Mentorship

A Conversation with Pete Schastny, Board Fellowship Chair

Let’s start with an introduction….

I’m Pete Schastny, and I’m the Board Fellowship Chair of the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation. I’ve been a trustee of the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation for a decade and then some. I joined when my mother came off the board—she was one of the original founders—and I’ve been very focused on the Fellowship during my tenure. There is so much about the program that I’m passionate about. For me, it’s been a real honor and pleasure to be part of the Fellowship and to support a program that finds and nurtures young leaders who want to create social change. 

What aspect of the program are you most excited by?

Fellows come in with a strong sense of responsibility. They are really trying to step up and change lives and society for the better. Then, as Fellows, they start learning how to do that. The Fellowship’s host organizations all have incredible expertise in their sector, which can be very powerful for the Fellow. Fellows grow to be deeply engaged in the scope and roots of specific social problems. They immerse themselves in thinking about what causes and what can fix social problems, whether that be life circumstances, families, service organizations, public policy, the economy, or the many different social, physical, cultural and environmental aspects of urban life

But that’s just the start. The experience of direct service—of working in person, face to face, shoulder to shoulder with communities and people who are the focus of the program—whether that be a preschooler learning to read, or a middle-schooler on a field trip in a new neighborhood, or a shy high-school student who needs homework help, or a family experiencing food insecurity, or a fifth-grader with a disability visiting an art program, or a young adult who needs to practice interviewing for a job—that’s what makes the Fellowship unique, and it is what has kept me involved in the Fellowship for so long.

What makes the Fellowship such a transformative experience is this inclusion of direct service work. The experience when a Fellow makes a personal connection. That’s when everything comes into focus. That’s when you can see what the impact of a successful service program can mean. It’s emotional and real. It changes the way you think and it can be humbling. It provides an important and necessary perspective. For some of our Fellows, that is an entirely new kind of experience. 

I really value this part of the Fellowship—the Fellows being able to get to know the actual people that they’re supporting or working with. That balance of direct service work with more strategic work connects the dots. It is what makes permanent change possible. Society won’t ever change if we think only in terms of numbers and not in terms of real people. 

You mention the transition from college to work. That’s always a time filled with life lessons. What strikes you about the Fellows in their metamorphosis from “student’ to ‘professional’?

Part of the experience of being a Fellow means being part of an organization. Our Fellows are coming from colleges and universities—big, stable institutions that change slowly and incrementally where you’re with the same people for most of your four years. 

That is not how it works in some of our nonprofit host organizations, however. For Fellows, the experience of organizational change often comes as an unpleasant  surprise, but I tell them that even for many senior professionals, change is not easy. 

Many of the host organizations we work with can and do change rapidly—Covid, for example, forced a lot of organizations to adapt quickly. A new executive director almost always means big change. Staff turnover means change. A major grant can mean change. New public policy, new tools, a new political administration, economic change, a major research report—any of that can be disruptive.

This isn’t something any Fellow plans for. I’m not sure you can even assess how a Fellow might respond to dramatic change in an interview. In selecting our hosts, we consider the potential for change in a host organization during the Fellowship and assess how they might handle it. Not all change is predictable, of course. We don’t have a crystal ball.

But one thing is certain. Change can and will happen and more often than not it will be unexpected. Sometimes in some cases it’s uneventful, like, “hey, there have been some changes in the organization, ok. cool”.  I think most Fellows not only take it on, they take it in good stride, which I know is not always easy.

Change can be disruptive and unsettling—a difficult test of personal strengths and knowing what you want to accomplish.

It isn’t always negative. Change can mean new opportunities or responsibilities and new ideas and better ways to do things. But that may be hard to see, and it is not always easy for Fellows. 

Getting comfortable with change is an important skill to develop and a hard one to acquire. The Fellowship, because it is a two-year commitment, will usually give Fellows experience with change. When that happens, I encourage Fellows to take advantage of that and figure out how to adapt. Later on, in your career and life, you will be happy that you did, even if you dislike it in the moment.

You often engage with Fellows and offer career advice. What are some of the things you talk about?

Sometimes Fellows come in wanting to make a difference in the world and assume a leadership role on day one. I’m delighted to see that energy! I try to open their eyes to the concept of growth and listening to their passions to learn who they are, so they can be thoughtful in thinking about the long term.

I love to see Fellows grow by leaps and bounds in their roles and take on more responsibilities. Week one, they’re listening quietly in the back of a room—very quickly, they’re up front giving a talk—then a little later, they’re meeting with a state representative to advocate for change. You see this growth multiplied over the two years—it’s so impressive. 

I mostly talk about careers with Fellows. The Fellowship is often described as a jump start for careers, and I think we clearly do that. Priscilla Cohen, Executive Director of the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation, and I try to help Fellows learn to use this experience to position themselves for future opportunities effectively. Whether it’s graduate school, whether it’s a new organization, whether it’s staying on at their own organization in a new role, or choosing a totally different path, we want them to be ready to move forward and have good processes for making such personal decisions. 

Let’s talk a little about Fellowship host organizations. Tell us a little about how host selection is designed to contribute to the Fellowship experience.

Well, we spend a lot of time thinking and discussing hosts as a board. We want the hosts we select to share our goals for the Fellowship and to know that they will be strong collaborative partners. We like to see thoughtful Fellowship descriptions that combine strategy and direct service in an interesting way. Location, mission, impact in the community, work environment, etc. Will it be an appealing role for a new college graduate with lots of opportunity to learn and to lead? Will there be a good work-life balance? I’m always looking for that.

The diversity of Fellowship positions offered in any given year is also important to us. We like some variety because we are selecting multiple hosts. You’d see exactly why if you joined one of our retreats. Diversity means a lot more conversation and sharing among Fellows. Bringing Fellows together for training and for talking about their experiences creates a fantastic learning experience—Fellows say it’s one of their favorite parts of the Fellowship.

What do you think the Host Organizations value most?

Well obviously they enjoy increased capacity because they have the service of an incredibly talented Fellow for two years. In fact, I think one of the most valuable aspects of the Fellowship is the amazing talent pool available to hosts through the Fellowship. People interested in the Fellowship are an energetic group, deeply engaged in social issues and skilled at creative-problem solving. They understand the mindset of a younger demographic and can bring new ideas and skills to any host.

It goes further. More often than not, these organization’s aren’t just hiring a Fellow—they’re hiring the person who will be leading a department in their organization or working to pass legislation that affects their organization or leading future strategic projects in the near future, or even consulting with them on a strategic plan three years from now. A majority of hosts offer roles to their Fellows after the Fellowship is over.  

Hosts tell us they love the program, and I think that’s born out by the number of hosts who re-apply to host a Fellow every two-year cycle. We have a lot of repeat hosts but we still try to make room for a new one or two each year. Hosts put a lot of work into thinking about how to design an experience. You can tell they understand the unique nature of the Fellowship. And college advisers, too, recognize that something different is happening here, and they encourage students with a passion for leading change to apply. 

Final thoughts?

I’m so excited for this next cohort. Applications for the next cohort will have just closed when this is published, and we’ll be excited to hear from our host organizations as they begin the screening process. That’s another interesting difference—hosts pick their Fellows, not us. 

And even though we typically select 5-7 Fellows each year, we hope that the program has communicated to everyone else how much we respect and value their interest. Choosing to lead change as a career is an extraordinary and wonderful choice and one that the Fellowship by its very existence, hopes to honor and encourage. I’d like to encourage every applicant who took the time to tell us they want to “lead the change” to find a way to do just that, whether or not they are selected for a Fellowship. The Foundation has always believed in the imagination of young people who want a better world. And we’re heartened to know that so many talented young leaders have that goal. We wish them the very best. We need them all.

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Beyond Professional Development: Building Relationships with Current and Former Fellows

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to connect with a prospective fellowship applicant from my alma mater, University of Louisville. While she knew she was deeply passionate about social impact work, she was hesitant to submit an application because the prospect of moving to a city like New York was, understandably, daunting. To this, I responded “If you’re going to move to a major metropolitan area for your first job out of college, the fellowship is the way to do it.”

Having spent most of my life in rural towns and smaller cities, I, too, was intimidated by the enormity of New York City–a feeling which was exacerbated by the fact that I didn’t know anyone here. However, knowing that the fellowship came with a cohort and a network of former fellows, which I correctly anticipated would mean having a built-in support system, quelled my anxiety.

The fellowship comes with an alumni network that has played a crucial role in my adjustment to both a new job and a new city.

During my first check-in with Priscilla, the Executive Director of the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation, she suggested that I find some time to meet with the other two New York-based fellows in my cohort. We took her suggestion, having the first of many post-work meetups at Bryant Park over Joe’s Pizza. That initial dinner has since evolved into a weekly pizza night, a tradition that’s turned us from strangers to fast friends. 

While a few new friends in a city of 8 million people might seem like a small win, those who have spent some time in New York know that the opposite is true. Building meaningful and lasting relationships is a difficult task in New York’s fast-paced and ever-changing context. As one of my mentors from my host organization, Reading Partners, shared, “Making friends in New York is like awkwardly squeezing yourself into the empty space between two strangers on the subway.” It’s uncomfortable at first and can require quite a bit of courage, especially from introverts like myself, but the outcome is usually worth the trouble. 

In many ways, it feels like the fellowship cohort experience has been a way to skip straight to the outcome without nearly the anticipated amount of obstacles. A shared passion for social impact serves as a foundation for connection, and the fellowship leadership’s dedication to fostering meaningful relationships acts as a catalyst. From dinner gatherings covered by the FAO Schwarz Foundation to retreats that intentionally center community building, the fellowship has led me to develop bonds that I simply would not have formed so quickly otherwise. 

In addition to the cohort, the fellowship comes with an alumni network that has played a crucial role in my adjustment to both a new job and a new city. Even before I accepted my offer from Reading Partners, I had the opportunity to connect with Natalia, an alumni fellow who helped me to make an informed decision. Her transparency and support, both regarding the fellowship and life in New York, proved to be invaluable. In fact, it was her advice that initially helped me to navigate the NYC housing market, which is widely known to be a nightmare. 

A few months into my role, Jacob, the other FAO Schwarz Fellow at Reading Partners, and I also had the opportunity to connect with Gaby and Joe, who were both part of the 2014-2016 cohort at Breakthrough New York. Given that Gaby and Joe were ten years into their careers and that the fellowship had served as their initial launching pad, their advice allowed us to envision our own careers ten years out and to better understand the role that the fellowship would play in them. From maintaining a work-life balance to navigating difficult conversations in the workplace, Gaby and Joe have provided advice that has been meaningful to both our professional and personal growth. 

With all this given, when I received that message from a prospective applicant who was hoping to connect with me, I was not only ecstatic to discuss the fellowship but able to confidently say that I’ve gained more than professional experience. Yes, moving to New York and starting my first full-time job out of college has been a difficult transition, to say the least – but I’ve never felt like I’m doing it alone. 

Picture of Shraddha Patel

Shraddha Patel

Shraddha (she/her) is the FAO Schwarz Fellow at Reading Partners in New York City.

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The Power of Fellowship Alumni Leadership

New beginnings are never easy, especially when entering a new role. While they offer the potential for growth and connection, they also bring uncertainty and self-doubt. Questions like: “Am I doing this right?”, “How do I know if I’ll measure up?”, or simply “Am I good enough?” can clog up the mind and lead to stress and overwhelm that holds us back from embracing the transformative opportunities coming our way. 

This July, as I entered my new role as the FAO Schwarz Fellow with Audubon Mid-Atlantic in Philadelphia, many of the same questions stuck in my mind. As the Summer ends and I reflect on my journey so far, I am struck by one aspect of the Fellowship that has been critical to overcoming uncertainty and feeling comfortable in my new role: alumni mentorship. 

The support I’ve received not just from my own alumni mentor, but also from the wider network of alumni Fellows, has been crucial in helping me overcome the uncertainty that accompanies entering a new position.

One factor that makes the FAO Schwarz Fellowship unique is that every first-year Fellow is matched with an alumni mentor who provides direct support and guidance. They can also help Fellows get connected to a vast network of Fellowship alumni who can all provide helpful insights from the unique perspective of someone who has already completed the Fellowship.  

I am lucky enough to work daily alongside my alumni mentor, Sophie Becker-Klein, who completed her Fellowship over the summer and remains in a full-time role at Audubon-Mid-Atlantic. Having just completed the same role I am entering, Sophie has been able to provide me with specific guidance that helps clear up many of the uncertainties faced in my transition. By offering me the opportunity to shadow, collaborate on planning, coteach, and eventually lead lessons for recreation centers, camps, and field trip groups, she has modeled best environmental educator practices and provided me with a sounding board for my questions and new ideas surrounding the role. 

She even organized a group dinner and trivia night with alumni Fellow Kayla Johnson (The Clay Studio ’24) and her mentee and current Fellow, Emily Lu (The Clay Studio ’26). The four of us were able to share our experiences and discuss what it means to be an FAO Schwarz Fellow – all while absolutely dominating the trivia game and soaring into second place (no big deal). 

As the school year begins, I’m preparing to enter three elementary schools in the nearby Strawberry Mansion neighborhood to teach four lessons to all classes from kindergarten to 5th Grade as a part of my Direct Service aimed at expanding environmental conservation education in an area that has historically been cut off from opportunities to connect with nature. In this process, Sophie has once again been an invaluable resource to me. 

By introducing me to administrators in these partner schools and guiding me through the lesson planning process, she has helped me feel more comfortable entering schools for the first time. Beyond direct support from my Alumni Mentor, having alumni Fellow, Greg Wright (The Food Trust ‘13) as my point of contact at Edward Gideon School, has enabled me to get introduced to the school community through attending Produce Distributions and Back-to-School events. These opportunities make me feel even more comfortable and excited to begin teaching lessons and continue building connections at this school. 

Overall, the support I’ve received not just from my own alumni mentor, Sophie, but from the wider network of alumni Fellows like Greg and Kayla, has been crucial in helping me overcome the uncertainty that accompanies entering a new position. While I know that starting in-classroom lessons will be an adjustment and learning process for me, I feel reassured by the increased familiarity and connections with partner schools Sophie has helped me build and the promise of ongoing guidance from the broader alumni network. 

 

Picture of Julie Kleaver

Julie Kleaver

Julie (she/her) is The Discovery Center FAO Schwarz Fellow at Audubon Mid-Atlantic in Philadelphia.

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Former fellow Joyce Kim advising a student one on one

A Glimpse into “Virtual” Advising

When I tell people about the advising half of my work, I usually give a one-liner along the lines of, “I advise students about financial aid and college affordability, but it’s virtual so I’m mostly texting them.” This tends to receive many raised eyebrows, which only raise higher when I go on to explain that I have hundreds of students in my caseload.

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Former fellow Annie co-facilitating a group discussion with teens at the Food Trust

Youth Power

When you were in school, did you feel like your voice mattered? At what age did it feel like adults took you seriously? Were you allowed to move freely or make decisions for yourself? Did you have input in the decisions that affected you most?

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Former fellow posing with Playworks New England students at a school

Why I Value Mentorship

I truly believe every child deserves a consistent, positive role model. Luckily for me, I’ve had many. Being the youngest of three, my sisters are driven and have always guided me by setting a good example.

Being physically active and having caring adults is what taught me so many life lessons and skills. As I reflect on my childhood, I watched my sisters actively pursue higher education and noticed that being involved in sports and artistic activities is how I naturally built so many relationships. My coaches and instructors were caring and thoughtful, just like my sisters, and truly showed passion in their work. They inspired me and whether they know it or not, they helped me build my skills, gain confidence, and understand the importance of having a team.

In high school, I was voted captain for four years which gave me a voice. I was able to use my skills as a leader and began mentoring others in a sport I had passion for. College is where I learned about networking and how patience and consistency can leverage a relationship.

What would a college student do without an academic advisor mentoring them throughout their college experience? I’m not sure but mine saved my life and set me up for success.

The word “Mentor” means faithful and wise advisor. In Greek mythology, Mentor is a friend of Odysseus and tutors Athena’s son, Telemachus. In the Odyssey, Athena assumes Mentor’s form to give advice to Telemachus or Odysseus. I value mentorship not only because of the knowledge and skills we learn, but also because mentoring provides personal and professional support. High quality and intentional mentoring greatly enhance a person’s success. Research shows that students who experience good mentoring throughout college have a greater chance of persisting in graduate school or securing career advancement. If I did not meet these caring role models throughout my educational career, I am not sure I would have learnedmy passion or understood the meaning of “It’s not about what you know, but who you know.”

As I continue to grow, I’ve gained many new mentors whom I consistently seek for feedback. I lean towards them for advice personally and professionally. Becoming a strong leader in many school communities, I have been given the chance to mentor youth. This is how I identified my passion for youth mentorship. I enjoy rapport-building and making new friends. I value being a listening ear and helping youth grow throughout life. 

Being a Latina and growing up in Philadelphia, I faced similar barriers as many youth face today. I value my experience and relatability and use it to describe how I overcame adversity. As a mentor, I encourage my mentees to believe in themselves, to stay consistent with their goals, and to mentor others. This is how I impact social change and why I value mentorship. I get to be that positive caring adult that supports others, just like my sisters, and past and present mentors have done for me.


 

 

 

Pam Martinez is the FAO Schwarz Fellow at Playworks Philadelphia. 

A group of patrons at an exhibit about activism at the Museum of the City of New York

Passing the Torch: From One Education Fellow to Another

My name is Jaiwantie Manni and I am the current FAO Schwarz Fellow at the Museum of the City of New York. My direct service work involves working with students and teachers who visit the Museum on field trips.

For my special project at the Museum, I incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities into our field trips, and plan and implement our Family and Community Engagement Programs. I also have the pleasure of working with, and learning from, Joanna Steinberg, who was one of the first Fellows funded by the Foundation. Joanna completed her fellowship at the Museum in 2008 but has continued to be an integral team member of the Frederick A.O. Schwarz Education Center at MCNY in her role as Senior Education Manager.

Then: The beginning of Joanna’s Fellowship

Joanna chose to work at the Museum not only because she had previous experience here but also because she wanted to work in a dynamic museum in a large city. Having grown up in New York City, she was particularly interested in urban and local history and working with students from across the boroughs. As a Fellow, Joanna’s direct service duties included leading fields trips—The Grid: Urban Planning in NYC and Life in New Amsterdam, which I also teach—and work on developing programs that aligned with the NYC Department of Education’s curriculum. The notion of having a direct service focus as well as a special long-term project, which the Fellow focuses on for the two-year period, is a concept that has been incorporated into the fellowship since it was established in 2006.

One of her special projects was coordinating an educational program at the Museum called New York City History Day. This annual citywide event brings together hundreds of students from across NYC to share their research in the form of exhibitions, documentaries, performances, papers, and websites. Joanna expanded participation in the program by over 100 participants and developed relationships with many schools who were new to the program. To help new schools prepare, Joanna led workshops with teachers and student groups about how to research and interpret primary sources and develop thesis statements to make a historical argument. As a former history major, Joanna was excited that the program creates a community of young historians in the making, and recognizes and ignites their interest in history.

It’s been wonderful to see the program grow under Stephanie Dueno, also a former FAO. Schwarz Fellow, who served as the coordinator after Joanna until 2017. She created an extensive curriculum that teaches students how to conduct historical research and develop their own perspectives, in addition to strengthened partnerships with the Department of Education and schools across the city.

Like myself, Joanna had previous experience working in museums. Joanna was a history major and an art minor at Oberlin College in Cleveland, Ohio. During her time at Oberlin, Joanna completed a Museum practicum at the Allen Art Museum, which is where she led tours as a Museum Educator and worked as the Assistant Registrar in Collections. During one summer, she worked at the Museum of the City of New York in the Urban Peer Docent Program mentoring high school youth who learned to teach in museum exhibitions for the first time. However, being a Museum Educator isn’t something you learn overnight. Joanna mentioned that it takes time and practice to hone your pedagogical skills, which involves fine-tuning questions to elicit lively discussions, learning to listen closely to students and having them respond to each other, while also building on their comments and observations to enhance their engagement with the exhibitions and discussions about New York.

For Joanna, the Museum has provided an amazing laboratory for developing interactive learning strategies, thinking about accessibility and how students interact in the spaces and identifying optimal moments for learning. Even though I’ve worked in two museums before coming to MCNY, I find myself also seeking advice on how to fine-tune these skills and learning how to make connections between students.

After the Fellowship

Today, Joanna is the Senior Education Manager of the Frederick A.O. Schwarz Education Center at the Museum of the City of New York. After her fellowship ended in 2008, Joanna continued to work on teaching and developing new field trips, particularly ones in conjunction with Activist New York, Jacob Riis: Revealing New York’s Other Half, City as Canvas, and Hip Hop Revolution, in addition to History Labs. Joanna says that “working on educational programs where students and chaperones see cultural movements of their own generation and their own communities across the boroughs represented in the Museum have been powerful and have changed the way students experience the Museums.”

Years later, Joanna has developed many lesson plans for Activist New York and recently worked with a team of educators to develop lesson plans for Beyond Suffrage: A Century of New York Women in Politics for teachers to use in their classrooms. She has also worked on developing some of the components of the Future City Lab field trip that I am working on. The Future City Labis one of the Museum’s new permanent galleries that’s part of New York at Its Core, which allows visitors to examine the city’s current challenges and develop strategies to respond to these challenges using interactive digital games.

Now: My Fellowship

Today, Joanna is my go-to person for anything regarding field trips. She helps teach me the field trip content and is someone I seek feedback from while developing a STEM-based educational experience for students visiting the Future City Lab for my special project work.

Throughout these past six months, I have worked with students from grades K–12, and have learned to lead five different field trips. Using STEM concepts, I have also developed a new interactive display for theFuture City Lab to help students learn about the strategies New Yorkers are using to address major challenges that the city is facing in terms of the environment, housing, and transportation.

My hope is that the inclusion of tactile objects, like concrete and materials from green roofs will help them understand the inner workings of the city and the choices professionals and community members are making to solve problems. Having the opportunity to look at photographs and touch urban materials will not only resonate with students but will draw a real connection between the exhibition and the city beyond the Museum’s walls. I’ve worked with Joanna and other members of the Schwarz Education Center to make decisions about what to include in this display so that the concepts featured in the exhibition are more accessible to our students of all ages. Having Joanna’s expertise on how students grasp information has been extremely helpful and has made my project more meaningful.

It has been delightful to come into the Museum and work with Joanna to develop a more STEM-based educational experience for students visiting the Future City Lab. Every day, I get to work in a professional setting where everyone is each other’s cheerleader and everyone is given room for professional growth. I not only get to collaborate with other Museum Educators but also our Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellows who are trained as Museum Educators to utilize their doctoral research in a public history setting by engaging the Schwarz Education Center’s audiences.

This summer, I will be working with some of the Museum interns who are young adults being trained in Museum Education techniques as a first-time job opportunity. They lead field trips to camp groups and Family Programs in July and August. I am looking forward to being a part of their training and supervisory team where I can impart my recent knowledge as a new staff member to this new cohort of interns.

With the support of the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation, the Frederick A.O. Schwarz Education Center at the Museum of the City of New York offers career development opportunities to a wide range of professionals at different levels of their career. I feel fortunate to be the beneficiary of one of these opportunities. From the Foundation’s resources to my colleagues at MCNY, I’m learning how to hone my creativity, experience, and knowledge to contribute to the important educational programs offered by the Museum.

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