College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross Magazine

"Without this experience I may never have found what I truly want to do in my life,” says Erin Smith ’04 about her summer job. “I have decided that I want to go to graduate school for linguistics, and I want to have a job in an organization similar to ‘Read Boston.’”

Those are the reflections of just one of the 12 Holy Cross students who participated in the General Alumni Association’s Summer Fellowship Program last year. Smith’s 10-week summer experience with a not-for-profit agency changed her entire career outlook.

“It’s gratifying to hear Erin’s comments,” says Amy Murphy, director of the Summer Internship Program at Holy Cross. “But it’s really fairly common. It seems to happen to several students each year. This program gives them the chance to test drive an occupation or to just give back to the community.”

Last summer was the 11th year that the GAA Summer Fellowship program provided Holy Cross students with the opportunity to have a meaningful summer work experience with a not-for-profit agency. The program, which grew out of a suggestion from Holy Cross president emeritus, Rev. John E. Brooks, S.J., ’49, in 1991, involves a partnership among the GAA, the College’s regional clubs and local charities. Murphy and the staff of the Summer Internship Program coordinate the recruitment of agencies and the placement of students each summer.

This year, positions were sponsored by regional clubs in Boston, Worcester, Washington, D.C., and Rhode Island. In past years, the Hartford, Cape Cod, Long Island, and Merrimac Valley (Mass.) Regional Clubs also have participated. Service opportunities range from working with brain injured children at the Sargent Rehabilitation Center in Rhode Island to teaching people to read in Boston.

Many students would love to participate in community service during their summer breaks, but the realities of college tuition make it necessary for most to earn money during their time off.

“I wanted to volunteer somewhere for the summer, but that was not an option because my summers require full-time work,” says Keara Martin ’05. “Then I heard about Mary House and that I could get a scholarship for working there—it was like a dream come true!”

Mary House is a non-profit organization that provides transitional housing services, shelter and support programs to homeless and struggling families. Martin worked closely with Mary House’s director, Bill Murphy ’73, on a wide range of jobs, including maintenance work on clients’ houses.

“The joke at Mary House is that I came as a ‘keep-your-distance tomboy’ and left as a kid-loving and people-hugging young woman. I can’t pinpoint when the change occurred, but just being able to spend my summer with those less fortunate than myself made me treasure what I have at home. I could have spent the summer waiting tables or working as a secretary, but that would not have given me more than a paycheck.”

Dan Sammartino ’05 had what many people would regard as a tough job. He worked at the Sargent Rehabilitation Center in Warwick, where he taught and trained brain injured children. But Sammartino’s experience left him wanting more contact with his students.

“This was the first summer job that I ever had in which I did not dread coming into work,” he says. “Each and every day was new and interesting. That is what was so terrific about this internship; I didn’t just leave work behind me at 3 p.m. I always found myself thinking about the students throughout the day.”

And it’s not just the students who enjoyed their experiences. Agencies on the receiving end of their assistance were quite happy with the students they chose.

“As a volunteer-based agency with 10 sites serving dozens of homeless families at any one time, I see a great range of student volunteers,” says Murphy. “We host volunteers from many colleges and high schools—they are the backbone of our operation. The Holy Cross students were very special people who lived well in the community and set a good example for others.”

“We are always impressed by the maturity level of the Holy Cross interns,” notes Stan Slowick ’74, chief financial officer of the Sargent Rehab Center. “They reflect well on our agency, and in turn reflect well on Holy Cross. Our staff and clients come away from the experience with a good feeling about Holy Cross and the caliber of its students.”

Based on the success of the past several years, the General Alumni Association has made this program one of its funding priorities. The only budget line item that exceeds the GAA’s commitment to this program is the Alumni Scholarship Program.

“I first worked with this program as the coordinator from the Rhode Island Club,” says current GAA president Dave Doern ’62. “It became clear to me that this is one of the most effective programs that the GAA manages in that it advances so many things that are good for Holy Cross. It provides opportunities for current students, links our regional clubs more closely with the College, and exposes more of the world to just how special Holy Cross and its students are.”

Any alumni or regional clubs interested in initiating or sponsoring a summer Fellowship for the summer of 2004 should contact Amy Murphy of the Holy Cross Summer Internship Program at amurphy@holycross.edu.