The Jaggar Community Fellows Program Celebrates 10 Years of Transforming Students' Lives

Every summer, Adelphi students gain valuable career and life experience interning with local nonprofit organizations—and getting paid—through the Jaggar Community Fellows Program. At the end of every summer, a celebration is held in which the interns present their work to faculty, members of the nonprofits and guests. This year’s celebration on August 21 was special, as it marked the program’s 10-year anniversary of successful fellowship and partnership.

The competitive internship is offered during the summer and allows students to gain on-the-job experience while giving back to their community.

President Christine M. Riordan addressed the audience of students, alumni, representatives from the partnering nonprofits, faculty and guests at a ceremony held in the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center (Adelphi PAC). She credited the program as being one of the reasons why 95 percent of Adelphi undergraduate and graduate students are either employed or continuing their education six months after graduation.

Originally called the Community Fellows Program, the program’s name was changed in 2015 in honor of an $875,000 commitment from Adelphi Trustee Angela Jaggar ’62, MA ’65, PhD, and her husband, the late Scott Jaggar. “I have had many opportunities to meet with Community Fellows who talk about the value of this experience in their lives,” said Dr. Jaggar. “Hearing of the impact this program is having is our motivation to help sustain it.”

Students who had recently completed their internships gave presentations on their experiences. Samrat Malik, an MBA candidate, spoke about his experience as a marketing and communications intern for Mount Sinai Health System.

“I learned the impact and importance of awareness, reputation, loyalty and image. I’m building a world-class brand,” he said. “I thank the Jaggar family for this opportunity.”

Alumni joined in as well, sharing their testimonies of how the program has helped successfully launch their careers.

“The 10-year anniversary ceremony was an exciting way to appreciate our program benefactor, illuminate our nonprofit partnerships, and highlight our students’ outcomes and tremendous accomplishments over the years,” said Bernadine Waller, MA ’10, associate director of experiential learning at Adelphi’s Center for Career and Professional Development and a PhD candidate in the School of Social Work.

After the oral presentations, attendees headed to the second floor of the Adelphi PAC to learn more about what students had accomplished over the summer. About 70 students exhibited their personal abstracts summarizing their successes with nonprofits such as the American Cancer Society, Northwell Health, Lions Eye Bank for Long Island and Boy Scouts of America.

“This is my second year and it has been incredible,” said senior Alexa Annese, who was a public relations intern at Heidi Latsky Dance. “This program provides you with a paid internship where you can gain real experience in a field that interests you. I don’t think there are many opportunities like that.”