We want to use this series of articles and podcasts – “Fellow Talk” – as a platform to share the opportunities that the CFES Fellowship provides and the Essential Skills that we’ve developed along the way.

Every morning we walk the same two blocks from the Fellows Cottage to the CFES Headquarters. When we arrived in Essex in June, we walked under a scorching sun, in August, a heavy humidity, and now, in October, an overcast sky, with leaves crunching under feet. Time moves differently in Essex, a rhythm marked by the steady journey of the Lake Champlain ferry from Vermont to New York and back again. Already three months into our yearlong CFES Fellowship, we’ve become accustomed to this new lifestyle. We didn’t know what to expect at first, but we’ve found a tightknit community and an organization that has allowed us to develop the professional skills necessary for our futures, while helping students access college and career.

We both graduated from college in May, Annmarie from Trinity College Dublin with a degree in occupational therapy, and Anna from the University of Pennsylvania as a double major in history and English. At CFES we have been able to apply the skills we learned in college – communication, critical analysis, organization, etc. – to our current roles. Anna handles most of the communications for CFES, writing press releases and managing social media. Annmarie runs logistics and event planning. We both love interacting with students, whether we’re offering college application support to high school seniors or helping 6th graders become mentors to younger students. We are also mentors to 11th grade students at the local high school. In just the first three months of our CFES Fellowship, we’ve pushed the boundaries of our comfort zones and gained a profound awareness of the challenges facing students in accessing college and sustainable careers.

Even though the daylight fades in Essex more and more every day, the possibilities of the CFES Fellowship shine brighter and brighter as the school year picks up pace. We look forward to the next nine months with CFES: the National Conference in Burlington, Vermont at the end of October, promoting the Essential Skills, the Global Summit in May, and much, much more.

We want to use this series of articles and podcasts – “Fellow Talk” – as a platform to share the opportunities that the CFES Fellowship provides and the Essential Skills that we’ve developed along the way. We’ll be posting these “Fellow Talks” regularly, and we hope you’ll interact with us and learn a lot, making our morning walk – rain or shine – absolutely worth it.

The CFES Fellowship offers hands-on experience in changing the life trajectory of underserved students. Fellows work at CFES headquarters in Essex, NY, supporting professionals in schools nationwide and coordinating events for students, educators, and college and career partners. CFES will accept applications for the 2018-19 Fellowship beginning January 2018.