JOLLY GOOD FELLOWS: Last summer, 20 students learned first-hand about human service work as they joined the staffs of over a dozen local community service organizations. Now in its 10th year, the Community Fellows Program is organized by the Field Work Office and funded by the Dyson Foundation and the college. During the year, students have the opportunity to volunteer and work in the community at dozens of organizations. For 10 weeks in the summer, the students participate in 40-hour work weeks doing everything from organizing summer camps and creating public service announcements, to working at a community garden and assisting with grant proposals. “The internship is so amazing because the work is done collectively,” says Peter Leonard, Director of Field Work who organizes the program. “So many good relationships have been developed with these agencies through the field work.” This year the program paired the students with 17 different organizations. Here is a look at some of the work they did.
Eric Langhans ’08
Major: International Studies
Hometown: Durham, CT
Placement: Hudson River Healthcare (helps patients find proper health care, and is an advocate for treatment, medication, and information)
“I applied for this fellowship because of the close contact I would have with immigrants. I was in Nicaragua with a fellowship from Vassar last summer helping to build schools. I love working with the Spanish-speaking population and having an impact on the lives of immigrants, so this work really appealed to me. Most of the patients have a language barrier, are homeless, or are elderly. At Hudson River Healthcare, I help sign patients up for different health care programs and work with them to get appointments and treatments. I also assist the staff in translating for the large Hispanic population that uses the center. We come across many ethical questions as we navigate the system and try to figure out how much is our responsibility as a provider and where the patient’s responsibility begins. Getting people proper care is a tricky maze of red tape and forms to fill out, but it’s very rewarding when it all comes together and the patient is able to benefit and get the care he or she needs. Poughkeepsie’s Family Partnership Center has so many opportunities and organizations. It’s the perfect place to become involved in the community and help with development.”
Angelic Sosa ’08
Major: Film
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Placement: Children’s Media Project (focuses on children and media literacy, creating an environment where children can learn about media creatively and critically)
“I spent the summer, along with my fellow Vassar student Ari Neiditz (that’s Ari behind Angelic), working with high school students on CMP’s Drop TV workshop, where we collected information and created films that aired on a few cable channels in the fall. We created around 10 episodes of a 30-minute show. Some were public service announcements on topics like obesity and nutrition, some were goofy, but overall, the films were very powerful. When we first started, we had to teach them everything, but by the end of the first week, they knew how to shoot, how to edit, how to create a storyboard and a script– all this stuff that took me a year to learn, they did in one week! At that point, I knew it was the start of something good. In the end, the stuff they came up with was amazing. I always thought I would go into the entertainment field and do editing, but after this summer, I’d like to go into a nonprofit or start my own Children’s Media Project.”
Mark Goreczny ’08
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Placement: Dutchess Outreach (an emergency relief program that assists with food, clothing, and advocacy for the temporary needs of clients)
“I helped manage the food pantry in the morning, but in the afternoon I worked one-on-one with clients who needed help with anything from paying their prescription bill to fighting an eviction notice. It was very exciting to argue a case before my supervisor or advocate on the client’s behalf. I worked one-on-one with clients to help them make decisions about their future. I’ve really gotten to know what advocacy work is like and how things come together as a community. The needs become so much more real. You’re not just writing a report on an issue, you’re working with it, and that makes the learning so much more real. This summer was challenging and rewarding at the same time, but probably one of the best summers I’ve had. Classrooms are great, but there’s nothing like going out and learning directly from people. ”