AS A DANCE MAJOR , GOVE NEVER PLANNED TO ENTER POLITICS , BUT JU IGNITED HER PASSION
FOR SERVING OTHERS .
In the small New England town of Amesbury , Mass ., brick sidewalks connect tree-lined streets , flower boxes bloom against storefront windows in the spring , and a canopy of color marks the crisp onset of fall . Winters here are fit for a snow globe , and summers glitter with fireflies . There are steepled churches and restored textile mill buildings . A gazebo remains ready for gatherings in Town Park .
On any given day , the approximately 17,000 citizens of Amesbury can be found going about their business , exchanging friendly hellos at the grocery store , lending a helping hand whenever one is needed . There is a bustling downtown , complete with historic buildings and shops , and in the mayor ’ s office , there is a Jacksonville University alumna who loves this town and its people , and who credits JU with helping her ascend to the office she currently holds .
Kassandra Gove graduated in 2007 . She is a dance education major . She is also the first female mayor of Amesbury , the first lifelong resident mayor of Amesbury and the youngest mayor the town has ever had .
“ This is my hometown ,” Gove said with pride . “ It ’ s a very close-knit community filled with people who would give you the shirt off their back . They ’ ll help you do just about anything . They ’ ll raise money for your sick child , shovel your driveway , or lend you anything you need .”
It ’ s that sense of community , the warmth that comes from something other than the sun , that lured Gove away from Florida and South Carolina where she spent her undergraduate and graduate years . But her journey to the mayor ’ s office was anything but conventional .
Growing up in Amesbury , politics was the furthest thing from her mind . Gove was in the dance studio five days a week . She was captain of her dance company , and she wanted to pursue a degree in dance education , which is what initially drew her to JU . From day one , it was a match made in heaven .
“ On move-in day , my parents pulled up with a Massachusetts license plate , and one of the fraternity guys saw the plate and was like , ‘ I ’ m from Boston . Where are you from ?’ He helped carry my stuff and met my parents and then connected me to a bunch of other people from New England . And so right from the start , from my first night on campus , I felt totally comfortable and made connections right away . I was thrilled . I loved it from the beginning .”
While attending JU , Gove discovered that same sense of community within the dance program , but it was the totality of her experience that would have a profound impact on her future pursuits .
“ I really do point to JU a lot in that the ability to really customize my experience has allowed me to be where I am ,” she said .
At JU , Gove took classes in leadership . She studied abroad . She worked in the student center , and she developed relationships with role models who encouraged her at every turn . One of those role models is the university ’ s current dean of students , Dr . Kristie Gover .
“ I interned with Kristie Gover ,” Gove recalled . “ I started as a peer leader , then became a mentor and then oversaw the peer mentors , a position Kristie created for me . I did a lot with orientation , and I learned about setting expectations , developing