A summer internship with the United Nations World Health Organization Liaison Office in Washington, D.C., was exactly what Hamilton College senior Wangechi Thuo was seeking. But the internship was unpaid, and Thuo, a world politics major from Nairobi, Kenya, thought she would have to choose between making money during the summer to offset her college expenses or pursuing a "dream" internship.
As the first recipient of a $4,000 stipend from The Joseph F. Anderson '44 Internship Fund, she never had to make that choice. The fund, established as part of Excelsior: The Campaign for Hamilton College, has now received gifts and pledges exceeding $1 million. Initially, income from the fund will provide at least 12 individual stipends of between $2,500 to $6,000 each year to support full-time student internships, with the number of stipends slated to grow over time.
"Washington, D.C., is a very expensive city to live in, even for a short period of time," Thuo said. "Being an international student, getting a regular job was not an easy option. The generous scholarship enabled me to adequately cover my living expenses for the entire three-month period."
"Through the generosity of alumni, Hamilton students can now pursue summer work opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them due to cost considerations," said Kino Ruth, director of the Maurice Horowitch Career Center at Hamilton. "There is a huge demand from students for summer cost-of-living support to allow them to broaden their horizons and engage in meaningful work. This is especially true of students interested in pursuing non-profit, education and public service opportunities that are frequently unpaid.
"The real benefit from this kind of support," Ruth continued, "is that students are able to gain fabulous real-world experience that often helps them decide how to launch their careers, build their resumes and present themselves more strongly to employers. Frequently, these internships are directly related to what students decide to do after graduation."
"The internship gave me the opportunity to work directly on issues of health care and development, in particular HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries worldwide," Thuo said. "As a world politics major with a concentration in international health and development, this internship reaffirmed my decision to attend graduate school in international public health."
The new fund is named for Joseph F. Anderson, a 1944 Hamilton graduate who served the college for 18 years as vice president for communications and development. After graduating from Hamilton with a double major in English literature and public policy, Anderson joined the Marines in World War II before working in advertising and promotion for Dictaphone. He was elected an alumni trustee in 1971 and served until 1974 when he joined the Hamilton administration. During Anderson's nearly two decade-long tenure as a Hamilton vice president, he developed a model alumni relations program that embraced and enhanced alumni involvement with the college. The fund that now bears his name was established by fellow alumni in recognition of his long-standing association and commitment to Hamilton.
"I'm tremendously honored that my friends would want to do this in my name," Anderson said. "It was a great surprise and, of course, anything that helps the college and the students, I'm all for it. I hope the funds that are accumulated through this program will provide students with the wherewithal to participate in an important job opportunity."
As the first recipient of a $4,000 stipend from The Joseph F. Anderson '44 Internship Fund, she never had to make that choice. The fund, established as part of Excelsior: The Campaign for Hamilton College, has now received gifts and pledges exceeding $1 million. Initially, income from the fund will provide at least 12 individual stipends of between $2,500 to $6,000 each year to support full-time student internships, with the number of stipends slated to grow over time.
"Washington, D.C., is a very expensive city to live in, even for a short period of time," Thuo said. "Being an international student, getting a regular job was not an easy option. The generous scholarship enabled me to adequately cover my living expenses for the entire three-month period."
"Through the generosity of alumni, Hamilton students can now pursue summer work opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them due to cost considerations," said Kino Ruth, director of the Maurice Horowitch Career Center at Hamilton. "There is a huge demand from students for summer cost-of-living support to allow them to broaden their horizons and engage in meaningful work. This is especially true of students interested in pursuing non-profit, education and public service opportunities that are frequently unpaid.
"The real benefit from this kind of support," Ruth continued, "is that students are able to gain fabulous real-world experience that often helps them decide how to launch their careers, build their resumes and present themselves more strongly to employers. Frequently, these internships are directly related to what students decide to do after graduation."
"The internship gave me the opportunity to work directly on issues of health care and development, in particular HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries worldwide," Thuo said. "As a world politics major with a concentration in international health and development, this internship reaffirmed my decision to attend graduate school in international public health."
The new fund is named for Joseph F. Anderson, a 1944 Hamilton graduate who served the college for 18 years as vice president for communications and development. After graduating from Hamilton with a double major in English literature and public policy, Anderson joined the Marines in World War II before working in advertising and promotion for Dictaphone. He was elected an alumni trustee in 1971 and served until 1974 when he joined the Hamilton administration. During Anderson's nearly two decade-long tenure as a Hamilton vice president, he developed a model alumni relations program that embraced and enhanced alumni involvement with the college. The fund that now bears his name was established by fellow alumni in recognition of his long-standing association and commitment to Hamilton.
"I'm tremendously honored that my friends would want to do this in my name," Anderson said. "It was a great surprise and, of course, anything that helps the college and the students, I'm all for it. I hope the funds that are accumulated through this program will provide students with the wherewithal to participate in an important job opportunity."
