Career Center announces inaugural Pershing Fellows

Fellows receive a $10,000 stipend

Casa de Salud, which delivers health services to immigrants and refugees, is one of the community organizations that will be served by the Pershing Fellowship this summer. (Courtesy photo)

The Washington University in St. Louis Career Center has announced the inaugural cohort of the Pershing Fellowship in Nonprofit Leadership, an innovative internship program that introduces rising juniors and seniors to career paths within the St. Louis nonprofit community.

In addition to internship opportunities at leading St. Louis nonprofit organizations, Pershing Fellows participate in a variety of cohort experiences such as leadership development, public speaking and communications training and lunch-and-learn sessions with St. Louis nonprofit and community leaders.

“The pillars of the Pershing Fellowship are leadership, citizenship and scholarship, qualities our fellows have already shown during their time at WashU,” said Tyler Gahrs, manager of strategy and impact at the Career Center. “Our fellows will have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in St. Louis while learning from some of the region’s top leaders.” 

The Pershing Fellowship is one of a growing number of university summer stipend programs that fund internship experiences at St. Louis-based nonprofits, community organizations and startups. Others include the St. Louis Fellowship, hosted by the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement; the St. Louis Entrepreneurial Fellowship, hosted by the Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship; the Pivot 314 Fellowship, hosted by the  Office of the Provost; and the St. Louis Internship Program for Biomedical Engineers, hosted by the McKelvey School of Engineering.

Funding for the Pershing Fellowship was provided through a gift from the Pershing Charitable Trust, a longstanding supporter of the university. The Pershing Charitable Trust is a St. Louis-based charitable foundation that supports nonprofit organizations engaged in education, arts and culture and social services.

2023 Pershing Fellows 

Ayana Alston, Community Innovation and Action Center

Natasha Chisholm, International Institute of St. Louis

Amariyon Green, Access Academies

Julia Kirpalani, St. Louis BWorks

Maddy Kish, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

Jennifer Lopez, Casa de Salud

​​Nicole Lucas, Invest STL (Neighborhood Organizations Map Project)

Gloria Nishimwe, SoulFisher Ministries

Mary Trivisonno, The Balsa Foundation

Wendy Wang, International Institute of St. Louis

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