Fellowships

Appalachian Food Justice Institute

As an Environmental Studies major and Sociology minor, Olivia’s study abroad experience focused on food justice, sovereignty, and sustainability, and she wanted to continue to explore this back in the States. Olivia is originally from Los Angeles and had not studied the Appalachian region while at Skidmore, so she took this opportunity to learn from people who were deeply involved in their local communities. Olivia’s fellowship experience, which she completed after her junior year, gave her lasting social and professional connections, and inspired her senior capstone project and future professional goals. 

Olivia Glaser LinkedIn

AmeriCorps VISTA

Olivia is a Capital Region native who graduated from Skidmore in 2018 with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Studio Art. Through internships and work-study experiences, she developed a passion for community-based initiatives, food justice, and composting. Upon graduating, she worked to develop community composting and waste reduction programming for The NYC Compost Project Hosted by Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden. Olivia decided to apply for AmeriCorps VISTA after witnessing increased food access barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently completing a year of service with The Food Pantries for The Capital District and works to coordinate food assistance initiatives across the region. When not working, you can find Olivia doodling in her sketchbook, exploring regional parks, and cooking (sometimes burning) new foods.

Olivia Golden LinkedIn

Princeton in Africa

Lydia is from Sierra Leone and has a self-determined major in Public health. Her interests span across access to healthcare, community health workers initiatives and maternal and child health. She chose to do a one-year fellowship with Princeton in Africa, to get structured and time-limited work experience in public health. It was important for her to work in her field with the guided support a fellowship provides. This has led to her currently doing her masters in international health and tropical medicine at the university of Oxford.

Lydia Bernard-Jones LinkedIn

Fulbright Program in Turkey

David Schlenker is SO excited to join the Skidmore community for this exciting career development program! After graduating from Skidmore, David has spent the last eight years in K-12 education across three different countries. Beginning his journey as a Fulbright scholar on the Turkish-Syrian border, David has established campus-based recycling programs, refugee tutoring services, elementary English education curriculum through photography and DEI workgroups to engrain racial justice into culturally responsive curricula. He currently serves as the Director of Learning and Development at City Year: San Antonio where he leads the professional development of 94 new educators across San Antonio Public Schools. David earned his M.A. in Secondary Social Studies Education from The City College of New York and graduated from Skidmore College (NY) with a B.A. in History/International Relations. David is a proud Boston native and in his free time enjoys cooking, playing volleyball, and enjoying the beautiful city of San Antonio!

David Schlenker LinkedIn