Monday, August 10
An Evening of Stories and Impact
Join us as the Pershing Fellows take the stage to share stories from their summer working with St. Louis nonprofits. Each Fellow will tell a short, true story from their internship, offering an inside look at their experiences, what they learned, and the community work happening across the region.
This evening is the capstone of their summer. A chance to celebrate the Fellows, honor their growth, and recognize the nonprofits that shaped their journeys. Come for the stories. Stay for the impact.
Short, interesting stories
Each storyteller will share a 3-5 minute story from their summer internship. Fellows choose between two prompts: (1) “Tell us about a moment at your placement when something clicked about why the organization’s work matters,” or (2) “Tell us about a small or ordinary moment at your placement that ended up meaning more than you expected.”
One night, two shows
There are too many great storytellers to fit into one event, so we split them in two. You can see which storytellers are in Act 1 (starting at 6:00pm) and Act 2 (starting at 8:00pm) below.
A capstone and a celebration
This year’s Fellows program is coming to a close, making this night of storytelling both a final learning experience and a celebration of everything they’ve taken on this summer.
The line up
The storytelling is split into two parts
Check out the schedule below to see when each Fellow will be sharing their story. The order of storytellers is subject to change within time blocks if necessary.
| 6:00pm – 7:30pm | 8:00pm – 9:30pm |
|---|---|
| Trinity Atkins COCA University of Missouri – St. Louis | Peace Muiruri Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Saint Louis University |
| Theo Palmer Beyond Housing Saint Louis University | Asia Brantley James S. McDonnell Foundation Washington University in St. Louis |
| Mekhi Little Access Academies Harris-Stowe State University | Madeline Wheat MOVE STL University of Missouri – St. Louis |
| Ugonna Agwu Invest STL Washington University in St. Louis | Subratha Araselvan Clark-Fox Family Foundation Washington University in St. Louis |
| Shounak Banerjee Invest STL University of Missouri – St. Louis | Inchara Shetty Nine PBS Saint Louis University |
| Julianna Latham Casa de Salud Saint Louis University | Lacey Shin Saint Louis Art Museum Washington University in St. Louis |
| Carlo Holmes Forest Park Forever Harris-Stowe State University | Zoë Schultz Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra University of Missouri – St. Louis |
| Daniel Park Arch Grants Washington University in St. Louis | Gerrell Harsley UMSL CIAC Harris-Stowe State University |
| Addison Drace A Red Circle University of Missouri – St. Louis | Annie Henehan EarthDance Saint Louis University |
| Suman Behera Central Institute for the Deaf Saint Louis University | Savannah Lane Saint Louis Zoo University of Missouri – St. Louis |
| Kaai Marshall International Institute Harris-Stowe State University | Rachel Becker St. Louis Community Foundation Washington University in St. Louis |
| Abby Van Vooren International Institute Saint Louis University | Riviera Ell YouthBridge Community Foundation Saint Louis University |
| Dylan Roman Great Rivers Greenway University of Missouri – St. Louis | Makenzie Strickler St. Louis Shakespeare Festival University of Missouri – St. Louis |
| Mason Shaver City Academy Washington University in St. Louis | |
| Myla McGhee Hermann Center Washington University in St. Louis |
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Frequently Asked Questions
a.k.a. f.a.q.
- ?What is the Pershing Fellowship?
The Pershing Fellowship in Nonprofit Leadership is an innovative internship program that introduces rising juniors and seniors to career paths within the St. Louis nonprofit community. The goal of the Fellowship is to provide students with engaging and challenging projects that will enable them to gain a better understanding of the opportunities and impact of non-profit careers in general, and St. Louis nonprofits in particular. Pershing Fellows are matched with summer internship roles at non-profit organizations focused on a range of activities including social services, education, healthcare, and arts and culture in the St. Louis region. Pershing Fellows participate in a variety of cohort experiences such as leadership development, public speaking and communications training, and lunch-and-learn sessions with St. Louis nonprofit and community leaders.
- ?What do Pershing Fellows experience?
Students in the Pershing Fellowship each receive a $10,000 summer stipend and participate in regular professional development activities, including meeting with leaders from across the St. Louis community, learning about the landscape of non-profit and community organizations in the region, and connecting with cohort and community members. Applications were assessed based on students’ commitment to leadership (leading others to a common organizational goal), scholarship (high performance in academic pursuits), and citizenship (commitment to improving a community).
- ?Where does funding for the Pershing Fellowship come from?
Funding for the Pershing Fellowship is provided through a gift from the Pershing Charitable Trust. The Pershing Charitable Trust is a St. Louis-based charitable foundation that supports nonprofit organizations engaged in education, arts and culture, and social services.
- ?How do the Fellows prepare to tell their story?
The Pershing Fellows were taught and mentored by facilitators at Campfire, a local St. Louis organization working in storytelling and group facilitation. The Fellows went through the Campfire Academy – a training customized specifically to give the Fellows new skills, boost confidence, and dedicated practice time.
- ?Will there be food and drink at the event?
There will be limited amounts of complimentary sodas, waters, and cookies at the event.
