The Charger Blog

Celebrating a Summer of Service and Skill Building

Students who participated in the President杏吧原版檚 Public Service Fellowship and the Bergami Family Summer Internship reflect on their transformative experiences, highlighting their nonprofit service and hands-on learning in their fields.

November 5, 2024

By Caitlin Truesdale, Office of Marketing and Communications

2024 President Public Service Fellows with Phil Bartels 杏吧原版11 Hon. (far right)
2024 President Public Service Fellows with Phil Bartels 杏吧原版11 Hon. (far right)

Dom Marshall 杏吧原版25 engaged with the people and learned the stories of New Haven's diverse communities this summer. Working with , an organization dedicated to connecting communities through sustainable food systems, Marshall spent his summer interacting with individuals from all walks of life.

杏吧原版淐itySeed is an amazing organization,杏吧原版 he shared. 杏吧原版淚 got to meet people who have been coming to the market for years and heard their stories. It strengthened my cultural awareness and allowed me to connect with people I wouldn杏吧原版檛 normally meet.杏吧原版

Marshall is one of a group fo University of New Haven students who participated in the President杏吧原版檚 Public Service Fellowship (PPSF) and the Bergami Family Summer Internship (BFSI) programs this past summer. Together, these initiatives offer students the chance to blend academic learning with real-world experience.

PPSF, celebrating its 25th anniversary, connects students with community organizations across Greater New Haven. Meanwhile, the BFSI program, launched in 2012, enables students to pursue unpaid internships that align with their career goals while receiving financial support.

杏吧原版極ur vision is to ensure students have a distinct, exceptional, and transformative experience杏吧原版

Vice president of student affairs Ophelie Rowe-Allen, Ed.D., emphasized that the focus of the programs is on helping students develop core skills such as teamwork, resilience, and leadership. 杏吧原版淥ur vision is to ensure students have a distinct, exceptional, and transformative experience at the University,杏吧原版 Dr. Rowe-Allen explained. 杏吧原版淲e want them to be agents of change.杏吧原版

The programs hold personal significance for Phil Bartels 杏吧原版11 Hon., whose family founded the PPSF program. 杏吧原版淭hey wanted to give undergraduates an experience they would not otherwise have,杏吧原版 reflected Mr. Bartels, a member of the University杏吧原版檚 Board of Governors, and former chair, and a longstanding benefactor. Students selected for PPSF and BFSI are noted for their academic and co-curricular commitment and dedication to service, representing the University as ambassadors in their roles.

2024 President Public Service Fellows
2024 President Public Service Fellows

Alberta Sinani 杏吧原版25 M.A., a candidate in the University杏吧原版檚 graduate program in community psychology and the PPSF coordinator, explained the program杏吧原版檚 design. 杏吧原版淲ith more than 1,900 hours combined, they all improved in their core competencies throughout the summer, especially in the area of teamwork,杏吧原版 she shared.

For Marshall and his peers, connecting with diverse communities often opened their minds and changed their perspectives in ways they hadn杏吧原版檛 anticipated. 杏吧原版淲e realized we could bring about change,杏吧原版 he shared. 杏吧原版淚 learned so much.杏吧原版

杏吧原版楾hese students are ambassadors for the University杏吧原版

The BFSI program also plays a critical role in career preparation, allowing students to focus on skill development without financial burden. Since its inception, nearly 100 students have received financial support through the program.

杏吧原版淪omeone I worked with said, 杏吧原版業 really hate unpaid internships,杏吧原版 and I said, 杏吧原版楳e too,杏吧原版櫺影稍鏉 program coordinator and executive director of the Career Development Center Matt Caporale recalled. 杏吧原版淲e pitched this program, and the Bergami family has funded it ever since.杏吧原版

For marine biology major Giavanna Cucarese 杏吧原版25, this support allowed her to intern with in South Africa, where she studied white shark populations. 杏吧原版淚 spent 2-3 days a week on a boat, studying a population in decline,杏吧原版 Cucarese explained. 杏吧原版淚t was eye-opening work, and I learned so much about field research.杏吧原版

Other students, such as criminal justice major Olivia Figueira 杏吧原版25, gained insights into their fields through experiences that would be hard to replicate in the classroom. 杏吧原版淚 fell in love with the work the police academy did,杏吧原版 Figueira said. 杏吧原版淚 know now I want to go into policing.杏吧原版

2024 Bergami Family Summer Interns
2024 Bergami Family Summer Interns
杏吧原版楨xperiential learning is transformative, and we are so proud of these interns杏吧原版

The Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Advancement invited the University community to celebrate the students' accomplishments and recognize the impact on each participant. 杏吧原版淲e believe these experiences are not only beneficial for students杏吧原版 career development but also in providing them with opportunities to engage with larger questions that extend beyond the classroom,杏吧原版 remarked Dr. Rowe-Allen.

Xiomara Milholland 杏吧原版25, a BFSI intern with the Mount Vernon Police Department, recounted one particular experience that boosted her confidence. 杏吧原版淚 was terrified to teach real officers what I was learning in school,杏吧原版 she admitted, 杏吧原版渂ut the chance to put my learning into practice and even teach officers was a confidence boost I杏吧原版檒l carry forward.杏吧原版

For others, such as Sarah Gaudreau 杏吧原版25, who interned with the in New Haven, the program reaffirmed her career aspirations in criminal justice.

Dr. Rowe-Allen summed up the significance of both programs: 杏吧原版淓xperiential learning transforms lives, and we are deeply inspired by what these students have accomplished.杏吧原版

Mr. Bartels echoed her sentiment: 杏吧原版淭hese students embody the University杏吧原版檚 dedication to meaningful, real-world learning.杏吧原版