This year, six talented and passionate student Fellows will graduate from Carleton and continue to work towards social change.
HealthFinders Fellows Anna Persmark and Beret Fitzgerald joined the CCCE staff this year, but both have served as leaders since their sophomore years. Persmark, a Latin American Studies major, will continue her work in public health next year at the Washington AIDS Partnership in D.C. Through AmeriCorps, she will be working primarily with Latino immigrants, conducting HIV outreach, testing, and counseling. Fitzgerald took a number of Public Health ACE courses, and was actively involved with HealthFinder’s Pura Vida program. She says that her experience in the CCCE reaffirmed her commitment to public health and has encouraged her to pursue a Master’s in Public Health or an MD in the future.
Two Education Fellows will also graduate in June. Rachel Clark, a Women’s and Gender Studies major from Seattle, has worked in the CCCE since her sophomore year as the Northfield High School Liaison. In the fall, Clark will relocate to the Twin Cities to serve as a College Possible Junior Coach. American Studies major Hannah Reed spent this year as the College Access Fellow in the CCCE. Before joining the staff as a Fellow, she volunteered with Young Chefs and the tutoring hotline and served as a TA for the PSEO (Post-Secondary Enrollment Opportunities) program. Next year, as an AmeriCorps VISTA in St. Paul, Reed will work as a program assistant for Right Track, a youth workforce development program for underserved youth.
Tori Ostenso will serve as an Economic Justice Intern at the Appleseed Institute for Law in the Public Interest in Lincoln, Nebraska. During her four years at Carleton, she worked as a Food Fellow in the CCCE as well as a Sustainability Assistant (STA) through Carleton’s Sustainability office. Environmental Studies major and Environment and Energy Fellow Kathy Dooley participated in the Carleton farm mentorship program, and she cites her experiences through Simple Harvest as some of her most meaningful. “I learned about agriculture and farming, which I knew near nothing about before coming to Carleton,” she said.
When preparing for life after Carleton, the six new graduates highlighted the CCCE’s role in shaping their trajectories. Dooley’s involvement affected her career plans, saying that it “led me to work at farms during winter and summer breaks of my sophomore year, and go on an agricultural study abroad program my junior year.” Likewise, Reed explained, “My work in the CCCE definitely made me confident that I want to pursue a career in youth development and education.” As they transition next year, they will also apply their skills in the workplace. While Persmark learned to “navigate communication with community partners, and work with people on many different levels,” Fitzgerald emphasized the meaningful impact of building relationships with the community.