Lehman College social work major Robert Schwab has become one of six New York City undergraduates to be accepted into the elite Clark Fellowship program - and the fifth Lehman student to be chosen in the program's seven-year history. The fellowship offers guidance and financial assistance to students wishing to pursue careers in the non-profit sector. For 15 years, Schwab, who is married with two young children, worked as a hydraulics maintainer for the New York City Transit Authority. "The death of my father eight years ago made me consider what I wanted to do with the rest of my life," he said. Two years ago, he transferred credits he had earned in his youth and began studying at Lehman. When Schwab saw the fellowship application tacked onto a Lehman bulletin board, he knew he was looking at a rare scholarship opportunity. "Non-profits and people who choose to work for them don't generally see a lot of money," he said. The Clark Fellowship is administered through Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and awards $30,000 to students entering their final year of undergraduate study. The funds support the student's first two years of graduate work and also provides a salary stipend. Fellows spend their first year-called a "preparatory year"- attending leadership retreats, workshops and meetings. By their second year, they are expected to work full-time or part-time in a non-profit organization, while also attending graduate school. Schwab admits that leaving a steady, good-paying city job may not seem like the most sensible move, but he was ready to move on to something else. "As I got older, I came to see that I wanted to do something helpful. I wanted to work with people rather than machinery," he explained. Last year, he volunteered at a hospice and found that working with people in the last stages of life was "gentle and rewarding." This year, he's completing an internship at Riverdale Senior Services, where he helps conduct a bereavement class. "Robert is an extremely articulate and intelligent person who doesn't accept anything at face value," says Prof. Carl Mazza of Lehman's social work faculty. "He has a warm sense of humor, which comes in handy in class when we're discussing emotional, heavy stuff." Prof. Mazza also describes Schwab as self-confident and independent - traits that will serve him well in the fellowship program, where many recipients are quite a bit younger. "I may have more life experience," says Schwab, " but that doesn't mean I can't learn from my fellow students, many of whom have more practical experience in the field." Schwab will earn his bachelor's degree from Lehman in June 2003 and continue on to graduate school for his master's.
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former New York
City transit worker is heading down a different track - helping to repair
people instead of equipment - thanks to a prestigious $30,000 fellowship
for graduate school.