The recipients of the funding for community service internships were recently announced.
“This year’s selection process was particularly competitive,” said Rochelle Caruso, senior associate director of Employer Relations at the Becker Career Center. Angela Tatem, director of the Kenney Community Center, and Andrew Burkett, assistant professor of English, also served on the selection committee.
The honorees are:
Class of 1973 Community Service Internship: An endowed internship supported by the Class of 1973 in honor of their 35th class reunion.
Alvaro Peters ‘14, a history and Africana studies major, will work at Breakthrough Collaborative in Cambridge, Mass. This summer, Peters will be teaching and mentoring students through the Breakthrough Collaborative program.
Jennifer Silvershein ’13, a sociology major, will work as a court appointed special advocate in Newark, N.J. Silvershein will be trained this summer to serve as a foster child’s voice in court, working to ensure that needed services are made available while helping to move the child towards a safe and permanent home.
Roger H. Hull Summer Community Service Internship: An endowed internship supported by the Board of Trustees.
Shilpa Darivemula ’13, a biology and Spanish major, will work at the Schenectady Hindu Temple. She will be developing and implementing the first Indian classical dance classes for both youth and adults in the large, low-income Guyanese-American community at the Schenectady Hindu Temple. The funding will help cover the cost of buying practice clothes and performance costumes for the participants, renovating the floor space, and providing music.
Becker Career Center Community Service Internship: Internship funding supported by individual alumni and parents.
Dean Constant ’14, a psychology major, will work at St. Francis House in Boston, Mass. Constant will be supporting the poor and homeless populations of Boston by helping meet their most basic needs at St. Francis House, the largest day shelter in New England with a long tradition of offering both day shelter and rehabilitation services.
Davis Cutter ’15 will work at the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Waltham, Mass. Cutter will be providing support to patients and their families at the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This chapter is one of the largest in the country, serving as a tremendous support system to help the 19,000 patients and their families. Davis will be involved with the development department in planning walk and bike fundraising events.
Priscilla Harris ’13, a history and Africana studies major, will work at the Capital Region Workforce Development Center in Albany, N.Y. Harris will be working with individuals to achieve better living for themselves and their community through the center.
Catherine O’Brien ’13, a psychology major, will work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Huntington Station, N.Y. O’Brien will work with MADD in the Spanish speaking population to broaden MADD’s services, especially through their national Power of Parents program encouraging parents to speak with their children about alcohol use.
Kaitlyn Suarez ‘15, a geology major, will work at Stony Brook University Medical Hospital in the Child Life Services Department. Suarez will be returning to the pediatric oncology hospital in which she was originally treated for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She will be assisting the staff to create diversionary activities for hospitalized children. Additionally, Kaitlyn will help with the Sunrise Day Camp programming for cancer patients and their siblings, to bring summer camp to the hospital.
Christine Wong ’13, a physics major, will work with Family and Children Service of the Capital Region in Albany, N.Y. Wong will be supporting the CONTACT Lifeline crisis phone line and online chat program in the Capital Region, providing emotional support to those contacting the service. Additionally, she will be assisting in training new volunteers to provide emotional support, but not offer advice to those with mental or physical disabilities, suffering from depression or any kind of abuse.