Reflections on Our Fall 2021 Semester

Storytelling is a big part of what we do at College for Social Innovation. Stories help us to remember, build connections and inspire people to act. This is my fourth semester teaching our Social Innovator’s Toolbox (SITB) course, and as I prepare to close this chapter and begin the next I’m feeling lucky to have experienced these 15 weeks.

I woke up on our first day of this semester’s launch week with the level of excitement of a kid on Christmas morning. After 18 months of Zoom and gloom, I was going to see our new cohort in person.

Ashley van EdemaNovember 29, 2021experiential learning, Internships, reflection, storytellingComment

Alumni Diaries # 3: Zoe Sheppard

Check out our new Alumni Diary by Fall 2020 Cohort alumni Zoe Sheppard from the University of Vermont. Read on to hear about her Semester in the City experience as a student fellow and interning with Cradles to Crayons.

Staff Spotlight: Kiyo Gomi

At College for Social Innovation, we know that our first jobs and internships shaped our futures and cultivated our passion for social sector work. These experiences are the reason we are here today! The beginning of summer marks the start of similar experiences for college students everywhere—experiences that will open doors of opportunity and launch inspiring careers. In this blog series, our staff will tell the stories of their own first internships, sharing advice, memories, and appreciation for their earliest professional experiences.

Kiyo Gomi is our manager of Finance and Administration! Kiyo earned his MBA in Finance and Nonprofit Management from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business in 2018. His passion for nonprofit work was cultivated through two summer internships with LearningWorks at Blake and he brings six years of experience in the nonprofit sector to his role. Kiyo has numerous responsibilities surrounding the finance and administration of CFSI, but he is especially eager to build and implement systems on the back-end to advance the mission of College for Social Innovation.

Staff Spotlight: Katie Richardson

Katie Richardson is our Director of Recruitment and Enrollment! She is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and has built a career working with nonprofits focused on education, experiential learning, youth and leadership development, and service. Katie is responsible for connecting students with transformational learning experiences in Semester in the City, as well as growing the pipeline of diverse and well-qualified talent for the social sector. Here, Katie is able to combine her passions and have an impact by inspiring and delighting students through engaging internships.

My Once in a Lifetime Experience with Semester in The City

I came to know about the opportunity to study in Boston through the Semester in the City program rather serendipitously. I was coming to terms with the fact I wouldn’t be going abroad during my undergraduate years because I could not afford to. I was still hoping to find some kind of study-away program that was fun, affordable, and worthwhile. College for Social Innovation gave me that opportunity with Semester in the City.

OUR VOICES.