Dr. Wendy Heyman Public Interest Fellowship

The Dr. Wendy Heyman Public Interest Fellowship (Formerly known as the Katzen Public Interest Fellowship) aims to transformatively impact student’s lives by providing them with the financial means to explore public interest careers. To achieve this goal, the Fellowship will make available 14 stipends of $3,000 each to be used to support students working unpaid internships or formal volunteer positions at non-profit organizations that serve the “common good”.

Meet The 2018 Fellowship Recipients And Read Their Inspiring Stories!

Katzen Fellows

The 2018 Fellowship Recipients:

Alix (Gaby) Cervantes, Class of 2018

PEN America Intern

Image of Alix (Gaby) Cervantes, Class of 2018

 

 

 

 

“I am a DACA recipient, a sister, an aunt, a daughter, and a global citizen (self-proclaimed.) I am currently interning at PEN America, where I work directly under the General Manager of World Voices Festival of International Literature, Kim Chan. My main project is managing PEN’s tuition-free writing workshop for New York DREAMers, instructed by award-winning writer, Alvaro Enrigue. With the help of the Katzen Fellowship, I was able to take my unpaid internship with fewer financial burdens, obtain marketable skills, and expand my professional networks, all the while promoting PEN’s mission: celebrate freedom of expression.”

Daniel Morote, Class of 2019

The Door Intern

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“I grew up all my life in New York, Queens and I plan to attend law school when I obtain my degree from Baruch. I have completed many internships in my field but struggled financially to complete them but thanks to the help of the Katzen Public Interest Fellowship, I will be allowed to complete a unpaid legal internship at The Door- a center for alternatives without any financial issues looming around. The I plan to continue helping my community and spreading the word about the Katzen Fellowship because I have learned so much from my current internship and it was thanks to the financial support from the Katzen Fellowship. “

Kaylla St.Luce, Class of 2018

Brooklyn Museum Intern

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“It was through my Black and Latino studies minor that I became aware of the many issues plaguing Black and Latino communities, both nationally and internationally. I became especially passionate about the lack of access to quality education in low-income neighborhoods, and the effects Eurocentric education systems have on the mental and emotional state of people of color, and the trajectory of their social and professional lives. Through the support of the Katzen Fellowship, I was able to take an unpaid internship at the Brooklyn Museum to obtain valuable experience working within a non-profit that re-imagines society as we know it and practices building awareness around issues concerning racial equity.”

Sarah (Minkyung) Lee, Class of 2018

International Rescue Committee Intern

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“I am interested in environmental regulation of genetics and epigenetics and how they relate to public health diseases. I plan on pursuing research in this field upon graduation when I start graduate school in the fall. With the support of the Katzen Fellowship, I am currently a knowledge management intern at International Rescue Committee. I have been organizing managing internal resources within the health unit so that they may be accessed easily and used efficiently for IRC employees all over the world, even in areas with limited internet access. I hope to contribute to improved healthcare for people in resource-limited settings with this role.”

AnnMarie Gajdos, Class of 2020

The David Project Intern

AnnMarie Gajdos, Class of 2020

 

 

 

 

 

“I have always been passionate about traveling, community service, and human rights. Thus, when I was invited to attend a service trip to Israel, I jumped at the opportunity. Getting the chance to travel to such a diverse yet stigmatized country and interacting with the inspirational people who live there, made me want to bring what I learned back to campus. As a result, I became a Campus Outreach intern at an Israeli-advocacy organization called the David Project. The David Project gives me a platform to build relationships on campus and help other people find a deep connection to Israel, as well as help aid those who are suffering in the Middle East. Furthermore, the Katzen Fellowship gave me the opportunity to share my perception of Israel with more students than I ever thought was possible. I hope to apply the lessons that this internship has taught me to a potential career as a human rights lawyer.”

Michelle Sheu, Class of 2018

UNICEF Intern

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“I am interested in promoting conscious and healthy lifestyles through design and storytelling, which led me to pursue a visual design internship with UNICEF in their Eco-sustainability Unit. Through the Katzen Fellowship, I am able to elevate my educational and professional experiences without sacrificing financial stability. Designing for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with an influential organization like UNICEF has been a transformative force in my long-term goals and pursuits, giving me the confidence to design for impactful missions in a career after undergrad.”

Paul Menestrier, Class of 2020

Whitestone Community Volunteer Ambulance Service EMT

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“Even though I plan on working in the Finance industry, giving back to the community is very important to me. With the help of the Katzen Fellowship, I was able to volunteer as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) at the Whitestone Community Volunteer Ambulance Service and help those in need as one of few remaining free ambulances in the state, all while developing valuable and transferable life skills.”

Tetsu Higuchi, Class of 2018

FWD.us Intern

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” I am currently interning at FWD.us, where I help them do research and outreach to members of the press and government to advocate for immigration and criminal justice reform. With the help of the Katzen Fellowship, I was able to dedicate my time and focus to take this volunteer opportunity at FWD.us this semester while juggling school, a part time job, and my own record label. I truly appreciate this opportunity and would like to thank the fellowship and its sponsors for their contributions to Baruch students.”

Rebecca Vicente, Class of 2019

 Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) Intern

Greenwich House Pottery Intern

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“My goal in my future career and life is to use art as a tool to help people. Whether this be in a non-profit, or in a school, art is an important tool for people and communities to express themselves. I cannot be more grateful for the Katzen Fellowship. Without this fellowship I would not have been able to take the internship opportunities that I did, which have given me beyond great experience for engaging communities through the arts. Knowing that this fellowship connects me to others with the same greater good goals has also been an amazing feeling.”

Nathaniel Shams, Class of 2022

Neve Michael Children’s Village Intern 

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” I was extremely fortunate to grow up in a particularly close family. My mother and her sister married my father and his brother. As you can imagine, the result has been an abnormally close family dynamic. Family being the thing I cherish most in this world inspired me work with children who come from broken homes. Two summers ago I was lucky enough to work with children in a foster home located in a remote village in Israel. With the help of the Katzen fellowship i’ll be able to spend another summer at the children’s home with the goal of giving them the best summer of their lives.”

Ashelle King, Class of 2018

the office of Assembly Woman Diana Richardson, Intern

Ashelle King

” I am a senior majoring in Computer Information Systems and minoring in political science. I knew that I could make a difference in my community at the age of 10. My deceased aunty used to take me to feed the homeless with a ministry group at my church called Daughters of Abraham. I had a simple job which became a very influential component later on in continuing the service for those in need. My job was to take down the contact information in a notebook of those people who we served. When it came time to get grants for the development of the food pantry ministry, my church submitted my little black and white notebook with the signatures of names and dates of our service to the homeless. New York City rewarded us with a grant great enough launch our food pantry which helped provide healthy food to those in the community who could not afford food for their households. It was then that I realized that there is no job too great or small that one can offer to impact change. Many times your innocent efforts can help change someone’s life forever and that’s why I am honored to be a part of the Katzen fellowship. I currently intern at the New York State Assemblywoman Diana Richardson’s office which serves the same district of my church. I was able to take an unpaid internship to obtain valuable skills that will help me to become a better advocate for those who believe that there is no hope and I will continue to use my knowledge wheresoever its needed. “

Sabrina Mohan, Class of 2018

the David PRoject  Intern 

Sabrina

” I am currently a senior majoring in Corporate Communications and minoring in Sociology. Being that I was born and raised in the Big Apple, I have always been fascinated by the ways in which different cultures interact. My passion for fostering a sense of community among individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds and creating mutual understanding between them is why I decided to seek an internship with an organization that aligned with this vision. With the gracious assistance of the Katzen Fellowship, I was able to accept an internship with The David Project which allows me to help diverse students at Baruch College gain insights into Israeli-Palestinian cultures to foster better international relations.”

Navjot Pabla, Class of 2019

NYC QUeens Family Justice Center, Intern 

” I am a Junior majoring in Art history and History(Ad Hoc). I have always wanted to serve my community, especially people who are survivors of domestic violence. I am currently interning at the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence at the Queens Family Justice Center where I provide support to clients who are survivors of intimate partner violence. With the help of the Katzen Fellowship, I was able to take an unpaid internship to gain valuable skills that will enable me to better serve my community in the future. “

Jeemin Cha, Class of 2020

Her JusticeIntern 

” I am a sophomore majoring in Public Affairs. As an immigrant myself, I am extremely fascinated with the integration process of immigrants of all background. Currently, I am interning at Her Justice and perform intake duties to assist low-income to secure legal help in family and immigration law. With the help of the Katzen Fellowship, I was able to take an unpaid internship to obtain valuable skills in the legal field and become more aware of nonprofit’s importance in any communities.”

Winnie Wu, Class of 2018

U.S. Department of Justice, Intern 

Winnie Wu

2016-2017 Fellows:

Katzen Fellows 2016

Student Name Major Internship Site
Bassem Ahmed Mathematics and Biology with a minor in Physics New York Presbyterian Hospital
Dulamjav Amarsaikhan Economics with a minor in Arts Administration The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Erika Apupalo Spanish and History Global Potential
Luis Aquino International Business Tailwind Endurance
Cindy Chen Finance with a double minor in Political Science and Communications University Settlement
Andrea Elmenhold Business Communication with a focus in Graphic Communication Swedish Seamen’s Church Inc.
Brianna Farquharson Accountancy Boy Scouts of America/Venturing Crew 105
Airis Kim Technology and Social Change Coalition for Queens
Minkyung Lee Environmental Pharmacology Baruch College Task Force on Sustainability
Seung Eun Lee Accountancy Boys and Girls Harbor
Michael Lomtevas Economics New York County District Attorney’s Office
Paul Menestrier Actuarial Science Whitestone Community Volunteer Ambulance Service
Nabila Shabnam Accountancy Newcomers Institute
Rebecca Vicente Ethonomics of Art Lower Manhattan Cultural Council

2015-2016 Fellows:

Katzens Fellow 15

Back row from l to r:  Ross Ahlers, Public Affairs, New York City Council Internship; Rachel Hutchings, double major: Psychology and Economics, Baruch’s college task force on Sustainability & Environmental Research Lab; Aliya Brown, Sociology, Kings County District Attorney’s Office; Marina Stojanovic, double major: Psychology and Business Communication/Corporate, Permanent Mission of Bosnia & Herzegovina to the United Nations; Philip McIntire, Political Science, Hope for the Warriors; Brendan Lukas, Business Communication/Graphics, Social Assurity; Middle row from l to r:  Marika Andersson, Business Communication/Corporate, Red Cross; Sara Seber, Public Affairs, Global Potential; Stacey Martinez, Biology, NYU School of Medicine; Nastassia Khrypach, Public Affairs, ASPCA; Aamer Alam, Public Affairs, AIESEC; Front row from l to r:  Chigozie Udogwu, Business Communication/Corporate, March of Dimes; Wendy Heyman,Ph.D., Katzen Fellowship Representative/Baruch Starr Career Development Center; Joanne Winstars, English, Masbia Soup Kitchen Missing from picture: Melanie Ho, Public Affairs, White House Office of Presidential Correspondence.

Katzen Fellows from previous years:

First Name Last Name Katzen year Internship
Kathy Chernenko 2010-2011 Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Isis Hollis 2010-2011 Osborne Association
Kamelia Kilawan 2010-2011 Girls Write Now
Siwen Liao 2010-2011 Pace University
Christopher Ludgate 2010-2011 God’s Love We Deliver
Yelky Ramos 2010-2011 Global Kids Inc.
Kimberly White 2010-2011 North Shore Environmental Justice Coalition
Lei Zhu 2010-2011 Chinese American Planning Council
Chris Catalano 2011-2012 Baruch Task Force on Sustainability
Amy Lynn Peddie 2011-2012 New Brunswick City Market
Joseph Jackson 2011-2012 Mouse, Inc.
Ross Ahlers 2014-2015 New York City Council
Aamer Alam 2014-2015 AIESEC
Marika Andersson 2014-2015 Red Cross
Aliya Brown 2014-2015 Kings County District Attorney’s Office
Melanie Ho 2014-2015 White House Office of Presidential Correspondence
Rachel Hutchings 2014-2015 Baruch Task Force on Sustainability & Environmental Research Lab
Nastassia Khrypach 2014-2015 ASPCA
Brendan Lukas 2014-2015 Social Assurity
Stacey Martinez 2014-2015 NYU School of Medicine
Philip McIntire 2014-2015 Hope for the Warriors
Sara Seber 2014-2015 Global Potential
Marina Stojanovic 2014-2015 Permanent Mission of Bosnia & Herzegovina to the United Nations
Chigozie Udogwu 2014-2015 March of Dimes
Joanna Winstars 2014-2015 Masbia Soup Kitchen

About the Fellowship:

Through Chani Katzen ’96, The Katzen-Laufer Family is providing stipends for Baruch undergraduate students who will be working in unpaid internships and/or formal volunteer positions in non-profit, the arts, education, or government organizations. The Katzen Fellowship for the Common Good recipients will be selected on the basis of the student’s genuine potential for future contributions to “the common good.” Preference will be given to students who are not receiving on-going scholarship assistance. (Students receiving government financial aid are eligible to apply.)

To honor and commemorate Dr. Wendy Heyman’s long standing history of serving Baruch College students in her previous role as the Arts & Sciences Coordinator at the Starr Career Development Center. The Katzen Fellowship for the Common Good program will be renamed as the Dr. Wendy Heyman Public Interest Fellowship Program starting July 1, 2018.

The Dr. Wendy Heyman Public Interest Fellowship Program is administered by the Starr Career Development Center.

 

 

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