Professional Development

February 16, 2026 In Professional Development, Social Impact, Special Projects

Reframing Setbacks as Progress: Lessons in Museum Accessibility

As the FAO Schwarz Fellow at the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), I am tasked not only with leading field trips with K-12 groups in our galleries, but also working towards improving accessibility at the museum. It is my job to assess our audiences’ needs and identify supports we could implement to provide a more accessible and enjoyable experience. Using data gathered from our field trip request forms, in which teachers indicate their students’ needs, I found that a large number of learners visiting the museum had some form of sensory sensitivity.ย 

In my final year as an FAO Fellow, I aim to continuously reframe less-than-desirable outcomes into opportunities for growth.

I was somewhat familiar with the supports provided for guests with these needs, such as sensory kits and the use of fidget toys, thanks to articles and webpages I had stumbled across when independently researching access tools for museums. These kits and fidgets provide outlets for visitors to self-regulate when they become overwhelmed in the gallery, helping them avoid overstimulation. With my basic knowledge of how these tools could benefit the students we work with, I knew this would be a great project to take on, hopefully improving the way we welcome students of all abilities at the museum. However, my understanding of these tools only really began to solidify through conversations I had with various stakeholders involved in accessibility at cultural institutions around NYC.ย 

Prior to meeting with these stakeholders, I prepared a set of questions to ask them, focusing on their experiences implementing accessibility supports at their respective institutions. Over the course of six months, I met with eight access workers and learned about the successes and challenges they face in their work, as well as the strategies they employ to make museums more accessible. What I gathered from these meetings was that, first and foremost, there is a lot of incredible and unique work being done across NYC by stakeholders who are deeply invested in making museums, libraries, and theaters accessible to everyone. I also recognized that, while many institutions are constantly innovating and creating new ways to welcome guests of all abilities, they are often adapting and implementing existing accessibility supports to meet their institutionโ€™s needs. One such support that was used by the majority of stakeholders I spoke to was the sensory kit.ย 

Through these conversations, I got to see and hear about the different fidgets and supports included in these kits as well as the strategies different institutions have used to make them available to the public. After completing these conversations with stakeholders, I went forward and continued to look more into sensory kits and all that they may include, deciding on three different types of fidgets, noise-cancelling headphones, and disposable earplugs. When I felt I had enough information and a solid list of fidgets, I went ahead and proposed my idea to upper management within the Education Department and received the go-ahead to not only order the necessary materials, but also to bring them onto the floor to test.ย 

For the month of August 2025, I took the lead in testing these supports. There were no tours that I focused on in particular, but rather, I focused on the age range. I opted to introduce these supports to elementary school and middle school age students, as, in my experience, these two age groups often struggle the most with staying engaged throughout content-heavy field trips. To introduce the fidgets, I let students know at the beginning of the field trip that I had fidgets available for them to use, should they choose to take one at any point. In this moment, I also told students how to use them and what would happen if they were seen misusing them anywhere in the museum. While I tried to maintain some structure throughout this process, it was difficult to remain consistent as I had no planned procedure prior to beginning my testing. Looking back, I recognize that this was due to a gap in my own knowledge about how fidgets could work in a field trip setting, as well as a departmental need to test these supports before the start of the school year in September.

ย  After my field trips for the month of August were complete, I took the time to reflect on the varying degrees of success I encountered. Over the course of this slower summer month, I taught four field trips during which fidget toys were introduced to students between the ages of 5-14. Looking back on how students engaged with these supports, I felt incredibly proud that I had seemed to foster a space where learners not only had different resources available to them, but also felt comfortable enough to ask to use them.ย 

Largely, students seemed to enjoy having the fidgets available and had the agency to either pick one up if they realized later that they would benefit, or put them back if they were not in need of a fidget. Getting students to feel comfortable in a museum setting is sometimes difficult, so I considered it a major success that the learners I worked with felt empowered enough to make decisions based on what they believed would help them most. And while there were great successes such as this, I also recognized that some aspects of this testing period did not work as well.

For example, some younger students struggled to remember the rules for safely using the fidgets and needed redirection, while others had them taken away altogether. Another problem that I noticed across field trips had less to do with the learnersโ€™ ages, and more to do with the structure of the trips. Of the four tours I was able to test fidgets on, two took place in an exhibition about graffiti in NYC, and the other two took place on a field trip focused on a century-old dollhouse in MCNYโ€™s collection. Unlike some of our other, more content-heavy trips, these two experiences are much more hands-on and provide students with in-gallery activities to complete. Not only did this mean there was less of a need for fidgets as students were more consistently engaged and/or moving around, but it also meant that the addition of fidgets actually made it more difficult for them to complete their tasks, as it was another thing they had to carry from stop to stop.

When I first reported the findings of my experiment to my managers, I felt ashamed that a project I was so passionate about had produced less-than-stellar results. For many weeks after the fact, I wanted to move forward and forget that I had, in my eyes, failed. Two months after my testing had completed, I organized a training session for MCNYโ€™s educators to learn more about preventing sensory overwhelm in gallery spaces,to be led by fellow access worker, Anna Martin. During this training, Anna explained her approach to using fidget toys on field trips, in which she empowers teachers to make decisions based on what they know about their students. This made me realize that while I wanted students to feel comfortable asking for fidgets, I gave them too much freedom without first consulting with the teacher to see if they believed their group could handle it. Rather than announce them to the students, I should have connected with the teacher at the beginning of the field trip to give them the agency in deciding how and when the fidgets are handed out.ย 

I also learned from Anna that even with the teacherโ€™s knowledge at our disposal, there is always a chance that students will not use them properly and will have them taken away. Anna encouraged us to view these experiments not as failures, but rather as opportunities for learning. The very act of introducing these fidgets to students on a field trip is a success, as it means that the work put in behind the scenes manifested into something palpable for guests to engage with. In my final year as an FAO Fellow, I aim to continuously reframe less-than-desirable outcomes into opportunities for growth, furthering my understanding that small steps with setbacks are better than no steps at all.

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Alex Gabriel

Alex (they/he) is the FAO Schwarz Fellow at the Museum of the City of New York in New York City.

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January 29, 2026 In Alumni, Cohort, Mentorship, Professional Development, Social Impact

Alumni Reflections on Growth, Community, and Confidence: Q&A with Joe Rosales & Gaby Gomez

As part of the FAO Schwarz Fellowshipโ€™s 20th anniversary celebration, we spoke with alumni Gabriela (Gaby) Gomez (2016) and Joe Rosales (2016) about their journeys since completing the Fellowship. From their early days at Breakthrough New York to their current leadership roles in education and operations, Gaby and Joe reflect on the skills they gained, the community that shaped them, and how the Fellowship continues to influence their work in social impact.

Shraddha Patel: What are the most important skills you gained during the Fellowship?


Gaby Gomez: For me, it was confidence. It helped me ask questions and enter workspaces with curiosity. The Fellowship showed me how much you can learn from other organizations, which made me more confident comparing practices and advocating for myself at work.

Joe Rosales: Iโ€™d also say confidence, and learning how to take risks. At Breakthrough, we were building a high school program from the ground up. That taught me how to try things, learn from what didnโ€™t work, adapt, and keep moving forward. I donโ€™t think I would have developed those skills so early without the Fellowship.

Shraddha: Do you have a favorite part of the Fellowship?


Gaby:ย The retreats were my favorite. I loved being in a space together and learning collaboratively. I hold a lot of precious memories from that time.

Joe: The retreats were also a highlight for me. It was reassuring to know others were having similar experiences early in their careers. Another favorite part was realizing what I wanted to do. I studied American Studies and fiction writing in college, but the Fellowship helped me see that I liked education, counseling, and supporting students emotionally. That gave me confidence moving forward.

Shraddha:ย What was the cohort experience like?


Joe: Having a cohort was incredible. We had our New York group and shared experiences with Fellows in Philadelphia and Boston. I loved having connections with people in similar spaces and learning from one another.

Gaby and I started dating during the Fellowship and are now married, which is a personal highlight. We also stay in touch with many people from our cohort, both personally and professionally. Itโ€™s helpful to be able to reach out to people in different fields. The cohort continues even after the Fellowship ends.

Watch the full interview to learn more about Gaby & Joeโ€™s Fellowship experience, and how their careers have progressed since:

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November 17, 2025 In Day in the Life, Professional Development, Retreats

Highlights from the Fall 2025 Fellowship Retreat

With each change of the seasons comes another FAO Schwarz Fellowship Retreat! This year, our amazing group of fellows united in Bostonโ€”the city of brown brick, cannolis, and Anya-Shoshie-Delaney.ย 

Hereโ€™s what the week looked like for us Fellows as we immersed ourselves in each otherโ€™s host organizations and learned about the important work that they do in their communities:

Tuesday: We started our retreat with a scavenger hunt at the Museum of Science. Overwhelmed by the spirit of competition, we took photos next to bionic dogs, attempted to mimic the flight patterns of birds, and touched real ice (despite the absurdly warm weather). The highlight of the day was meeting all of our new first year Fellows. Perhaps Iโ€™m biased, but FAO Fellows are a unique breed of kind, silly, and curiousโ€”qualities which are undeniably fun to be around.

Wednesday: After leaving our Airbnb in Jamaica Plain, we took the Red Line all the way to Dorchester to visit Boston Collegiate Charter School. We observed a few classes (where students discussed literature, engineered tools sans instructions, and planned research reports), learned how to navigate conflict in the workplace, and thought about how to show up more emphatically as a public servant. My favorite portion of our visit was the staff panel, during which we heard from teachers (some of whom were former students) who have taught at BCCS for decades. At a time when teacher retention is plummeting, itโ€™s impressive to hear that BCCS must be doing many things right to keep staff coming back.

Thursday: It was time to visit my host organization, 826 Boston. Fellows explored Egleston Square, wrote and created their own books, and became published authors. It was no easy feat to wrangle 12 opinionated Fellows through a group-writing exercise, but in the end, we created a Choose Your Own Adventure story highlighting the betrayals hidden in a North End Acapella-esuqe Restaurant. Find a Fellow and ask to read it! Thursday was also our longest day yet, due to the Alumni Reunion Event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the FAO Schwarz Fellowship. It was lovely to see so many people invested in community-based work throughout a variety of sectors convening to share anecdotes, swap advice, and munch on Tony Cohenโ€™s delicious brownies.

Friday: After furiously cleaning up our Airbnb and tiredly making our way back to Cambridge, we ended the retreat right where we began: The Museum of Science. Between running an interactive Learning Through Play activity with guests and eating delicious Thai takeout, Delaney found the time to get struck by lighting. It was electric!ย 

Iโ€™m already counting down the days until we reunite in the second-best major metropolitan area in the Northeast: New York City. Donโ€™t tell anyone, but Iโ€™m terrified that it will be my last one. Happy (almost) graduation!

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Anya Henry

Anya (she/her) is the Publishing FAO Schwarz Fellow at 826 Boston.

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August 26, 2025 In Professional Development, Social Impact

Lessons in Knowledge Sharing: My First Professional Presentation

As the FAO Schwarz Fellow within the Frederick A. O. Schwarz Education Center at the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), my special project work focuses on improving accessibility at MCNY for visitors of all abilities and backgrounds. Within this aspect of my role, I am responsible for conceptualizing and developing learning supports for guests who have disabilities and their caretakers. My role was especially designed to support the Schwarz Center in responding to a growing, data-driven need to improve their access initiatives for K-12 learners who visit the Museum through field trips and other educational programs. Given the level of responsibility and my being the only staff member at the Museum whose role is explicitly focused on accessibility, the work of learning about and implementing best practices has felt overwhelming at times, especially given that I came into this role directly out of undergrad with no formal training. However, I have a strong passion for making art, history, and education accessible to all which pushes me forward in spite of this anxiety.

I encourage anyone who is sharing their work with others to find confidence in the fact that you are the expert in your research.

When I started my fellowship in August 2024, my supervisor, Sydney, developed a list of stakeholders from other cultural institutions in New York City that I could connect with to learn from them about their access initiatives in one-to-one interviews. From August to February 2025, I conducted eight interviews with ten different stakeholders at museums, libraries, and botanic gardens, asking them questions about their organizationโ€™s access programs, the challenges theyโ€™ve faced, and any advice they have for their fellow access workers. These meetings culminated in a written report and presentation that detailed both the findings of my conversations as well as my own recommendations for the next steps MCNY could take. Here are three lessons I learned throughout this process:

1. Your work does not have to be done, and should not be done, in isolation.

Going into my first few interviews, I was hyperaware of my inexperience and was simultaneously frightened and excited by all that I still had to learn. This mix of emotions resulted in a lot of nervous energy at the prospect of the people I interviewed thinking poorly of me. Beginning with the contacts Sydney provided me with, I scheduled interviews with stakeholders at institutions such as New York Botanical Garden and the Whitney Museum of American Art and quickly realized that my anxiety was unfounded. The people I was meeting with were entirely interested in sharing lessons they had learned from their own work as well as resources they found useful with the aim of helping me build my own skillset. Additionally, nearly every interview ended with an exchange of contact information in which I was given the name and email of another access worker to reach out to. This allowed me to develop my own network of contacts not only for my interviews, but also to message should I have any questions as I dug further into my special project work.ย 

Throughout these interviews, people expressed their excitement for me and my journey. It became obvious that there was an entire community I was being welcomed into, one in which I was encouraged to learn from people who had once been in the same position as me.ย 

One moment that was especially grounding for me was when Francesca Rosenberg, the Director of Community, Access, and School Programs at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), explained that she joined MoMAโ€™s team in a temporary position, becoming the only person on staff whose role was dedicated to accessibility. Nearly 30 years later, she not only holds a senior position at MoMA, but her work has made a lasting impact on her institution and museums across the city. Although I had not realized it previously, I desperately needed a reminder that senior leaders in this field started their careers in a fashion like mine. In my experience, it is easy to be intimidated by titles and accomplishments and feel the need to shy away from reaching out to people. However, as I heard from multiple interviewees, while the effort to improve museum access can be isolated, it does not have to be. Even though we each work at different institutions, the work we do does not exist in a vacuum. By sharing knowledge and uplifting one another in our journeys, we will all get closer to achieving our goals in creating a museum world that is accessible to everyone.ย 

2. Practice Goes a Long Way

Like most college students, I spent my years in undergrad giving a surplus of presentations for classes and conferences. However, when Sydney asked that I compile the findings of my interviews in a presentation that would be shared with upper management in my department, I froze. Suddenly, all my knowledge of how to share information in a compelling way left my mind. While many of the same skills you utilize in school presentations are transferable, presenting for your managers is more high stakes; instead of working towards a good grade, you are working for credibility and the ability to move forward with proposed projects. Additionally, coming from an art history background, I did not have much experience working with, analyzing, or summarizing data, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

After discussing these concerns with my supervisor, she responded by organizing practice sessions for me to present my research and findings to her, and she provided feedback. Sydneyโ€™s recommendations were immensely beneficial and contributed greatly to the success I found when it came time for the actual presentation. Despite these helpful sessions, I still felt nervous. Thus, I feel it is important to acknowledge that presenting your work always requires a certain level of vulnerability and can often bring up challenging emotions. But there are ways to combat these feelings and ensure that professional presentations are not scary. This leads me to the last of the three main lessons I learned.

3. You Know What Youโ€™re Talking About!

The experience of working on this project, both in conducting interviews and creating and presenting my report to my departmentโ€™s management, was an exercise in confidence building. With this being my first major report and presentation to my colleagues, I was unsure what to expect. However, after reflecting on both the work I had put into my report and the conversations I had with different stakeholders, I began to feel more confident in what I was presenting. I was able to realize that not only had I further developed my working knowledge of accessibility in museums, but I had also begun to trust in my ability to effectively communicate the work I was doing to new audiences.ย 

I was finally able to admit to myself that I knew what I was talking about!ย 

With this new mentality, I also felt secure enough to speak with authority about my research methods, findings, and recommendations. During the discussion section of my presentation, I did not falter when asked questions about my rationale but instead replied with assuredness. Thus, I encourage anyone who is sharing their work with others to find confidence in the fact that you are the expert in your research. Donโ€™t forget that your presence in that meeting room affirms your knowledge and abilities.

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Alex Gabriel

Alex (they/he) is the FAO Schwarz Fellow at the Museum of the City of New York in New York City.

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July 9, 2025 In Beyond the Fellowship, Professional Development, Social Impact

We The People: Post Conference Reflections

Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend the 22nd Century Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. With the support of my host organization and a generous grant, I made my way down South, shaking in my midi-skirt with the excitement of going to my very first conference. Filled with 900+ attendees representing public service and community-oriented organizations across the United States, the 22CI Conference was fully of the moment. The theme of this yearโ€™s gathering was โ€œForging a People Powered Democracy,โ€ and, as the site description outlines, โ€œblock[ing] the rise of authoritarianism while advancing pro-democracy strategies and campaigns.โ€ย 

If the pen can be a sword, why not also an olive branch?

โ€œThere is a crack in everything; itโ€™s how the light breaks through.โ€

On the second day of the conference, I attended a breakout session focused on analyzing the varying attitudes Gen-Z youth have towards democracy. The second most prevalent attitude profiled was that of detachment: Youth are uninterested and disempowered by the current state of our democratic institutions. As a young adult myself, I understand why. We have witnessed a global pandemic, the overturning of laws protecting bodily autonomy, a public debate over the legitimacy and morality of genocide, masked kidnappings of undocumented and documented immigrants going viral on Instagram, and a White House that would rather post AI edits turning the site of a genocide into a summer resort than fund the Department of Education, all before the age of 25. What does it mean when the unprecedented becomes routine? How can one expect to change a system that has routinely exposed itself as broken?

โ€œChaos is an opportunity for creativity.โ€

Following a morning plenary session hosted by Civil Rights Movement elders, I went to a breakout session of ~30 people. In a small group activity with a leading theologian and a man visiting from a West oast-based immigrant rights organization, we outlined the past, present, and future of social organizing. While we spent a considerable amount of time discussing what was weighing us down in the present, we shifted towards seeing these cracks in the system as an illumination of what needed to be changed to develop a more equitable future. Fifteen years from now, I would love to see comprehensive sexual education taught in middle and high schools across the United States. My partner wants there to be a legitimate pathway to citizenship in the United States, not just an illusion of one. My colleague desires stronger relationships between faith leaders and activist organizations, so that when one pillar of the community works towards a goal, the other can assist.ย 

โ€œWhen things get really hot, thatโ€™s when metal is malleable.โ€ย 

One of my favorite panels this weekend stuck out like a sore thumb. In between panels dedicated to shifting opinions within the Democratic party or confronting the rise of fascism in the far-right, stood a panel dedicated to organizing pro-democracy rhetoric in firmly rural and red areas. The objective of the presenters was not to convert Republicans into Democrats or shift the red states across the color wheel. Rather, they aimed to promote dialogue across partisan lines, create spaces for community members to outline issues that are important to them, and encourage progressive voting on bills and referendums on a local level. Oftentimes, when prompted to outline their ideals, Republican constituents described policies that looked more purple. As a retired-swing-state native myself, I related to their desire to create a government in which people can collaborate on bipartisan legislation to advance the issues that all constituents describe as impacting their daily lives: affordable housing, higher-funded public education, inexpensive child care, worker protections, and improved roads and public infrastructure, to name a few. This prompted me to consider what sorts of collaborationโ€”across seemingly disparate ideologies, geographically distant organizations, and varying modes of activismโ€”would be advantageous, if not outright necessary, to achieving a people-centered future.ย 

Heading into my second year of the fellowship, Iโ€™ll be working in a classroom without my invaluable AmeriCorps-funded peers. Many of my students will be applying to college, and for the very first time, becoming eligible to vote. No two students are the same, and yet each occurrence of our creative writing club provides a bridge over which they can view one anotherโ€™s experiences with curiosity rather than condemnation. If the pen can be a sword, why not also an olive branch?ย 

I hope that our time together helps them not only see themselves as agents of change, but also reckon with the community they are building around them. After all, We the People is not an exclusionary title: it necessitates dialogue across differences and an understanding that maybe, no one knows the best way to make change. Local political participation, grass-roots organizing, and partnering with our neighbors could be what gets us through. And as per usual, I believe the youth will lead the charge.ย 

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Anya Henry

Anya (she/her) is the Publishing FAO Schwarz Fellow at 826 Boston.

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April 16, 2025 In Cohort, Professional Development, Retreats, Social Impact

Fun and Fulfilling: A Recap of the Philadelphia Spring Retreat

The FAO Schwarz Fellows began April with a beautiful spring retreat in Philadelphia! As one of the three Philly-based Fellows who helped organize the retreat (along with Michael Varlotta from The Food Trust and Julie Kleaver from Audubon Mid-Atlantic), I was very proud of our work to create a fulfilling and fun retreat experience for the Fellows visiting from Boston and New York City.

The work of planning the spring retreat began almost immediately after our wonderful fall retreat in New York back in late October. Seeing how much thoughtful planning had gone into the previous retreat (thanks to the New York Fellows!), I was slightly intimidated, but ready to jump in for this exciting challenge. As April approached, I was definitely glad we had started planning so early. An FAO Schwarz Fellowship retreat has a lot of moving parts, and I think together as a planning committee, we did a great job of meeting all of our goals and balancing the complicated logistics of touring eleven Fellows around a city for four days.

Our retreat started on Monday morning, with Boston and New York Fellows arriving at my host organization, The Clay Studio. I started our day at TCS with a hands-on clay workshop inspired by the work of Roberto Lugo, a local Philadelphia ceramicist who has worked closely with TCS. Each Fellow created a clay plate and decorated it with something meaningful to themโ€“ a personal hero, symbolism from a poem, or something that helps them find calm. With our minds and bodies centered from our grounding activity, we moved on to a tour of the studio with TCS Executive Director Jennifer Martin, followed by a discussion of the Claymobileโ€™s history and work with Community Engagement Manager Tessa Kennamer and Studio Coordinator Nitza Walesca. We rounded out the day by observing a family clay workshop taught by FAO Schwarz Fellowship alum Kayla Johnson.ย 

For the second day of our retreat, Michael Varlotta led us to his host organization, The Food Trust. As we settled in, we talked with TFTโ€™s VP of Programs Heidi Gorniok about her incredible community work around food access and education. We then heard from a panel of TFT staff members about the many facets of their organization, followed by a dynamic workshop with Community Engagement Manager Mignon Verdell, where we explored the challenges and opportunities of community engagement in each of our host organizations. Next, we played tourist at Reading Terminal Market for lunch, then headed to Potter-Thomas Elementary, where we attended their Garden Club.

On Wednesday, Julie Kleaver took us to her host organization, Audubon Mid-Atlantic. After a short introduction, Discovery Center Director Damien Ruffner led us on a beautiful nature walk through the Discovery Centerโ€™s grounds. Next, Julie gave us a peek into her work with students through an interactive workshop where the Fellows made native flower seed balls. We then heard from Suzanne Biemiller and Angie Wenger, who shared about AMAโ€™s advocacy work and their own journeys in the organization. In our last AMA activity of the day, we got to participate in an incredible team-building activity with Philadelphia Outward Bound School leader Kim Glodek.ย 

After taking an afternoon break to explore the neighborhood of Fairmount, the Fellows returned to the Discover Center for our graduation event, where we honored the achievements of our graduating second-year Fellows: Jocelyn Poste, Sabrina Abreu, Avery Trinidad, and Sarika Doppalapudi. Speeches were given, and tears of joy were shed as we reminisced on the second-year Fellowsโ€™ time in the Fellowship and celebrated the exciting next steps they will all be taking in their lives and careers. The graduation ceremony was followed by a celebratory dinner attended by FAO Schwarz Fellowship alumni and trustees. It was a lovely chance for the current Fellows to get to talk to others who have accomplished amazing things since their time in the Fellowship.

Finally, we rounded out our time in Philadelphia with one final day at The Clay Studio, where we participated in a wheel throwing workshop taught by Nitza Walesca. After a short debrief session, we closed our retreat with a compliment circle. I left the retreat with a full heart. Every time I get to connect with the 10 other FAO Schwarz Fellows feels like such a special experience. Iโ€™m eagerly looking forward to our next retreat this fall in Boston!

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Emily Lu

Emily (she/her) is the FAO Schwarz Fellow at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia.

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December 16, 2024 In Mentorship, Professional Development

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 โ€œIf youโ€™re going to move to a major metropolitan area for your first job out of college, the fellowship is the way to do it.โ€

Having spent most of my life in rural towns and smaller cities, I, too, was intimidated by the enormity of New York Cityโ€“a feeling which was exacerbated by the fact that I didnโ€™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 Joeโ€™s Pizza. That initial dinner has since evolved into a weekly pizza night, a tradition thatโ€™s turned us from strangers to fast friends.ย 

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 Yorkโ€™s fast-paced and ever-changing context. As one of my mentors from my host organization, Reading Partners, shared, โ€œMaking friends in New York is like awkwardly squeezing yourself into the empty space between two strangers on the subway.โ€ Itโ€™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.ย 

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 leadershipโ€™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.ย 

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.ย 

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.ย 

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 Iโ€™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 โ€“ but Iโ€™ve never felt like Iโ€™m doing it alone.ย 

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Shraddha Patel

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

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November 26, 2024 In Cohort, Professional Development, Retreats

Retreat Recap: A New Fellowโ€™s First Retreat

The transition from college to a full-time job can be daunting. I applied to the fellowship to pursue my passion for social impact and the nonprofit sector with the support of a cohort of like-minded individuals. I hoped to grow both personally and professionally, and the FAO Schwarz Fellowship retreat proved to be an invaluable experience that showcased the full support and development the fellowship offers.ย 

Having been a fellow for less than three months, I was still acclimating to my role at Reading Partners NYC at the time of the retreat. I was eager to meet the other fellows and learn more about the diverse host organizations across the city. Before the retreat, we had only connected briefly over Zoom, so I felt a little nervous about welcoming them to a city that I was still getting to know myself. I had only been living in New York for a few months, and as an NYC fellow and a member of the retreat planning committee, I had the added responsibility of hosting the fellows at my organization, Reading Partners, alongside Shraddha, another first-year fellow. This was our chance to share more about our organizationโ€™s mission and values, offer professional development opportunities, and give the fellows a deeper understanding of our work.

In the short span of a week, I walked away from the retreat feeling more confident, both personally and professionally.

October 28th marked the start of the Fall 2024 fellowship retreat, bringing together both first- and second-year fellows in New York City. Our retreat began on a crisp autumn day in front of the Whitney Museum, where Sarika, a second-year fellow, had planned the first day of activities. The day at the Whitney set the tone for a week filled with professional development, bonding, and more. It was inspiring to hear about the work the other fellows were taking ownership of at their host organizations. At the museum, we gained valuable insight into their efforts to expand access to the arts, particularly through the Alt Text initiative, which makes art more accessible to blind and low-vision individuals.

On Tuesday, we visited the Year Up United office, where we participated in an implicit bias workshop and an elevator pitch workshop. Later, we gathered at the iconic FAO Schwarz toy store at Rockefeller Center to connect with trustees and alumni fellows. It was fascinating to learn how similar our fellowship experiences were in many ways, while also hearing about the unique paths others have taken. The evening also gave us a chance to practice our elevator pitches once again as we introduced ourselves to new faces.

The next day, the fellows traveled to an elementary school in East Harlem for an introduction to Reading Partners. Shraddha and I delivered an introductory presentation about our organizationโ€™s mission and our respective roles. We also facilitated a tutor panel with some of our tutors. Clara Monk (a former fellow at Reading Partners who now works on our national team) spoke about the importance of cultivating a growth mindset. Later, Primo Lasana, our Executive Director at Reading Partners NYC, shared his own career journey and the โ€œwhyโ€ behind the work we do. In the afternoon, we visited the Museum of the City of New York, where Alex, a first-year fellow at the museum, led a tour of the Shirley Chisholm Gallery and facilitated an activity that illustrated each fellowโ€™s personal journey to the fellowship.ย 

On Thursday, we visited the Bronx Early Childhood Center, where Sabrina, a second-year fellow at Jumpstart, led us in a literacy activity with young children. We then went to Jumpstartโ€™s office for a development workshop, where we practiced mock pitches to donors and received valuable feedback. The day ended with us working together to create literacy kits. I was particularly drawn to Jumpstart because of its shared focus on early literacy, which aligns closely with Reading Partners.

Beyond the weekโ€™s structured activities, the retreatโ€™s real magic came from the opportunity to connect with my fellow cohort members. Learning about the unique experiences each of us brought to our roles at our respective organizations was inspiring. While we all share a deep passion for social impact, our individual backgrounds and perspectives enrich the work we do. Hearing about each otherโ€™s accomplishments and passions strengthened the sense of camaraderie and our admiration for each other. Outside of our conversations about work and professional interests, we explored Manhattan and Brooklyn, ate delicious food, and bonded over common interests. Some fellows even revealed hidden talents like palm-reading.

In the short span of a week, I walked away from the retreat feeling more confident, both personally and professionally. I felt validated sharing experiences with each other and more focused on achieving my goals for the fellowship. It was incredibly refreshing and meaningful to interact with people from diverse backgrounds who share a genuine passion for their organizationsโ€™ missions and their impact. Iโ€™m already looking forward to the next retreat in Philly!

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Jacob Jeong

Jacob (he/him) is the "Powered By" Program's FAO Schwarz Fellow at Reading Partners in New York City.

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April 22, 2024 In Cohort, Professional Development, Retreats

Retreat Reflections: A Second-Year Fellow’s Final Retreat

As a second-year Fellow at Breakthrough Greater Boston, it can be easy to get absorbed in fulfilling direct and special project work. However, the FAO Schwarz Fellowshipโ€™s bi-annual retreat provides structured time to ensure Fellows get the most out of our unique professional experience, complete with cohort bonding opportunities, professional development, and city exploration. While I usually look forward to each chance we get to gather as a complete cohort, the Spring 2024 Fellowship retreat was particularly special to me. Not only did we witness the 2024 total solar eclipse as a cohort at the Museum of Science, but it also marked my final retreat as my Fellowship draws to a close. Given that my first-ever retreat took place in Boston in 2022, this Boston retreat felt like a full-circle moment for me.

With each organization intentionally crafting professional development sessions with a diverse set of organizational leaders, I naturally found myself reflecting with other Fellows about how the experience or frameworks we had just heard could influence our professional and personal trajectories.

As a second-year, Boston-based Fellow co-leading the visit to my own host organization, I kept thinking back to the first time the cohort visited Breakthrough two years ago. Since Juan, another Fellow at Breakthrough, and I joined the Fellowship just after the retreat planning phase had concluded, we had minimal involvement in the overall planning or facilitation of our organization visit. This time around, Juan and I were involved at every stage. Crafting the Fellowshipโ€™s stop at our org was also a very reflective process as we worked together to decide which aspect of Breakthroughโ€™s expansive program we wanted to offer to our cohort.

In the end, we organized a restorative justice circle practice, inviting all Fellows to participate. Each participant introduced an item of personal significance before transitioning into a Q&A session with organizational leaders. The day concluded with a professional development session titled โ€œWhy College Success?โ€ During this session, we provided a platform for Fellows to reflect on their college experiences and to underscore the necessity for our direct service as college success coaches. We also explored the various social barriers that impact the experiences of underrepresented minorities in higher education.

The โ€œWhy College Successโ€ presentation was a personal highlight of the retreat for me. While my passion for eliminating classroom inequity led me to my Fellowship at Breakthrough, Iโ€™m not as close to the research aspect I was passionate about in undergradโ€”I now find myself addressing educational inequity researchโ€™s findings first-hand. Being able to connect the dots between social capital discrepancies, financial barriers, social belonging, and discrimination to the nuanced experiences of my caseload of Breakthrough alumni regrounded me in my motivations to expand educational equity. Aside from being able to reach back into my undergraduate passions, engaging all the Fellows in an exciting reflective discussion felt rewarding, since the room reflected my own passions.ย 

Aside from leading the Breakthrough site visit, returning to the same host organizations that we spent time with on my first retreat as a first-year Fellow also provided me with a chance to reflect on who I was two years ago and where I want to be two years from now. With each organization intentionally crafting and weaving professional development and Q&A sessions with a diverse set of organizational leaders, I naturally found myself reflecting with other Fellows between the sessions about how the experience or frameworks we had just heard could influence our professional and personal trajectories.

In my reflections, I found myself frequently returning to my interactions with members of research and evaluation teams. While my interest was initially sparked on the New York retreat in the Fall when visiting Jumpstart, visiting the Museum of Science and engaging in a Team-Based Inquiry workshop reignited this interest. Team-Based Inquiry (TBI) is an approach to research and evaluation that emphasizes collaboration among a group of individuals, such as museum visitors. The session provided a professional environment where my foundational knowledge felt directly applicable. The less formal process of evaluating programming interests me as a satisfying overlap of my passion for qualitative research and nonprofit work.

Being able to engage in first-hand observations proved to be incredibly valuable for me. It allowed me to immerse myself in my intersection of interests and gain direct insight into how visitors interacted with different exhibits while I engaged with them myself. Throughout sessions like the TBI workshop, I found myself especially aware of and grateful for the network of professionals that this Fellowship equips me with, as I am connected to people who enable me to further explore and discuss potential avenues in program evaluation.

My final retreat encapsulated the essence of my Fellowship journeyโ€”a transformative blend of personal growth, professional development, and meaningful connections. Looking ahead, I carry a renewed sense of purpose and a stronger commitment to positively impacting my community and any future collectives I join after my Fellowship!

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Jahmali Matthews

Jahmali (she/her) is the Marketing & Communications FAO Schwarz Fellow Breakthrough Greater Boston.

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