Studies after college: Fellowships offer support for pursuits

Janine Parziale Features Editor

Each year, thousands of undergraduates are intimidated and overwhelmed by the thought of what will happen after graduation. The inevitable question arises: What now?

Some students will end up immediately going for graduate school: taking the LSATs, the GREs, writing the essays, filling out name, address and social security number so many times they will actually think that last name really does come first. Others will be more interested in travel and job placement before even considering such a thing as four more years of studying. Yet, no matter what the plan, the Office for Pre-Professional Advising and Fellowships was established to help students not only to succeed, but to keep their sanity semi-intact throughout that process.

Consultants will meet with students to discuss fellowship opportunities (fellowships being money for advanced study or independent work) and grad schools, pre-med programs as well as pre-law. The Office coordinates the Committee of Fellowships as well as the Pre-Med Advisory Committee (both composed of faculty members) each of which acts to nominate and review applications of students. The Office will not only help students through the intensive application processes but also monitor and continue to track pending applications. Said former Director Susan Davis, “Although the process for assisting students varies from profession to profession and from fellowship to fellowship, the goal of the Office is to work individually with each student to be of service and to help determine what are realistic expectations with regard to future pursuits and then to assist them in reaching the goal!”

The Office was founded to assist the Dean of Studies in his duties as the Chair of the faculty Committee on Fellowships. Over the past 18 years, the Office has expanded its services to include several new fellowships, including the Watson, Building with Books, Udall, Burnam and the Compton. Vassar was asked to join the Watson Foundation in 1991; Vassar has had at least one Watson Fellow each year since. Recently, the Institute for International Education (I.I.E.) named Vassar among the top ten producing B.A. schools for the Fulbright scholarship program; of the 15 Vassar applicants last year, there were five Fulbright scholars chosen. Connections with such fellowships as the Watson and the Compton come from the enthusiasm and commitment shown not only by the students who continue to excel in these competitions even on the national and international level, but the vested interest demonstrated by the hard workers within the Office itself.

Susan Davis, who was Director of the Office for 18 years continues to consult students, while investing much of her support with Lisa Kooperman, new Director of the Office for Pre-Professional Advising and Fellowships. Said Davis, We are very pleased that Lisa Kooperman has joined the Vassar Community as the Director of the Office. My 18 years at Vassar were filled with wonderful students and helpful, supportive faculty. I enjoyed every minute of it and I know that Lisa will be a wonderful advocate for students and an innovative director of the Office.”

In turn, Kooperman said of Davis, “She has worked so hard over the years to build up this office and has acted as a fantastic mentor and been really inspirational for a lot of people. I feel very proud to walk in her footsteps. It has been just a tremendous honor to work with students and to have Susan here. I can’t give her enough credit for what she’s built,” said Kooperman.

A Hudson Valley resident all her life, Kooperman majored in Psychology at The State University of New York’s school in Oneonta (SUNY), and went on to earn her masters in Psychology at SUNY New Paltz. Kooperman then spent two and a half years at Marist as a graduate school/fellowship advisor, involved in the initial developing process of their office. She met with Susan Davis as a fellow colleague, and eventually applied for the Vassar position.

“Vassar is a very prestigious school. It is very academically diverse. People from all over the world come here. Students are allowed to be themselves and go after what they want. I really admire them for that,” she said.

The scholarships and fellowships the Office handles generally are those that are nationally renowned and those which need institutional endorsement, though the Office is more than willing to help students through the application process of any other scholarships for which they wish to apply.

“There’s nothing like the joy that you feel when people accomplish things that they think they couldn’t. There’s truly nothing like it, helping people realize their dreams. It’s amazing,” said Kooperman.

Kooperman’s recommendation to students is to start early because deadlines come up fast, “I want to plant that seed in your mind especially if you are going abroad junior year,” she said. “If students are interested in fellowships, get started early. Freshman and sophomore year is not too early. Some require preparation over four years to be competitive. Don’t wait until the semester when you are going to apply to think about it.” Not to mention, the Beinecke, Goldwater, Truman, Goldman Global Scholar, Udall, and Burnam fellowships are all open to underclassmen.

So keep an eye out for the interest meetings and info sessions to learn more; or just drop by and welcome a new member of the Vassar community. Even if you are not yet sure what you want to do after college, go into the office at 162 N. Main, flip through the material—who knows? Maybe you will find something that will lead to a career that is, as Kooperman summed up, like her current profession at Vassar: a good fit.

Quick facts on Fellowships: past, present, and future

Past:
2004 Vassar Fellowships: 53 fellowships were awarded to applicants from a pool of approximately 130 students, equalling over $270,000.

Approximately 320 applicants participated in the fellowship competitions through the Office for Fellowships in 2003-04.

Some Watson Fellows of the Past:
1993: Karin Betts, “Collective Living & Communal Responsibility- A Study of Intentional Communities”: Israel, India

1996: Earl Hadley, “Religion and Economic Development: Allies or Enemies?”: Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya

2003: Emily Bosk, “Invisible Theater and Other Forms of Social Drama: Dialogue with Boal’s Work”: Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, England

2004: Sarah Zarrow, “Musical Reinventions: Exploring the ‘Klezmer Revival’ in Europe”: Italy, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova

Present:
2004 Vassar Watson Fellowship Nominees:
Jim Dodington
Emily Loomis
Katherine Clemente
Tiffany Watson

Future:
Compton Mentor Fellowship:
With a deadline in February, this fellowship allows a graduating senior to compete for an opportunity to earn $35,000 working with a mentor on a project of your own devising. Both the mentor and the project are yours to design within the guidelines of the Compton.

Vassar WK Rose, Fellowship in the Creative Arts:
Normally between $30,000-$40,000, this fellowship is open only to Vassar grads up to the age of 36. The award is to be used to provide for expenses while the recipient works full-time on his/her art.