Program will provide a continuum of support, guidance, and purpose for pursuing a post-secondary degree and careers for 20 students in Western Queens.
QUEENS, NEW YORK (January 14, 2021) – The Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation, an impactful organization with a mission to support programs that build greater equity, has announced a new partnership with City University of New York’s (CUNY) LaGuardia Community College to pilot the Elmezzi Career Fellows program. With support from Zone 126, another Elmezzi Foundation project and grantee, a cohort of 20 students who are matriculating from Long Island City High School to LaGuardia Community College will be recruited. This program along with the Foundation’s other current grantees will ensure that students have a continuum of support and guidance beginning in early childhood through high school, higher education and career.
The Elmezzi Career Fellows Program will utilize CUNY’s existing structure of its successful Service Corps program, which has placed over 4,300 students in paid internships across the five boroughs over the past 7-years. It will prepare students for internship experiences through workshops, online-trainings, and mentorships. Students are then placed through a matching system that pairs employer needs with capable students with aligned interests. After completion of their academic year internship, a place will be reserved for successful Elmezzi Career Fellows in a Summer Corps program.
The first cohort of students began in October 2020 and represent young adults of color from diverse backgrounds. In conversations with their Advisor, students such as Christopher Rodriguez have articulated that, “What I’m hoping to get out of the program is gaining valuable skills that I can bring with me to different jobs in the future. I also wish to get out of the program is honing these skills so that way I can be an ideal worker in the future.”
Similarly, Alex Nava, another Fellow explained, “In the first month of school, I was introduced to a program called “Elmezzi Fellows” which is program that helps first year students with college experience and help students to find internships. For example, I wasn’t really so sure about my
career path but now that I’m in the Elmezzi program I have the opportunity to explore professional jobs and see what the real world is really like. Honestly without this program I would still be a lost kid who wouldn’t know what to do in college and just do work without a reason but thankfully I was introduced to this program and now I have a reason to work and study hard.”
“The Elmezzi Career Fellows Program will ensure that low-income first-generation students will graduate CUNY with the work experience, foundational, transferable workplace skills, stronger professional networks, and well-informed higher education and career goals. We hope that this
program will help address the lack of “cultural capital” that many first-generation college bound students of color face in higher education settings,” said Pooja Joshi O’Hanlon, Executive Director of the Foundation. Jose Rivero, Chairman of the Board expressed that “LaGuardia Community College is an anchor higher education institution in our community and we are excited to start this pilot program that meets our vision for a vibrant community with a thriving workforce.”
“The transition from high school to college can be overwhelming, especially for first-generation college students. This partnership with the Elmezzi Foundation to guide a cohort of students graduating from Long Island City High School and enrolling at LaGuardia will make their attending college an easier and more successful one,” said LaGuardia Community College President Kenneth Adams. “With the invaluable support of the Elmezzi Foundation students are also placed in paid internships, providing opportunities for students to receive work experience that is more important than ever as we rebuild the New York City economy.”
It is expected that this program will increase the likelihood of CUNY students and alumni being hired by reputable employers, as well as improving academic persistence, momentum, and more awareness of CUNY as a talent pool. The program will help ensure that CUNY students earn a living wage one year after graduating and that NYC employers will have better access to CUNY talent. It will also create healthier, stronger communities with improved employment opportunities.
Media Contact:
Pooja J. O’Hanlon, Executive Director
admin@elmezzi.org
About the Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Foundation
The mission of the Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation is to encourage and support programs that directly provide assistance to individuals who — due to either environment or circumstance — have not had the opportunity or ability to live independent and productive lives. Such challenges may be physical, medical, economic or educational. We strive to have a direct and measurable impact on the quality of individual lives, either through sponsorship or innovative program design and development. For more information, please visit https://elmezzi.org.
About LaGuardia Community College
LaGuardia Community College, located in Long Island City, Queens, educates thousands of New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle ‘Dare To Do More’ reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all U.S. college students’ study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more.