The four recipients of this year’s Funding for Summer Community Service Internship awards – sophomore Shelby Cutter and juniors Aaron Ray, Elizabeth Osborne and Elizabeth LaBonte – will put their $2,500 stipends to good use helping a variety of nonprofit organizations.
Cutter, a Latin American and Caribbean Studies major, will work with School on Wheels of Massachusetts in Brockton, Mass., providing academic services for children who have lost their homes.
“I am a firm believer that through education, homeless or underprivileged children have a greater chance of controlling their destiny and improving their quality of life,” Cutter said.
Her award comes from an endowed internship supported by the Class of 1973, in honor of its 35th class ReUnion.
The Dr. Scholl Foundation will support the efforts of LaBonte and Osborne.
LaBonte, a psychology major, will work with Best Buddies Massachusetts in Boston. She’ll support the organization’s mission to enhance the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Osborne, a neuroscience major, will provide direct patient care to terminally ill residents at Mary’s Haven, a Saratoga Springs home that specializes in end-of-life care. She will also work to strengthen the home’s connection with other Union students interested in health-care careers.
“In this setting, the goal is no longer to find a cure,” Osborne said. “It’s to provide comfort, and to give oneself as a companion and a listener.”
Ray, whose award comes from the endowed Roger H. Hull Summer Community Service Internship fund, will join the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York in Albany. He’ll help promote the organization through a variety of media outlets and create programs in lower income areas, while simultaneously establishing a stronger relationship between the Red Cross and the College.
“These students stood out because they demonstrated passion for the organization they’ll be working with,” said Rochelle Caruso, associate director of Internship Programs at Becker Career Center. “They were able to communicate how their contributions will provide for underserved populations.”