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.

Volunteer Opportunities

About 80% of Fordham University undergraduates 

participate in at least one service project.

This is an awesome percentage and one of the statistics that made me give Fordham a closer look, since I knew in high school that I wanted service to be part of my college experience. I spent my freshman year getting my feet wet on campus. I tried a bunch of different clubs (some of which were service-oriented), was heavily involved in the Manresa community, and did some outside volunteer work as well. Through an email blast from Fordham's Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice, I found out about a Saturday morning tutoring program at a middle school located near Yankee Stadium. While some of my friends gawked at me for waking up at 8am a few Saturdays each semester, I loved it. Working with those kids to solve their science and math questions or improve their reading proficiency made me feel connected to my new home and made me care about the goings-on of the Bronx. 

This year, as a sophomore, I began volunteering at St. Rita's Center for Immigration and Refugee Services. On Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I teach a two-hour class to adult immigrants trying to learn English. I found out about St. Rita's through the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice's annual Volunteer and Internship Fair. Local organizations and programs line Edward's Parade, welcoming all students to consider volunteering with their group for whatever time commitment they could. I was drawn to St. Rita's because I am especially curious about the immigrant's experience in the United States and I thought that gaining some experience teaching would help me in my career discernment process. While I have always enjoyed service and volunteer work, nothing could have prepared me for the incredible joy I get from consistently working with my students at St. Rita's. 

The DDCSJ provides all the resources a Fordham student needs to get involved in the Bronx community. By volunteering, students can become a tangible part of the community, instead of just being a visitor for four years as they get their degree. One great opportunity offered by the DDCSJ is the Service Learning Program, where students can connect volunteer work with a class and receive credit. Taking a Service Learning class is on my Fordham bucket list, and I hope to take one next fall.

If you think you might be interested in doing service and volunteer work during college, becoming acquainted with your prospective schools' programs and resources is crucial! Check out the site for the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice here!

"We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community." 

~ Dorothy Day

My Peer Health Exchange Experience

Fall semester of my sophomore year at Fordham, I joined a national organization based out of Fordham, called Peer Health Exchange, or PHE. Originally, I had joined on behalf of a good friend, who relayed to me that they were short on recruitment. I did not expect to have such a rewarding experience with the program, nor to gain the knowledge and friendships I have made during my time with PHE. 

This is the whole national organization's goal!

Peer Health Exchange is a volunteer organization, which recruits, selects, and trains college students to teach in low-income, urban high schools. PHE believes that health education is critical to a high school student's experience, and partners with schools to provide or supplement their health education programs. The college student volunteers, or Health Educators (H.E.s), learn the curriculum to bring to the classrooms, and act as approachable and relatable mentors to the high school students. H.E.s teach four workshop units: Reflection, Communication & Advocacy, Accessing Resources, and Decision Making. These workshops, while giving students valuable knowledge, also empower them to make informed choices that can contribute to all areas of their lives. 

My PHE materials!

I have taught the Accessing Resources workshops for my entire PHE experience. Accessing Resources focuses on giving students the knowledge they need to find valid information on their own health questions, with an emphasis on sexual health. I have walked away from classrooms countless times feeling as if I had delivered to students information that they could benefit from. It has been so rewarding for me to see the students further question me about facts, and knowing that I gave them the knowledge and skills they can use to make choices that are right for them. 

I too, have benefitted from my time with PHE. Thanks to my training, I have become a more confident public speaker, and learned a lot about making healthy decisions that I did not know before. I have gotten involved with the Bronx community around Fordham, and established friendships within the Fordham community that I would have otherwise never made. I look forward to the remaining time I will spend with PHE, as it has become an incredibly significant part of my Fordham experience. 

Volunteering on Broadway

My uniform! Check out the BC/EFA at broadwaycares.org

I've loved live theatre and the Broadway community for as long as I can remember. In fact, the accessibility to Broadway shows was one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Fordham. I also love volunteering, so when I heard about an opportunity to volunteer with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (also known as BC/EFA), I was very excited to get involved.

The BC/EFA raises money to combat HIV/AIDS, and last semester, I signed up to be a volunteer for the Bucket Brigade. As a member of the Bucket Brigade, I stand with a red bucket at the end of participating Broadway shows and collect money for the BC/EFA during their fundraising seasons. I also sell autographed Playbills and fun souvenirs to benefit the cause. At the end of the collecting seasons, the BC/EFA celebrates with the Gypsy of the Year and Easter Bonnet Competitions where casts from Broadway shows perform both hilarious and moving original pieces.

It’s been an incredible experience to help with such a wonderful cause. Because I have a weekly night class at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus, it’s very easy for me to walk over to the theatres and help out. There are so many ways to get involved around New York City, and this is one of my favorites. And the next time you go to a Broadway show, don’t forget to drop a dollar or two into the red bucket!

Gabelli Service-Learning Program

There are countless volunteer opportunities here at Fordham, whether it is through Campus Ministry, the Dorothy Day Center, or various other organizations.  Students even have the choice to volunteer for credit through the service-learning program, whether you are a Rose Hill or Gabelli student.  As a Gabelli student, I have been involved with the Gabelli Service-Learning Program (GSLP) for a couple semesters now.  The GSLP partners with several different local non-profit organizations, giving students the opportunity to help the Bronx community while also developing new business-relevant skills.

Gabelli Service-Learning partner organizations

Participants earn 1.0 credit (graded) upon completion of 30+ hours of community service throughout the semester, 2 reflection papers, and attending a service-learning seminar.  The program partners with organizations that focus on various aspects of business, giving students the opportunity to maximize the experience based on their desired career path.  For example, students interested in accounting are encouraged to sign up for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA).  There are also organizations that foster general business skills for students who may still be undeclared.

Fordham Road BID promotional material

My personal experience has been with the Fordham Road Business Improvement District (BID), which focuses on marketing and management.  Volunteering with this non-profit has taught me a lot more about promotion and further developed my communication skills.  During the fall semester, I helped enroll businesses in their Holiday Shopping Discount Program as well as assisted with the preparation and implementation of their annual charity event.  For the spring semester, I am helping to promote events such as Fordham Fever Fridays, movie nights, and sidewalk sales.  No matter where you choose to volunteer, the service-learning program is a great way to gain experience while helping the local community.

Senior Spotlight: Savannah Coe

Swimming and Diving Headshot

Name: Savannah Coe

Hometown: Auburn, WA

Major: Biology and Psychology

Graduation date: May 2015

Why did you choose Fordham? During my senior year of high school, I was recruited by Fordham to join the Fordham Women’s Swim and Dive team. I had never even been out to the East Coast before, so the idea of moving 3000 miles away from home was a little daunting. But when I came to visit Fordham the campus was so beautiful and the school was what I wanted both academically and athletically that I decided this was the right school for me.

What clubs/organizations/internships have you been involved in? What has been your favorite experience? During the last four years I have volunteered at Montefiore Children’s Hospital, St. Barnabas Hospital, and the Bronx AIDS Society. I also helped perform genetics research at the Botanical Gardens. However, my favorite experience has been as a member of Peer Health Exchange (PHE). PHE members are trained to teach workshops about various health topics to ninth graders in the local public high schools. I joined the club my sophomore year and have worked my way up to become one of the leaders this year. It is really rewarding to teach a class when the students are engaged and you can tell that they are really soaking in all of the information. Plus, it is a great way to travel around the Bronx and see different areas.

Spring weekend: music, friends, and food!

What do you think is the best resource available to students on campus? I think career services is one of the best resources available to students on campus.

What is your favorite personal memory at Fordham? One of the best weekends at Fordham every year is spring weekend. My sophomore year was especially good because we had great weather and on Saturday Andy Grammer and Grouplove had great performances. Who doesn’t love a weekend full of concerts and free food?!

Where is your favorite place to hang out at Fordham or in NYC? It may be a cliché, but I love hanging out in Central Park when I have some free time to relax. Generally that only really happens in the summer, but it is a great place to workout, relax, or escape the noise of the city.

What are your plans/goals/aspirations for post-graduation? My plans are to attend medical school, but right now I am still waiting for acceptances so I’m keeping my fingers crossed!