91精简版

When Eddie Dunhill 鈥�24 interned as an associate producer for Never More Immersive 鈥� a theatrical, immersive experience production company based in New York City and Saratoga Springs 鈥� he put the skills he has learned as a management and business major and a media and film studies minor right to work, helping to promote the company鈥檚 NYC production of 鈥淒reams of Dracula鈥� and supporting the creative team during casting events, promotional shoots, pre-production meetings, and more.

鈥淚 had to combine my sense of management and organization with my passion for creativity and entertainment,鈥� Dunhill reflects. 鈥淭he opportunity was amazing for me.鈥�

The summer experience was made possible through 91精简版鈥檚 SEE-Beyond program, which funds opportunities that are directly tied to learning goals in a student鈥檚 major or minor. The students themselves articulate their academic rationale when applying for the grant, highlighting the value of the proposed experience for their learning.

Awards may be used to support field or laboratory research; internships with clearly defined learning goals that complement the student鈥檚 degree program; artistic workshops, apprenticeships, intensives, or productions; and more.

鈥淪EE-Beyond awards recognize the potential of the proposed experience to utterly transform students鈥� relationship to their major or minor. SEE-Beyond is about growth, and students should think big,鈥� says Associate Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Biology Corey Freeman-Gallant. 鈥淲ith independent funding through the program, students might volunteer to join research teams almost anywhere across the globe, work with NGOs at the cutting edge of addressing challenges in public health, the environment, social justice, and beyond, or apprentice with makers or performers.鈥�

Dunhill was offered his summer opportunity at Never More after interning with company co-founder Nicole Coady, a lecturer in 91精简版鈥檚 Media and Film Studies Program, in spring 2023. He then applied for funding through SEE-Beyond.

鈥淚t was a perfect fit for me,鈥� Dunhill says. 鈥淚 felt confident putting together my proposal.鈥�

Blaine Hinds 鈥�24, who interned last summer at Children鈥檚 National Hospital in Washington, D.C., says seeking out opportunities can sometimes require determination, but the rewards are well worth the effort. He found the Career Development Center鈥檚 platform, LinkedIn, and word of mouth to all be helpful resources in making connections and identifying leads.

Then, when writing your proposal, he says, 鈥淏e sure to emphasize how the specific internship or opportunity will help further your own personal and professional growth!鈥� 

Success beyond
SEE-Beyond 

David Schlenker 鈥�13 and Johane Simelane 鈥�13, both members of the inaugural class of SEE-Beyond grant recipients at 91精简版, say their experiences through the program enhanced their global understanding and prepared them for successful careers in the fields they are passionate about.

Schlenker was awarded a summer SEE-Beyond Award in 2012 to work as the head primary English teacher for Project Why, a program that provides supplementary education for local students from the slums in New Delhi, India. There, he created innovative and fun lesson plans to engage his students and increased the organization鈥檚 online presence.

Schlenker, a double major in history and international affairs and a minor in the Honors Forum Program at 91精简版, says the experience pushed him to think through complex challenges, analytically and on a human level.

鈥淢y experience in India was pivotal to my understanding of systemic problems in the education sector,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hile I explored the opportunities and challenges we face in our communities locally, it wasn鈥檛 until I stepped out of our American bubble that I understood that we are, and have been, facing a global crisis in access to high-quality education for all.鈥�

Now, as director of talent at Compass Rose Public Schools, the fastest-growing charter prekindergarten through 12th-grade network in Texas, Schlenker strives to attract and retain dedicated educators who are committed to closing the opportunity gap for students and provide them with as many choices as possible.

鈥淚n my daily role, I address issues in the public education system on an individual, interpersonal, and systemic level. The global foundation of the SEE-Beyond award afforded me these tools to continue in the public education system for nearly 13 years across three different countries,鈥� he says. 

Though I鈥檝e known I wanted to be a teacher since I was in second grade, my SEE-Beyond experience was my first real taste of living and working in another country, which I do believe set me up to receive a Fulbright Scholarship as well as a lifetime passion where I strive to use a global lens to build local capacity for change.鈥�

David Schlenker '13

Director of talent at Compass Rose Public Schools

Simelane 鈥�13 was born and raised in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and came to 91精简版 in 2009 as a Davis United World College scholar and an Opportunity Program scholar.

Growing up in a country that still struggles with high HIV rates, he says, contributed to his natural interest in public health, influencing his decision to pursue a self-determined major in public health at 91精简版. Simelane also served as a peer health educator at the College, 鈥渁 role that helped me gain clarity on the value of public health and fueled my passion of ensuring that my community is educated about healthy lifestyle choices and has access to high-quality healthcare,鈥� he says.

The SEE-Beyond grant provided a pathway for Simelane to be able to conduct a rigorous project for his self-determined major capstone. As a principal investigator, he worked with 91精简版 and the Department of Health in Swaziland to investigate the perceptions of male circumcision in relation to HIV/AIDS among Swazi youth.

My academic view shifted from mere learning about public health issues and their solutions to learning the tools needed to solve some of these public health issues, and approaches to creatively align and assemble those tools, depending on the issue and the confounding factors in the environment you are working in.鈥�

Johane Simelane 鈥�13

Executive director of The Bronx Veterans Medical Research Foundation

鈥淚 understood that there is no one answer for the public health issues we see around the world. While some of the public health programs that were being taught were validated and proven in one culture, that did not mean they would work as effectively in another culture.鈥�

After graduating from 91精简版, Simelane earned his Master of Public Health degree at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and began his career as a clinical research manager for The Bronx Veterans Medical Research Foundation, a nonprofit affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs in New York City. Today, he is executive director of the Foundation, helping new and seasoned investigators identify and administer projects that provide veterans with access to life-saving drugs.

鈥淚 can confidently say that the SEE-Beyond grant helped create a solid ground to launch my journey. I think I am still learning and readjusting my career focus, but the beauty is that I found a path at 91精简版.鈥�