Weinberg senior Peter Anderson has no idea what he wants to do for a career, but next year he might have a better idea after sampling six different jobs.
After winning one of 60 CORO Fellowships, Anderson will work at six public affairs internships — including media, labor, business and government jobs — next year in St. Louis.
“I’m incredibly ecstatic about the opportunity,” Anderson said. “It’s exactly what I’ve always wanted to do by learning about these things and getting experience at the same time. It’s perfect because this offers you a real variety to build networks so that when you’re done, you have a better idea of what you want to do.”
Anderson is one of 45 students who have received prestigious fellowships so far this year, a feat accomplished in part by advising from the Office of Fellowships, which is now in its third year.
Other awards won by NU students as a result of resume, application and interviewing help from the office include a Carnegie Endowment, two Fulbright Grants and 12 National Science Foundation Fellowships.
“We have just done brilliantly this year. The numbers are astronomical,” said Sara Vaux, director of the fellowship office. “We’re up against the top schools. It’s astonishing to see that our students are as good as any student in the country. When you’re right here, you don’t realize what a marvelous environment it is — a good hatching-place for talent.”
Associate Provost John Margolis said the office’s extensive resources help students beyond the actual awards by providing them with important career skills.
“We hope that our students will win the awards they seek, but I’m confident that students learn an enormous amount through the process whether they actually win the fellowships or not,” Margolis said. “We know that we have absolutely first-rate students, and we’re eager to help them receive the awards they deserve.”
Vaux said NU’s fellowship office helps students differently than other schools’ offices because she tries to find awards that target civic-minded students like those at NU. She added that although the number of awards has remained consistent, the office is now aware of more of them, a reason for the boost in the number of awards.
Three students — Molly Bostic, Laura Tiefenbruck and Jeff Endelman — were awarded two different fellowships and will be able to choose the best of the two.
“Kids like this are in such high demand that these organizations are just delighted to make their path easier,” Vaux said. “All of the graduate fellowships are designed to free your hands and free your mind. They want you in the lab, they want you in the library. That’s why I love it when my kids win them.”
Weinberg senior Matthew Forti won a $3,000 State Farm Exceptional Student Fellowship in March.
Vaux said more than 500 students applied for the award, and NU is the only school to receive four in one year. The university will receive $250 for each of the four winners.
“My whole fellowship can definitely be attributed to them,” Forti said. “Sara pretty much kept reminding me that it would be the major one I should apply for.”
The Office of Fellowships will host a party May 24 for this year’s winners and the professors who recommended them. She said the event will bring together professors from every department and encourage cross-department conversation.
Vaux said she encourages students to look for fellowships as early as their sophomore year.
“The information’s here for everybody and the sooner students find it, the more they’ll feel free to try different things out before applying,” Vaux said.
