September 27, 2002: Volume 56, Number 3

Fleet interns stay on the job

Adriana Zavala, a senior majoring in sociology and Japanese, so enjoyed her summer internship at Schenectady Day Nursery that she signed on to work there 16 hours per week even after her classes at Union resume this fall.

That's on top of a double major, an ambitious senior thesis on attitudes toward AIDS in Japan, a job as a coordinator for Big Brothers/Big Sisters (she has a "little" too), a DJ position with WRUC, and a term as president of the sociology club.

Esther Bauscher, a junior pre-med student from Cambridge, plans to continue working for Habitat for Humanity in Schenectady once she resumes studies toward her majors in psychology and biology.

Zavala's and Bauscher's experiences are typical of the six Union students who served as interns this summer with local non-profits in a program sponsored by FleetBoston Financial Group.

"They're all hooked," said Janet Mattis of the Becker Career Center, who coordinated the program. "All of the interns have said it was just right for them and that they plan to continue in some capacity with their organization after this summer."

The six interns are to give presentations on their summer internships on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m. in the Becker Career Center. Each will give a 15 minute talk. "I can assure you that they will be sharing some very interesting and very positive experiences," said Mattis.

Bauscher wanted to return this summer to Habitat because volunteering there during high school was "the greatest experience of my life." Shortly after she arrived, however, she found herself replacing a departed project manager. "I expected to be doing all this menial stuff," she said. "But I pretty much ran the show."

Senior economics major Michelle Arcuri interned at Bethesda House, where she assisted with a newsletter and helped guests of the Schenectady shelter with budgeting and other tasks. "I wanted to push my comfort limit while I still had the chance to," she said of working at Bethesda House. "After graduation, an opportunity to volunteer at an organization like (Bethesda House) would not be feasible, if for no other reason than financial."

Other Union students and their respective non-profits are: Tanu Chandra '03, Girls Inc.; Jessica Eaton '03, Schenectady Museum; and Alyson Ligon '04, Nathan Littauer Hospital.

The $20,000 grant from FleetBoston covered a $3,300 stipend for each of the six students. The College has received $75,000 in support from FleetBoston over the last three years.

"Union College has a unique leadership role in Schenectady," said Hermes Ames, president of Fleet Bank of Upstate New York. "We are pleased to support their efforts to provide local non-profits with the benefits of their students' knowledge and expertise. This type of collaborative effort will benefit all of the participants as well as the entire community."

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