Course Spotlight: Internship Seminar with Community Organizations

I loved my relaxing,25-minute commute
to St. Rita's, walking up Fordham Rd.

This fall semester, I am taking a sociology elective that pairs sociological discussion theory on cities and the built environment with a placement at a community organization. While we need to secure the internship on our own, Professor Rhomberg provided us with a list of local community organizations that other students have found worked well in the past.

Last spring semester, I started volunteering at St. Rita’s Center for Immigrant and Refugee Services on Fordham Road. I taught adult immigrants English classes for two hours, twice a week. I feel very lucky that I found this position through the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice’s Volunteer Fair, as it allowed me to experience another aspect of our community in this part of the Bronx. I realized that I felt really fulfilled working with immigrants, so I wanted to gain more experience with the legal side of things. Coming back to Fordham this fall, I decided to intern at Mercy Center for my seminar class.

Mercy Center is a multi-service provider located in Mott Haven, a neighborhood in the South Bronx. I work in the Immigrant Services department, helping complete naturalization applications for Legal Permanent Residents and applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. While the latter application means a lot more work (for example, we need to provide evidence in an organized manner, resulting in a large file), I feel that the work is more important because the undocumented immigrants it protects are so vulnerable. I love that I get to work with participants and learn about real immigrants’ experiences trying to make a better life for their families in New York, but I am also learning so much about the system itself.

Mercy Center also offers programs in Personal Development, Workforce Readiness, Adult Education, After-School Programs, Family Skills and Development, and general Social Services. 

I think that classes like this internship seminar, as well as the Service Learning classes offered across disciplines, are great examples of Fordham living out its mission. Students are encouraged to not just learn and stay inside the bubble of the university, but to complement their academics with real-world experiences. These classes make it so easy to do; I'm getting major requirements and credits toward graduation for the 14 hours a week I’m working an unpaid internship, while understanding my internship (and fellow classmates' organizations) better via class discussion and readings.  

My supervisor, Bridget (Director of Immigrant Services),
celebrating with one of our recently naturalized participants! 

My commute to Mercy Center on the Bx41 bus. It's so rewarding to experience another neighborhood in our borough.

Making the Most of MTV

Whether it's transcribing an interview with a celebrity, sitting in on a podcast taping, or sporting a completely tinsel ensemble for a photo shoot, it's hard to bored as an intern at MTV News.

A typical day starts with the editorial staff meeting at 9:30. I sit at the table and listen as different writers update us on what the big stories are for their sections today. With sections like music, movies, TV, style, politics, and celebrity, there's always a lot going on and a lot to be caught up on from the night before.

My desk at MTV News!

After the meeting, I'll head over to my desk and see if I've been emailed any assignments. Usually, there will be an audio file of an interview waiting for me in my inbox. My task is to transcribe the interview and send it back so the writer will have a written account to pull quotes from for her story. The interviews range in length and content -- the longest one I've transcribed was 54 minutes and took me the ENTIRE work day. However, that's definitely on the longer side because they're typically around 20-30 minutes.

One of my favorites was getting to hear one of the writers interview the two directors of the Amanda Knox documentary. I got a ton of behind the scenes information on what their process was like making the documentary -- a lot of which didn't even end up in the article. So naturally, as soon as the documentary was released on Netflix, I grabbed a blanket, some tea, and watched in awe. Knowing some of the details from the directors prior to watching definitely made the experience more interesting because I knew to pay special attention to certain things.

That's me on the left as a "Tinsel Mammal".

Other than daily office tasks, sometimes I get to assist with non-written projects. The silliest and coolest of which was a photo shoot and interview with musician Helado Negro. My boss emailed me the day before and asked if I would be interested in helping out with a photo shoot the next day from 10-12. It sounded like a great opportunity, so naturally I responded with an enthusiastic yes. Later that day, the producer for the shoot emailed me with details about the project. She said that I would be wearing a tinsel suit and be posing in the background of various photographs.

A truly bizarre yet wonderful experience that
ended up with me looking like this.

This definitely wasn't what I anticipated when I was asked to "help out with a shoot." Regardless, I went into it with an open mind and a smile on my face. The crew for the shoot was super nice and was thrilled that I had volunteered to be one of the Tinsel Mammals. The musician was also incredibly kind and was so grateful that I was part of his creative journey. He also snapped the killer photo of me in the suit.

I think it's safe to say that even if I only end up fact checking and transcribing interviews for the rest of the semester, I already have more than enough stories and experiences to talk about from my first few weeks.

A Day in the Life of an Applied Accounting and Finance Student at Fordham

Fordham's Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill has tons of opportunities for students of all schools and majors. From internships, to clubs, to case competitions, to networking events, there is something for everyone at the Gabelli School. I have taken advantage of many of the Gabelli School's opportunities over my last few years here, and I am continuing to do so now as a senior. In this blog, I will be discussing my experience as an Applied Accounting and Finance major at Fordham. 

Fordham's Beta Alpha Psi students volunteering with KPMG professionals

Majoring in Applied Accounting and Finance at Fordham has been an amazing experience, and has been filled with so many amazing opportunities! I am a part of Fordham's chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) an honor society for accounting and finance majors. In this society, students have the opportunity to network with professionals from Big Four accounting firms, mid sized accounting firms, banks, and other commercial companies. As a part of our membership, students in Beta Alpha Psi also have the opportunity to participate in fulfilling community service events. My favorite BAP community service event was an event sponsored by KPMG's Family for Literacy last semester. Fordham students went to a public school in Manhattan, and read books to students. The event was a great way for Fordham students to collaborate with accounting professionals while giving back to our community. 

Majoring in Applied Accounting and Finance at 

Fordham has opened the door to so many awesome 

career opportunities! Here's a great picture of me 

at KPMG's National Intern Training in Orlando, FL

Fordham is a great school for accounting majors who want the opportunity to intern and work for large or mid sized accounting firms. Due to Fordham's proximity to Manhattan, many business students can easily intern or work at the firms during the school year or over the summer. Another one of my fantastic experiences while attending the Gabelli School was interning at KPMG for the past two summers. Last May, I also attended one of KPMG's leadership conferences with a select group of students from universities across the country. Next summer, I will return to KPMG to intern in the Audit practice in Manhattan. I am so happy that I chose to attend a school that has allowed me to become involved with so many amazing opportunities related to my major. 

Me at my amazing summer internship 

at KPMG's Montvale, NJ office!

Being an Applied Accounting and Finance student at Fordham has been exciting, challenging, and rewarding. The Gabelli School's extensive academic curriculum combined with amazing opportunities to intern and network with firms has transformed me into a well-rounded, passionate young professional. If you are a prospective student interested in a career in accounting or finance, Fordham will definitely offer you the tools and opportunities to be successful. 

My Birthday Weekend at Fordham!

Fordham's New York City location is ideal for academia, internships, and jobs, but going to college in New York is also perfect for celebrations! Whether you're in Manhattan or the Bronx, Fordham is a great place to gather friends and family for special occasions. This weekend, I celebrated my birthday at Fordham and in Manhattan with my friends and family. 

On Saturday, my friends and I took the D-train from Fordham's Rose Hill campus down to Manhattan's Lower East Side for a lovely birthday dinner. Getting to Manhattan from the Bronx is very convenient, which makes it easy for my friends and I to leave campus for work and for fun! My friends and I had so much fun at the restaurant, and I was happy that everyone had fun at my birthday dinner. The friendships I have made during college are amazing, and I am so happy that Fordham connected me with such wonderful people.  

My friends and I had so much fun celebrating my birthday in Manhattan!

On Sunday, my birthday celebration continued closer to my home at Fordham's Rose Hill campus in the Bronx. My family drove to campus from New Jersey, and we went out for a birthday lunch on Arthur Avenue, the Bronx's Little Italy. Arthur Avenue is right across the street from Fordham Rose Hill, and is home to many authentic restaurants, bakeries, and shops. Most of Arthur Avenue's restaurants are Italian, but my family decided to try something new and took me to a Mexican restaurant called Estrellita's. The food was delicious, and the restaurant was only 5 minutes from campus! 

My family and I at Estrellita's on Arthur Avenue

Fordham has given me so much over the last three years, and its endless opportunities for work and for fun never disappoint. Celebrating my birthday at Fordham again this year was a great reminder of how lucky and happy I am to attend such an amazing school with so much to see and do. I am so proud to be a Fordham Ram! 

Locating the Perfect Internship

“New York is my campus. Fordham is my school.”  Many of my fellow rams would attest that our university slogan is true.  I agree whole-heartedly; I spent this past fall semester commuting to downtown Manhattan four times a week.  I interned in the Education department at American Ballet Theatre, one of the most influential arts institutions in the world.

My experience provided me with insight into the legwork (pun intended) it takes to operate one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the world.  But I especially loved peeking into studios as the dancers rehearsed—their talent is astounding.

Sneaking a peak into company rehearsal!

I was also attended several exciting events through ABT, such as a premiere of dancer Misty Copeland’s new documentary A Ballerina’s Tale, the Broadway show Old Times, and ABT performances at Lincoln Center’s Koch Theater.

I would not have attained this internship—and valuable work experience—in my sophomore year of college if it weren’t for Fordham’s ideal location in the greatest city in the world, New York.

After organizing new inventory, I pose next to the showcase with ABT merchandise.

Many of my friends at Fordham could tell similar stories: our resumes collectively include internships at ABC, Disney, Irish Arts Center, NASDAQ, New York Historical Society, Religions for Peace International, Tesla Motors, and American Ballet Theatre, just to name a few.