Dear SHECP Community,
I would like to take this moment to share how grateful I am for being welcomed as SHECP’s Executive Director in October. As a faculty member and advisor, I have been a part of SHECP’s work for the last fifteen years. During that time, I have witnessed the incredible impact of the internship experience on students’ growth as scholars, leaders and community members. Therefore, I am honored by the opportunity to lead an organization that has provided transformational curricular and co-curricular opportunities to generations of students.
Due to your support, SHECP was able to adapt programming to respond to the unique challenges and opportunities of the past two years. For example, the SHECP 2021 Summer Internship Program created an expanded experience for interns, community partners, member schools and alumni by successfully pivoting to a hybrid format. In fact, 155 SHECP interns from 18 colleges and universities provided more than 31,000 hours of service to 111 partnering organizations, delivering an economic impact of approximately $885,000 in 26 cities across the U.S.
With the new year comes new opportunities for growth and development. I am pleased to welcome three new members to the SHECP staff:
Lia Brooke, Assistant Director of Internships, will advance impactful internship programming and engage with member schools, students and community partners to ensure meaningful student experiences and strong community outcomes.
Jen Handy, Assistant Director of Grants and Engagement, will facilitate full pre-award and post-award operations for the successful submission of proposals, optimal stewardship of grantors and diligent tracking and reporting of solicitation and award metrics. She will also be responsible for the strategy for engagement with SHECP alumni, staff and faculty.
Cassie McCulloch, Administrative Assistant, will coordinate efforts with Jen and Lia to support the programs and events of SHECP. She will manage the day-to-day flow of office tasks, upcoming deadlines, calendar scheduling and event planning necessary for the implementation of programs and initiatives.
They look forward to connecting with the SHECP Community in the coming year.
We are in a strong position to move forward thanks to the hard work and dedication of the outgoing SHECP staff.
At the end of this month, Stephanie Rolph, SHECP Academic Director since 2017, will be “passing the baton” as I take on this additional role. Stephanie, Associate Professor of History and Director of Experiential Learning and Strategic Initiatives at Millsaps College, joined as the organization’s first academic director. She developed and built a strong academic foundation for SHECP’s summer programming and fostered numerous relationships with member schools, community partners and interns.
Also, Danielle Breidung Quat, Alumni Engagement Specialist since 2020, will be transitioning her work to Jen Handy by the end of December. Throughout her tenure with SHECP, Danielle led key initiatives that tapped into our alumni community’s talents. She also streamlined processes and provided great avenues to support our mission.
On behalf of the entire SHECP Community, I would like to express sincere gratitude for their dedication and support.
Thank you again for supporting our vision, “To equip college students to address the problem of poverty, as future professionals and citizens, by expanding and improving opportunities to study the meanings, causes and consequences of poverty in a wide range of disciplines.” Your continued support will help SHECP embark on several new programmatic initiatives we have envisioned for 2022 and beyond.
I wish you a joyous holiday season and a new year filled with health, peace and prosperity.
Gratefully,
Tim Diette – Executive Director
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