BOSTON — MAY 12, 2022 The FAO Schwarz Family Foundation has announced the names of the seven recipients of the 2022 FAO Schwarz Fellowship in social impact.
The Foundation supports a new cohort of outstanding recent college graduates with paid, two-year Fellowship positions each year. Fellows work at leading nonprofit organizations in three cities. Alumni of the Fellowship program go on to hold leadership roles at nonprofit or public service organizations and programs, attend prestigious graduate programs, and start their own organizations. This selective, domestic Fellowship is one of a few programs of its kind focused on social impact leadership.
“We are so impressed with this cohort’s dedication to social equity, and the breadth and depth of their experiences."
In Boston, Vanessa Barragán (Pacific Grove, CA), a Biology & Society and English major from Cornell University will be a Fellow at The Food Project. Jahmali Matthews (Boston, MA), a Sociology and Creative Writing major from Hamilton College, and Juan Mojica (Dallas, TX) an Anthropology major and Race and Ethnicity studies minor from Southwestern University, will be Fellows at Breakthrough Greater Boston.
In New York City, Jesse McLaughlin (Brooklyn, NY), who graduated in January from New York University with an Animal Studies, Philosophy of Science, and the Art Practice major, will work at New York City Audubon, and Natalia Wang (Chicago, IL) an Art History major and Chemistry, Art Theory & Practice minor from Northwestern University, will be at the Museum of the City of New York.
Kayla Johnson (Philadelphia, PA), a Human Development & Community Engagement major from Temple University will join The Clay Studio in Philadelphia for her Fellowship. Sophie Becker-Klein (Hockessin, DE), an Environmental Science major and Education Studies minor from American University will join Audubon Mid Atlantic, also in Philadelphia.
The Fellowship program seeks recent college graduates interested in developing their potential as leaders in the world of equity and social impact. The program provides each Fellow with a two-year paid position at a leading nonprofit host organization where they gain skills, expertise, and knowledge. The Fellowship also includes professional development experiences such as retreats, mentoring, and networking.
Jason Kelly Roberts, Associate Director with the Office of Fellowships at Northwestern University, says of the Fellowship program, “I love to recommend the FAO Schwarz Fellowship to my students–the Fellowship truly values the role of mentorship and community as students make the transition from full-time student to full-time professional. FAO leads the way in providing a foundation for growth and offers recipients an experience no other domestic fellowship program can match.”
“We are so impressed with this cohort’s dedication to social equity, and the breadth and depth of their experiences,” said Priscilla Cohen, Executive Director of the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation. “In partnership with our host organizations, we work to design transformative experiences that allow our Fellows to develop into social impact leaders. We look forward to watching them grow over the next two years, and to see the impact they make at their host organizations.”
About the 2022-2024 Host Organizations
Audubon Mid-Atlantic’s mission—like that of its parent organization, the National Audubon Society—is to protect the places that people and birds need today and tomorrow, through science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation.
Breakthrough Greater Boston (BTGB) empowers educational experiences for traditionally underrepresented students on their path to college and is also the largest pre-professional teacher training program in the country.
As artists, advocates, and educators, The Clay Studio is committed to ensuring the space, support, and inspiration necessary for expression and mastery in the ceramic arts.
The Food Project’s mission is to create a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system.
The Museum of the City of New York fosters an understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world’s most influential metropolis through engaging visitors in celebration, documentation, and interpretation of the city’s past, present, and future.
New York City Audubon is a grassroots community that works for the protection of wild birds and habitats in the five boroughs, improving the lives of New Yorkers.