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 |
|---|---|
| Triniti Valiant Dream Builders 4 Equity Saint Louis University | Ashley Taylor COCA Washington University in St. Louis |
| Kimberly Banks Central Institute for the Deaf University of Missouri – St. Louis | Senya Simmons YouthBridge Community Foundation University of Missouri – St. Louis |
| John Veller Forest Park Forever Washington University in St. Louis | Hannah La Porte Invest STL Washington University in St. Louis |
| Dana Zafarani Hermann Center Saint Louis University | Camille Smith Invest STL Saint Louis University |
| Huda Abdesumad Great Rivers Greenway Washington University in St. Louis | Allen Wilson MOVE STL University of Missouri – St. Louis |
| Abigail Hughes Nine PBS University of Missouri – St. Louis | Johnathan Rhodes KidSmart Harris-Stowe State University |
| Jack Cipfl Nine PBS Saint Louis University | Eva Carrasquillo-Wilkinson BWorks Washington University in St. Louis |
| Ceci Oses Nine PBS Washington University in St. Louis | Emma Garner St. Louis Community Foundation Saint Louis University |
| Emani Clay EarthDance Harris-Stowe State University | Oumy Ndiaye International Institute University of Missouri – St. Louis |
| Will Schuering Access Academies Saint Louis University | Ephraim Agyei International Institute Harris-Stowe State University |
| Lea’cher Kennedy Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra University of Missouri – St. Louis | Maka Hussein International Institute University of Missouri – St. Louis |
| Allison Cooper Clark-Fox Family Foundation Washington University in St. Louis | Chantal Ogbeifun Mission Realty Advisors Washington University in St. Louis |
| Kelsea Miann Saint Louis Art Museum University of Missouri – St. Louis | Emily Robb Casa de Salud Saint Louis University |
| AprilRose Lam World Pediatrics Saint Louis University | Jayla Grinston St. Louis Zoo University of Missouri – St. Louis |
| Steph’on Riggins St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Harris-Stowe State University | Reese Elizabeth Langhorne Arch Grants Saint Louis University |
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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.
