me to do better in school. He saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself. In time, my grades improved and so did my attitude. I liked school again and I was making more friends. After Middle School, I decided to attend the Vocational school so I could pursue an education in business technology.

The bond Mike and I formed helped me get through my difficult times. Mike became the man that I was able to talk to when I needed to talk to someone. He has helped me in more ways than he even knows. The mentor program only lasted for a year and a half. During this time, Mike and I continued to grow closer whether it was going out for lunch, going canoeing, or seeing the newest movie. By the time the mentor program ended, Mike and I were no longer mentor and mentee. We were friends.

I have now known Mike for over seven years and we still continue to meet every month or two and our friendship continues to grow. During our meetings we tend to update each other about what’s going on in our lives. When Mike first told me that he planned to run for Mayor I was ecstatic. He has a lot of great ideas and goals for Melrose and he has plans on how to achieve these goals.

Mike is all about continual improvement, in each of us, and our community. Mike helped make Melrose better for me, and that’s why I’m confident he can make Melrose better for everyone. Please support Mike for Mayor of Melrose. He is a great guy who truly cares and someone who has always been supportive of me.