TCNJ

e College of New Jersey Foundation ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018 GIVING HIGHLIGHTS The Jamie Fox Scholars Program at TCNJ, a mentorship initiative designed to cultivate a new generation of public sector professionals, was launched in January with support from the James P. Fox Memorial Fund. Five TCNJ seniors were named Jamie Fox Scholars, and each received one-on-one mentoring and field-based training during the spring semester. The experience helped participants shape their career trajectory. Before the program, Nancy Pietrobon saw herself working in the nonprofit sector. After working with her program mentor, Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Pietrobon says her horizons have expanded. "I had the opportunity to see firsthand the inner workings of state government," says the sociology major. "As a result, I see the need for people like myself to be an advocate for underrepresented groups, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals with disabilities, whether it be in a public position or working in the non- profit sector." For Heather Atamian, the program cemented her interest in law as a potential career. "I was interested in law in high school, and that influenced my decision to study criminology at TCNJ," she says. Working with her mentor, Kay Li Causi, president and CEO of Hoboken Strategy Group, a business development firm that focuses on NEW SCHOLARS PROGRAM HELPS SENIORS government relations, and shadowing a county prosecutor revitalized Atamian's original career goals. "My experience through this program allowed for me to again think about a career in law, this time more seriously." Atamian will begin work as an analyst with a government agency this summer. Corinne Winters, an international studies major, realized she doesn't need to work abroad to make a difference and that the program reinforced the power of relationships, and the importance of maintaining and fostering them throughout one's career. "My mentor had so many connections and relationships with people who work in the public sector all over New Jersey, and I had the chance to speak with some of them and hear their stories and how they came to hold their current positions," says Winters of her experience working with Danielle Alpert at River Crossing Strategy Group in Trenton. "They all have very different backgrounds, which demonstrated to me that having a more internationally focused background does not exclude me from the local or state levels." A SHOWCASE OF SUPPORT A spring tradition, the President's Reception for Donors and Scholars has historically served as an opportunity for benefactors to meet the recipients of the scholarships they created. In response to the growing number of donors who seek to support a specific program or make an unrestricted gift in support of a department or a school, the traditional program was restructured in an effort to highlight how unrestricted, departmental, and programmatic support has been utilized at TCNJ. Each of the seven schools, along with Student Affairs and Athletics, showcased its foundation-supported initiatives. Faculty and students presented their successful research and project outcomes that were made possible by the generosity of philanthropic funds.

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