College was a financially straining time for me. This situation would have forced me to limit myself to paid employment during my summer vacation if I was not awarded a summer internship stipend. Because I received a stipend, I had more flexibility when choosing where I could gain work experience during my summer vacation regardless if the institution could compensate me for my time or not. This financial cushion primarily encouraged me to explore summer internship experience in the public sector, which is known to almost never compensate summer interns. With the support of this stipend, I was able to take on a summer internship at the NYC Mayor’s Office, which eventually led to my first job and current position, Assistant Direct in Central Office at NYC Health + Hospitals.
-Elektra Nassis
City College Class of 2017
