First Cohort Selected for St. John’s University’s Unique Ozanam Scholars Program
May 24, 2007
Forty-three high school graduates have been accepted into the recently launched Ozanam Scholars program at St. John’s University and are expected to arrive on campus in August energized and committed to helping solve the real-world problems of poverty and social injustice across the globe.
Only students with a keen desire to serve the underprivileged and disadvantaged, who also had strong academic credentials, were invited to apply for admission to the innovative new program. Those interested were required to apply directly to the Ozanam Scholars office and not through the University’s standard admission process.
More than 350 applications were received for the 30 available spots, according to Beth Evans, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management. “We were very pleased with the number and the quality of the applicants,†she says, and on the basis of that, the University made the decision to accept a larger cohort of students.
Applicants were scrutinized through a somewhat different lens than those applying to the University’s traditional programs: the service component was as important as the student’s GPA. Those accepted, Evans says, “have performed very creative service, both locally and regionally, and they understand the importance of serving others. It’s a great first start.â€
“We definitely looked at the service resumes,†reports James Keane, Ed.D., Assistant Provost and newly appointed Director of the Ozanam Scholars Program. “What we were looking for was continual service to the materially poor.†And, he says, they found plenty of it. “We heard from amazing students who’ve done mission trip projects that were translated into action at home.â€
All of those accepted will receive a $10,000 scholarship for each of their four years and will be closely supervised and supported by a dozen faculty mentors. The 43-student cohort will form a Learning Community, and no matter the major, will participate in unique, individualized programs of study and service.
During their first year at St. John’s, Ozanam Scholars will be involved with issues of poverty at the local, national and international levels. Keane and his staff are looking to provide the first-year students with ongoing weekly service opportunities in the local community. They are focusing on opportunities at sites run by organizations that address the problems of homelessness, education and youth, and healthcare but are also looking at other survival organizations that positively impact the poor and marginalized.
To help him in his efforts, Keane recently hired an Assistant Director and Coordinator of Ozanam Scholars. John Carrion holds a B.A. in Metropolitan Studies and an M.A. in Nonprofit Management from NYU, where as an undergraduate he was selected for the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars Program, which focuses on national and international service, issues of social justice, and student development and leadership. “John’s experience and academic backgroundâ€, Keane points out, “will be extremely beneficial in the further development of the Ozanam Scholar Program.â€
Plans for the program will continue to evolve. National and international service components will be formulated with corresponding coursework. Keane also envisions a leadership component in which students would hold workshops and seminars for the entire University community on issues of social justice and poverty. Eventually, he thinks a residential Ozanam college that could serve as the center of academic service-learning is a possibility, and is in favor of requiring a senior capstone project.
Provost Julia A. Upton, RSM, Ph.D., notes that the most important components of the program are the leadership training and the service. She also likes the idea of a capstone project. She points out, “in the end what we have in Ozanam Scholars is a growing cohort of committed people who will be going out to change the world.â€
For information on applying to the groundbreaking Ozanam Scholars program, contact the Ozanam Scholars Admission Committee, St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439 or call 1 (888) 9STJOHNS.
Tags: Anti-poverty strategies, Poverty Analysis
