Over the summer, I had the amazing opportunity to intern for ExCELL (Excellence in Children’s Early Language and Literacy) because of the generous grant given to me by the Fordham Honors Program. ExCELL’s goal is to improve the literacy rate of young children in Richmond, Virginia, and help prepare preschoolers for success in kindergarten. The program works with the Richmond Public School system to run a summer school program called Ocean Adventures for children who have just completed preschool and are headed to kindergarten in the fall. There is also a strong focus on strengthening relationships between the children, families, and teachers through family engagement events. Some aspects of ExCELL’s summer program reminded me of the FCRH Honors Program because of the Honors Program’s emphasis on education, connections with professors, and small, seminar-style classes.
ExCELL provides all materials needed for the summer school program, including books, classroom decorations, arts and crafts, learning materials, games, lesson plans, and more. Without ExCELL, the program would not exist, and many children would go into kindergarten underprepared and set up for difficulties in school. For my internship, I helped organize the office and prepare the Ocean Adventures materials to be sent to the schools. I worked alongside another intern to plan and prepare materials for family events and brainstorm ideas for increasing family attendance and involvement. I also occasionally communicated with Spanish-speaking children and parents, as many people in the program are ESL learners, and I am pursuing a minor in Spanish.
I had a wonderful experience working for ExCELL, and I am so thankful for the incredible opportunity given to me by the Honors Program. Through my work, I learned so much about the literacy crisis in Richmond, the importance of starting education in the household and focusing on reading and writing, and the effort that goes into planning events. It was very fulfilling to see my hard work and the work of the organization pay off in the joy of the children’s faces in each summer school classroom. I am leaving ExCELL this summer feeling inspired by my coworkers and their passion for supporting literacy and the children of the greater Richmond area. I cannot wait to follow along and see the program grow.
Authors: Isabella Alcantara, Quinn Burke, Andres Caballero, David Cepeda, Reese Dains, Adriana Duran, Isaac Forson, Julia Gudis, Sean Huynh, Natalie Loo, Claire Murphy, Jolie Robison
All participants, including the group chaperone, Frances Tiburcio, at Hospital Castañer
This past June, the Fordham Honors Program sent twelve students on a Global Outreach (¡GO!) trip to San Juan with the goal of learning about Puerto Rican culture and the social justice issues present in Puerto Rican communities. Throughout the two-week trip, a mix of community engagement opportunities, reflective moments, and competitive Exploding Kittens games brought us together to create an unforgettable trip.
In the semester before our trip, our team met weekly to learn a little about Puerto Rico’s history, fundraise donations for the organizations we were working with, and practice our Spanish. By the time June rolled around, we were excited and ready to go. After a smooth flight over, we were immediately thrust into a hectic schedule. The average day looked something like this: wake up for breakfast at 6:30am, head to the first activity by 8am, break for a quick lunch around noon, then head to our second activity until dinner at 6pm, followed by a group reflection and an early bedtime to make sure we were ready to do it all again the next day.
Julia, Andres, and Claire with doctors at the Dr. Garcia Rinaldi Foundation
Most of our mornings were spent with the Dr. Garcia Rinaldi Foundation, shadowing neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons as they operated. We were particularly inspired by the passion of all the medical professionals in the neurosurgery rotations. Everyone cared about their coworkers like family and readily welcomed us into the surgical rooms as if we were their own students. The Foundation also took us to the San Juan Bautista Medical School, where we attended talks with professors and met with current students. Another day was spent touring Castañer Hospital, a hospital serving Lares and the surrounding mountainous area. There, we heard from more doctors and learned about the history of Lares, which played a pivotal role in the resistance movement against Spanish colonial rule.
Natalie and Adriana at ACUTAS
Through the places we visited and doctors we spoke with, we had the chance to learn firsthand about the Puerto Rican health system. Many of the doctors would talk about Puerto Rican “brain drain,” a term referring to the mass exodus of medical professionals from Puerto Rico to the States, largely due to the struggling higher education system and the difficulty of pursuing a fulfilling, well-paying medical career in Puerto Rico. We also discussed the health insurance system, learning that Puerto Rico insurance reimbursement rates are drastically lower than in the mainland. All these issues are largely tied to the island’s history of colonization and current problematic status as a U.S. territory. We continued to see the effects of brain drain beyond the medical field when we spent a morning in Ceiba volunteering with geriatric patients. Many had not seen their children and grandchildren in years as they, like so many others, had left the island in search of better professional opportunities. It was a privilege to eat, talk, and even dance with these elderly Puerto Ricans, many of whom were almost 100 years old.
Andres, Sean, Natalie, and Reese at ACUTAS
Our afternoons were typically spent at ACUTAS, or Asociación Comunidades Unidas Tomando Acción Solidaria, a community center founded in the wake of Hurricane Maria to serve the Toa Baja community, which was largely neglected in the government’s recovery efforts. As the community continues to recover from the 2017 hurricane, with the local public school reopening only last year, we got to help revitalize the organization’s space by scraping off old paint and mold and laying a fresh coat of paint on their walls, ceilings, and fences.
Isaac at ACUTAS
Amidst the sweaty, physical activity, we got to hear about the personal experiences of those working and volunteering at ACUTAS. One woman, who has struggled firsthand with the flawed healthcare system, has dedicated her entire life to serving her community through ACUTAS. She and many others had personal experiences with Hurricane Maria and were passionate about the political and social change they hoped to see and create in Puerto Rico. Like with the neurosurgeons, we were struck by the strong sense of community at ACUTAS and their initiative to take care of one another. We’re glad we got to contribute a small part to this organization filled with people who so clearly love their community and are committed to serving others before themselves.
Julia, Claire, and Quinn during a rest day
Between our time at ACUTAS and with the Foundation, we found time to visit the island’s beautiful beaches, grab some ice cream at a local shop, and take a tour of Old San Juan, where we learned more about Puerto Rico’s history, visited an art gallery, and did a bit of shopping. Throughout all our activities, the eventful van rides between them, and the meals we cooked together, our team formed lasting friendships and countless valuable memories.
This trip was an incredible opportunity to immerse ourselves in Puerto Rico’s beautiful culture — from the music and food to the warmth of the community — and learn about the history and inequities on the island. We are grateful to our ¡GO! leaders for all their planning, our chaperone for her patience, and of course Global Outreach and the Honors Program for making this all possible.
This summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Jonas Bronck Academy (JBA), a middle school located in the Bronx, through the non-profit Friends of JBA (FOJBA) because of the generous fellowship grant given to me by the Honors Program. As a psychology major, I aim to help others through personal connections and advocating for mental health. After a whole academic year of helping out my mentee at JBA through the mentorship program offered through the Honors Program, I knew I wanted to keep impacting students’ lives in the summer.
The mission of FOJBA is to enhance the academic and social-emotional growth of JBA scholars, which was certainly something I wanted to be part of. My time during the internship was divided into three main tasks:
Working with my mentee and other students during summer school.
Researching and planning ideas that could be implemented in the school.
Planning long-term ideas to collect donations for the organization.
During the first three weeks of the internship, much of my focus was on writing documents of ideas I wanted to implement in the school; one could say “proposals” in some way. The three papers I spent most of my time writing about involved mindfulness, meditation, and journaling; implementing positive habit formation; and a college preparation program for the future high school.
I also helped with researching companies we could contact and apply for funds, prepared and sent emails, and brainstormed and planned ideas that could be executed within the school to raise money. It is essential to establish long-term partnerships and school fundraiser ideas that bring a satisfactory amount of money for expenditures within the school that could be used, such as for the future college preparation program.
The work I have mentioned above is most of the work I have done behind the scenes. The other part of the internship was working with the kids during summer school, which was my favorite part. Seeing the students making progress daily was very satisfactory. After the internship, seeing my work over the summer was very fulfilling. I am very grateful for the Honors Program, the staff at JBA, and the donors who made this experience possible.
This summer, I interned with the World Youth Alliance, a non-profit organization seeking to promote human dignity in education, policy, and culture.
The organization is a coalition of young people from developing and developed countries united in solidarity for this cause. It has over one million members from over 160 countries and is present in every continent of the world.
As the Project Management Intern, I had the opportunity to assist the European sector of the organization with day-to-day tasks, as well as important projects. One project I helped spearhead is the Dignity Defenders Campaign, which helps raise funds for the organization.
Being in Brussels, I was able to attend a multitude of conferences at the European Parliament, where I monitored and took part in the conferences. I was able to bring the importance of human dignity and the role of young people in protecting it into the discussions. My experiences as a dignity defender at the World Youth Alliance echo my experiences as a scholar for justice in the Honors Program.
My internship at the World Youth Alliance this summer greatly contributed to my professional growth. I was able to hone my communication skills by networking with numerous people of all backgrounds, as well as by advocating for human dignity in the European Parliament and with other international organizations.
I also cultivated a deep sense of responsibility during my internship, as I was trusted with important tasks such as representing the organization at conferences, as well as leading important projects such as the Dignity Defenders Campaign.
Overall, I am pleased with how my summer internship went. I gained a great deal of professional experience in a rewarding internship. I am very grateful to the Honors Program for giving me the opportunity to go to Brussels for this internship through their generous fellowship. I look forward to utilizing the new skills in my repertoire during the upcoming school year.
This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern with The PVBLIC Foundation, which is a media, technology, public advocacy, and sustainable development-focused registered 501(c) nonprofit. This organization “mobilizesmedia, data, and technology for sustainable development and social impact.” For example, working with the UN Department of Global Communications, the PVBLIC Foundation has created the SDG Media Zone. This zone, constructed as a physical space for the United Nations General Assembly, advances the 2030 Agenda out of the policy sphere and into the public discourse through impactful in-depth interviews and conversations on global issues. My internship began the week of June 7th, and I split my week assisting with communications work for the Media Zone and the parent, PVBLIC.
In my role assisting with the Communications team, I was able to apply my media knowledge and develop my interpersonal soft skills with fellow interns and my superiors. Something I especially valued was that interns were offered the opportunity to be connected with people, offices, and organizations that we were interested in, and PVBLIC found connections to those bodies and coordinated mentorship sessions. I was provided a mentorship with someone highly involved in ambassadorial work in the United Nations, and they provided me with invaluable insight on the networking and career-building process within the UN. In fact, since my internship, I was offered a job with PVBLIC Foundation, and have since been helping the group with their initiatives as well as prepare for this year’s United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York City in September.
I am incredibly grateful for Dr. Keller for encouraging me to apply, and Hannah for her guidance throughout the Fellowship process. The Honors Summer Fellowship allowed me the freedom to look at unique work opportunities and provided me with the opportunity to work for an organization that does incredible work towards issues I care about. It is because of the financial support from the Honors Program that I was able to explore professional and academic interests and consequently secure a job at a positive mission-driven organization. I highly encourage students to pursue opportunities within the Honors Program because they open doors for invaluable creative, academic, and professional endeavors.
Authors: Natalie Loo, first-year; Andy Diaz, sophomore; Olivia Griffin, sophomore; Harry Parks, junior
This spring, the Fordham Honors Program sent four students to Los Angeles for the annual America Jesuit Colleges and Universities Honors Conference. Held at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), the conference brought Jesuit Universities Honors programs from across the nation together. However, our travels from New York to L.A. took an unexpected turn, leaving us with an exciting story to tell.
Harry, Olivia, Natalie, and Andy at Loyola Marymount University
With just an hour left in our flight, the plane emergency landed in Albuquerque (firefighters even boarded the plane!) and we remained grounded from 7 pm that night to 2 pm the next day. Although we missed a portion of the conference, we like to say that our adventure taught us to apply our Jesuit Honors values in an unpredictable context. Not every experience in life will go perfectly according to schedule, despite the number of hours spent planning. As Jesuit Honors students, it is our responsibility to set an example of patience, wisdom, and kindness that we would like to see in the communities around us.
We eventually arrived in Los Angeles where we listened to passionate student speakers at Loyola’s gorgeous hilltop campus. Then we had an amazing meal at Grand Central Market where we made friends with various students from around the country. In fact, our group was able to connect with an Honors cohort all the way from the University of San Francisco!
Director of LMU Honors, Trevor Zink, hosting a session at the conference
During our time at the conference, we specifically focused on the theme of curiosity. Curiosity drives us to devote ourselves to the pursuit of knowledge. But we also learned that university-level intellectual cultivation isn’t tied down by your major or classes. Jesuit Honors students from across the country presented about the niche research projects they’ve embarked on, such as redefining story narration through stop-motion or designing a new public transportation system for rural areas. As we listened to these talks, we felt inspired to impart similar creativity and playful curiosity to the Fordham Honors community.
Andy at the Albuquerque Airport during the delay
Additionally, we discussed our role as Jesuit Honors students in being catalysts for change in the institution, as well as being motivated by compassion and wisdom. The tagline “scholars for justice” embodies this commitment to thoughtful involvement in the university and surrounding communities. In collaboration with the other students at the conference, we revised the “Essential Characteristics of Jesuit Honors Institutions,” a document that lists core values shared by Jesuit Honors programs across the country, to align with our modern ideals of justice. This practice of reflection was helpful in evaluating the aspects of our own community that we want to change or implement throughout Fordham’s Honors Program.
This trip might not have been what we expected, with an emergency landing in Albuquerque and 45-degree rainy weather in Los Angeles. However, the sense of tenacity and friendship we developed, as a result, was incredibly valuable. We’ve discussed the trip many times since, and none of us would give up the formative experience that this AJCU conference granted us. Going forward, we hope to inspire Fordham University with the new patience and compassion that we learned, in tandem with the ever-present goal of cura personalis.
With the financial support of the Honors Program Ambassadorial Grant, I had the opportunity to attend the Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s Latinos on the Fast Track (LOFT) Summit in Washington D.C. While I was there, I had the incredible opportunity to attend a panel of prominent Latinx White House leaders and visit the White House. Following that panel, I and 50 other students participated in a day of Open Sessions: students proposed topics of discussions they wanted to lead and others were able to join. I also had the opportunity to network with White House officials as well as employees within the financial and national security realm. To cap it off, students were invited to attend the annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration and Award show that took place in the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
The conference provided a perfect opportunity for me to explore and learn about my areas of interest: political science and marketing. Hearing from Latinx leaders and learning about their experiences working in our nation’s capital was both inspiring and motivating. I was moved by their stories of coming from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds and making their ways to D.C. where they now head offices and advise the President. Overall, the conference was the experience of a lifetime at which I was able to connect with other Latinx students, network with professionals, and learn from peers and leaders about their fields of interest and work.
I am so grateful to the Honors Program for encouraging me every step of the way and for assisting me in lodging in D.C. for the duration of the conference. I encourage other Honors students to seek opportunities that foster their professional and intellectual growth; the Ambassadorial Grant can open so many doors.
The fall semester held a fair amount of firsts for the sophomore cohort: the first time having all in-person classes; the first time (for some) being on campus; and the first time meeting everyone in person. However, it was not our first time to win the Honors House Cup Competition!
Isabella Berthel, Honors Class of 2024
This was the second year of the House Cup Competition, which is a semester-long competition between the four Honors cohorts (seniors, juniors, sophomores, and first-years). There are different challenges and events, like sports games or trivia nights, that students can participate in to earn points for their cohort through their participation and victories.
Throughout the semester, our sophomore cohort participated in a lot of the House Cup challenges, which led to our eventual win and also helped us form friendships with each other outside of the classroom.
At the end of the competition, after putting it to a vote, our cohort decided to donate the prize money to a New York state non-profit organization called the Center for Community Alternatives. This non-profit works to promote reintegrative justice and reduced reliance on incarceration through advocating for public policy change and working directly with impoverished communities that suffer the effects of the state’s current reliance on incarceration.
Through our donation, our cohort hopes to raise awareness for this specific social justice issue, as well as inspire our peers both in and outside of the Honors community to work to embody our call to be a Community of Scholars for Justice.
Last year, we could only see our classmates’ faces in little Zoom boxes. All of the events that usually bring people together, like Club Fair and Spring Weekend, were canceled. Many of our friends did not even come to campus. At a moment when human interactions were so restricted, I was grateful for a chance to experience myself and others as social beings.
Danielle D’Alonzo, Honors Class of 2022
The new Youth Engagement Program builds unity and understanding between two communities: Fordham Rose Hill Honors Program, and Jonas Bronck Academy, the middle school across the street from our campus. Each Fordham student is paired with a JBA student in a one-on-one mentoring relationship. As preparation for the program, Fordham students met with JBA staff to complete training sessions on the theory and practice of mentoring. Some of the main lessons were that the mentors should encourage goal-setting, a healthy work/life balance, and personal and civic responsibility.
Once the weekly meetings began, things became more free-form, with each mentor-mentee pair charting their own path. Whether it was through casual chatting or helping with homework, talking about mental health, or playing video games, the mentors helped the mentees achieve their goals and maintain their social and emotional wellbeing. That is not to say that the mentors did not learn and grow from the meetings, as well. At the end of the semester, when all of the program participants came together, mentors and mentees alike expressed the same sentiments. “It’s so nice to have somebody to talk to, and somebody to listen to.” “It’s really fun to share my interests with my mentor/mentee.” “I am learning so much from the weekly meetings.”
I truly appreciate the trust and rapport that my mentee and I built together, and I hope that she feels the same way. I have high hopes that this program will keep thriving, and expanding our social lives even after we say goodbye to Zoom!
I first discovered South Bronx United (SBU) as a first-year student helping put on a resume workshop through Fordham’s College Access program. I fell in love with the SBU students, staff, and mission pretty much instantly. As a first-year student, I had some vague idea that I might like to work in education policy someday, but I knew for sure that I was passionate about equitable education, especially in the Bronx community we’re so lucky to live in at Rose Hill. Working with SBU seemed like a no-brainer for me: I love kids, am passionate about equitable access to educational resources, and enjoy teaching. So I emailed SBU’s Education Director, went through the internship hiring process, and started working with SBU in an official capacity during the fall semester of my sophomore year.
For context, South Bronx United is a local non-profit organization that uses soccer as an outreach tool for students in the Bronx. Two days each week, middle and high school students play on competitive club soccer teams; for another two days each week, they attend after-school tutoring sessions where they get homework help, extracurricular enrichment for math and language arts, and SAT preparation. I’m fairly terrible at soccer, so I work on the academic programming side of SBU. I was an Education Intern my sophomore year and a Room Lead and volunteer tutor this year, my junior year.
My time at SBU has been one of my favorite parts of my time at Fordham — from the serious moments, like when a student confided her troubles with some of her teammates to me, to the funny ones, like when a student put a reminder to do his homework into his phone’s calendar under the name “Megan’s head is going to explode if you don’t do your work.” Even through the start of the pandemic last spring, with the transition to online learning, SBU has been a constant in my life. My friends and family know the names of the students I’m closest to, and I’ve even seen some of my students on Fordham Road and the subway.
My experience with SBU has aligned beautifully with my Honors experience – learning to work collaboratively with Honors students has made me a better tutor, and building relationships with other Honors students and professors in an academic setting has made me a better mentor. I like to joke that I’m going to be involved with SBU until I die, but I sincerely think that’s the truth – they’re my family now too, just as much as Honors is.
