Union County Review

Eleven students from Kean University have been chosen to participate in the America Needs You (ANY) fellowship, a national initiative aimed at supporting first-generation and low-income students in building career skills. These students are part of a larger group of 89 fellows from New Jersey selected for the two-year program.

Barbara Harmon-Francis, Ed.D., vice president for the Kean Division of Student Success and Retention, expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity: "Kean is dedicated to supporting our first-generation students as they build successful futures. The America Needs You fellowship gives them invaluable access to mentors and hands-on experiences that will open doors and help them confidently navigate their career journeys. We’re excited to see these students take advantage of this opportunity and eager to see what they’ll accomplish."

Viviana Zambrano, director of the Office for Student Retention and Educational Innovation at Kean, has played a significant role in bringing ANY to the university. She highlighted the program's objectives: “The goal of ANY is to create upward economic mobility for first-generation college students, teaching them tools to navigate the career process.”

The fellowship includes monthly workshops on various professional skills such as resume development, networking, interview techniques, and elevator pitches. Fellows also receive mentoring from volunteer professionals and an annual stipend of $1,000 for related expenses.

Zac Cuffe, an ANY mentor and recruitment chair for ANY New Jersey Associate Board, emphasized the program's impact: “I am a firm believer in the power of association. As part of the ANY Fellows program, students are given a unique opportunity to have critical access to professionals from a multitude of industries."

Among those selected is Susan Berube from Elizabeth, who is studying English at Kean University. She shared her excitement about being chosen: “I'm incredibly grateful to have been selected as a fellow for ANY's 2024 cohort.”