Mansfield resident, Hamilton College senior Julianna DeSimone to join non-profit Forest Foundation
DeSimone is world politics, French double major
Clinton, NY (03/10/2021) — Mansfield resident and Hamilton College senior Julianna DeSimone will join the non-profit Forest Foundation after graduation. A world politics and French double major, she graduated from Bishop Feehan High School. Here she talks about the organization, her service experiences at Hamilton, and what drew her to the program.
What role will you take on at the Forest Foundation?
The Forest Foundation pairs college students interested in careers in public service with non-profit agencies in the Boston area. This full-time position is supplemented with professional development training days, during which I will learn about non-profit finance, social enterprise, civic engagement, public policy, and more. I will also gain experience in grant writing by receiving training and writing a proposal for a local non-profit agency.
While I don't know yet what organization I'll be working for, the program matches participants with their host agency based on their mission interest and skill set. I hope to work for an organization that addresses the intersection of poverty, immigration, and gender as these areas interest me. At my host site, besides assisting with general tasks, I'll complete an independent project that serves the agency and develops my administrative and intellectual skills.
What drew you to this particular opportunity?
I've known for several years that I want to have a career in the non-profit sector. The Forest Foundation appealed to me because of its immersive approach. Both my site placement and professional development training will teach me more about how to respond to the needs of a non-profit agency. This will allow me to further develop the hard skills necessary for a meaningful and successful career in this sector, as well as the soft skills such as leadership and critical thinking.
What Hamilton experiences helped prepare you?
My time as a COOP service intern (CSI) played the largest role in guiding my career path and preparing me for this program. I was given the opportunity to work for several years at the United Way of the Mohawk Valley where I gained insight into the ways non-profits respond to community needs. By working on projects addressing issues from food insecurity to homelessness, I discovered a passion for this type of work and learned strategies to implement programs and make them easily accessible to the community.
My coursework at Hamilton has greatly prepared me for this experience. The classes I have taken across a variety of subjects have encouraged me to think critically about social issues. In particular, the women's and gender studies and world politics courses at Hamilton have shaped my perceptions of power and inequality and motivated me to drive systems change through a career in the non-profit sector.
What aspects of your new position are you looking forward to the most?
I'm most excited to continue to learn how I can best serve a non-profit organization, and by extension, my community. I enjoy the day-to-day environment of non-profit settings and developing my professional skills while also working toward a mission that I feel passionate about. I'm also excited to continue to make meaningful connections with like-minded people. The Forest Foundation program brings together non-profit agencies, experts in the field, and young people entering this sector to learn and work together for social change. I've been fortunate in my other professional and volunteer experiences to meet many inspiring people, and I'm eager to continue to learn from people with a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
Originally founded in 1793 as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, Hamilton College offers an open curriculum that gives students the freedom to shape their own liberal arts education within a research- and writing-intensive framework. Hamilton enrolls 1,850 students from 49 states and 49 countries. Additional information about the college can be found at www.hamilton.edu.
###
Media Attachments
Mansfield resident and Hamilton College senior Julianna DeSimone photo credit: Nancy L. Ford
Hamilton College
Holly Foster, 315-859-4068, hfoster@hamilton.eduShare this Story
Recent News
- Plainsboro resident Adrienne Thayaparan awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain
- Seymour resident Ariana (Ari) Wheeler awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Bulgaria
- Nyack resident Hana Namkung awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan
- Fort Plain resident Quinn Jones awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain
- Boise resident, Hamilton College graduate Abigail Moone awarded college's $30K Bristol Fellowship
- Ho Ho Kus resident, Hamilton College graduate Charlie Ratner awarded college's $30K Bristol Fellowship
- Iowa City resident, Hamilton College grad Salwa Sidahmed to Embark on Watson Fellowship Travel
- Mount Sinai Resident Earns Most Prestigious Award for Seniors from Hamilton College
- Acton Resident Andy Jian Modeling Ecosystems With Mathematical Equations in Summer Research Project
- Verona Resident Philip Chivily Researching Black Catholics in Antebellum America