Dinner with the mayor? It was all in a day’s work for these Cleveland State University students.

Brian Boccieri, Breanna Davis, Kayla Kearney, Katie Lamar and Kia Smith are the inaugural recipients of the new Deckard Family Civic Fellows Scholarship, which provides support for juniors and seniors who have demonstrated a commitment to civic engagement. In addition to receiving $5,000 annually for tuition, each student gets a golden opportunity to work 10 hours per week at Cleveland City Hall, where the Deckard Fellows are participating in various city initiatives.

Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson recently met with the students at 1890 Restaurant.

“Mayor Jackson encouraged them to be genuine and honest and, when doing civic activities, always to look to serve the people and to acknowledge the assets that communities and people within those communities bring to the table,” said Julian Rogers, director of community partnerships for CSU’s Office of Civic Engagement, which oversees the scholarship program.

Read more on CSU’s ENGAGED blog.