Fred L. Emerson Foundation Grant Enables Student Internship Opportunities

Students who rely on grants and scholarships to attend Marist may have a hard time completing internships due to financial circumstances. Not only are many internships unpaid, but if students have an internship in the summer and want to receive academic credit, they must pay for those credits. Marist received a two-part grant from Fred L. Emerson Foundation totaling $245,000 to help provide paid internship opportunities and scholarships to students with financial need in the summer of 2020. 

“It is heartbreaking to sit across from a student who cannot participate in an internship because of their financial circumstances,” Executive Director of Center for Career Services Dr. Mary Jones said. “I am forever thankful that this grant allowed so many Marist students to participate in internships this past summer. Marist's goal is to ensure that all students have equal access to career-path and internship opportunities and this grant is making that a reality.”

Specifically, in the summer of 2020, the grant was provided to eight students through internship scholarships to help them with the costs of travel, credit costs and other financial burdens. Internship Program Coordinator Stephanie Graham shared student feedback on their internship opportunities over the summer. 

“This internship was incredibly valuable to me and even more so during the time of COVID-19 when many students were unable to secure internships,” one student recipient said. “The Emerson scholarship made accepting an unpaid internship during a global pandemic possible for me. It took away the stress of not being able to work, and gave me the opportunity to gain real industry experience and I am extremely grateful for that.”

The second part of the grant has directed $200,000 to establish the Fred L. Emerson Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship will generate an annual award of $10,000, for a deserving undergraduate student with significant financial need for each of their four years at Marist.

“This meaningful support will help put a Marist education within reach for students with financial need for years to come,” Vice President for College Advancement Chris DelGiorno said. “The Emerson Foundation’s generosity is assisting the College in its ongoing goals of supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in our student body.”

The Emerson Foundation is based in Auburn, New York, and supports a variety of grantmaking priorities throughout central New York. The Foundation has supported Marist since 1984 with grants for the Emerson Digital Classroom located in the James A. Cannavino Library and for facilities in the Lowell Thomas Communication Center.