Students Tap into Their Passion for Social Justice as Community Fellows

These three Vassar students and seven others were enrolled for 10 weeks in the College’s Community Fellows program under the auspices of the Office of Community-Engaged Learning (OCEL). Now in its 25th year, the program matches students’ skills and interests with community-identified projects. Each of the students is paid a stipend by the College.

OCEL Director Elizabeth Cannon said the program embodies one of Vassar’s core values: building long-term partnerships in the community. “The Community Fellows program creates opportunities for students to learn from those who are committed to their community,” Cannon said. “Through support of various alumni donors and campus partners, the OCEL is able to fund summer experiences for students to connect their social-justice passions and commitment to the local community. Our students are getting hands-on experiences in issue areas that they care deeply about, while also learning more about themselves and their place in this world.”

Lewis, an International Studies major from Salisbury, MD, helped to oversee activities for young people ages 7 through 15 at the Finish Strong summer day camp in Poughkeepsie. The camp was also staffed by local teens, some of whom were formerly enrolled in Finish Strong activities and programs. Activities included non-contact boxing lessons, soccer and basketball, arts and crafts, computer gaming, and field trips to local attractions, including Vassar’s Ecological Preserve.

Lewis said Finish Strong founder Dennis A. Woodbine developed programs to promote physical, social, and emotional well-being, with a basis in trauma-informed care. “Dennis shared with us counselors how his former incarceration informs his ethos and motivates him to create a space where these kids feel safe and can have fun, and he shares that experience openly,” he said.

Lewis said he was able to gain a greater understanding of issues affecting the community during weekly sessions with the other nine members of this year’s Community Fellows cohort. “We met every Wednesday to debrief each other on what we were doing, and that collaboration was really valuable, not only in further understanding Poughkeepsie, but in developing a clearer sense of how Vassar can and should take a more active role in the Poughkeepsie community,” he said.

Novosad, a psychological science major from Brooklyn, said she chose Vassar in part because it had a strong outreach office that would afford her the opportunity to become involved in the community outside of Vassar. She said a typical day at Exodus might entail directing clients to local food pantries, finding programs for survivors of violence and helping them find work and housing.       “It’s hard for anyone dealing with these issues to get back on their feet, but it’s especially hard if they’re dealing with the stigma of incarceration,” Novosad said.

Like Lewis, Novosad said being a part of the Community Fellows cohort helped her perform her tasks at Exodus. “Finding available services for our clients is a key part of my job, so I asked others in the cohort to bring me brochures about their organizations so I could share them,” she said.

Ruiz, a Drama major from Columbus, GA, mentored seven local teens enrolled in activities developed by Celebrating the African Spirit (CAS), helping them learn more about the history of African Americans in the Poughkeepsie area. Each of them chose one aspect of local Black African-American history to connect with present-day Poughkeepsie, and they displayed their findings on posters that they presented at CAS’s annual Frederick Douglass Day celebration on July 29.

Ruiz said she applied for the job at CAS because it embodied two of her passions, the arts and social justice. “I love the way CAS tells the stories of the hidden histories of people in Poughkeepsie,” she said. “I appreciate all CAS is doing to raise this awareness; it benefits all of us.”

Ruiz said she planned to continue to take part in the organization’s programs and activities during the rest of her time at Vassar. “I’m in charge of maintaining their website, so I’ll be updating it to let people know about new events,” she said. “I’d also like to continue to support CAS in re-framing and re-narrating local Black history, because it teaches us about issues that still affect us today.”

OCEL Director Cannon said the College was indebted to the local organizations who had made the Community Fellows program a success over the last quarter century. “Our amazing community partners are deeply dedicated to the growth and development of our Vassar students.,” she said. “They serve as co-educators and mentor the students throughout the course of the summer. We are beyond grateful for their partnerships.” 

Representatives of two long-time participating agencies said their relationships had benefited their organizations and the College alike. “Community Fellows have worked here every year since 2007,” said Mary Ellen Iatropoulos ’05, Director of Programs for the Art Effect, which runs art, photography, and filmmaking classes for young people in the area. “Vassar students have functioned as teaching artists that have helped young people make impactful media messages, helping them wield the power of visual and graphic design,” Iatropoulos said. “They’ve helped us build our organizational capacity to better carry out our mission.”

Nyhisha Gibbs, Director of Community Engagement at Dutchess Outreach, an organization that runs a soup kitchen and a food pantry and provides other services and support for Poughkeepsie-area residents, agreed. “This year’s Community Fellow, Melissa Sebastian-Tomas ’25, touched every single aspect of our programs and services this summer,” Gibbs said. “She showed a lot of initiative. And in this fast-paced environment, she didn’t need to be directed; she’d see a need and fill it.”