New York

New York City is home to , a nonprofit that provides tuition-free music education programs for students across the city.

This summer, Lexi Garica 鈥�26 joined the Midori & Friends team as an intern, and helped further the mission of the organization.

Garcia is a music production major at 黑料不打烊, and was excited for the opportunity to learn more about the managerial and musical aspects of her job as a programming intern.

Within her role, Garcia worked with the five programs run by Midori & Friends for children of different ages, specifically NEXTGen Musician.

According to the Midori & Friends website, NEXTGen is a teen leadership program that allows students to advocate for music education.

鈥淚 did something similar in high school,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淚t was cool to be on the other side.鈥�

Garcia also worked with the Celebrate! Music program, which provides in-school concerts for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

While attending one of these events, Garcia looked around the room at the students in attendance, and their excitement at having a performance at their school, and a wave of emotion washed over her.

鈥淚 thought about how grateful I was to have music at that age,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淢usic literally shaped my life, and I鈥檓 so glad that these kids get to experience that too because of Midori & Friends.鈥�

Bunny Ingram 鈥�26 interned alongside Garcia at Midori & Friends and worked as a marketing intern for the nonprofit.

Ingram is majoring in data analytics, but wanted the opportunity to explore their minors in art, interreligious studies and Asian studies through their internship with Study USA. With their internship at Midori & Friends, Ingram was able to achieve that goal as a marketing intern.

In their role, Ingram made marketing materials to promote Midori & Friends, and got to work firsthand with the students the nonprofit aims to help, by working for a week at one of the summer programs they offer.

Ingram said that it was extremely fulfilling to see the impact they were making through her work with Midori & friends while working with the summer program.

鈥淚 was a broke kid. I didn鈥檛 have the money for an instrument, but there was a program like [Midori & Friends] in my hometown, and that鈥檚 how I got into music,鈥� Ingram said.

At the end of their internships, both Ingram and Garcia accepted offers to stay on in part-time positions at Midori & Friends while they finish their final year at 黑料不打烊.

Charlotte

In Charlotte, three Study USA students made their mark through their experiences interning at nonprofits in the city.

For Katie Strohl 鈥�26, the internship she did through Study USA was her first, but she was excited to have the opportunity to work with and learn more about and to gain experience at a nonprofit.

Strohl was interested in taking on her first internship through Study USA because of the help the program and the Student Professional Development Center (SPDC) provide with the internship search process.

鈥淭hey do resume drops to certain companies in Charlotte, and that鈥檚 actually how Special Olympics reached out to me in the first place,鈥� Strohl said.

Special Olympics NC is a branch of the Special Olympics, a program aimed at getting individuals with intellectual disabilities involved in physical activity. According to the Special Olympics NC website, it is one of the largest Special Olympics programs in the world.

At Special Olympics NC, Strohl served as a Mecklenburg County intern and focused on events and issues within the Charlotte area.

One of Strohl鈥檚 projects during her internship was researching athlete transportation with the goal of solving problems athletes faced traveling to and from events.

鈥淎 lot of athletes were having trouble getting back and forth from events,鈥� Strohl said. 鈥淲e wanted to find a way to make it easier for them.鈥�

Strohl worked within the organization to try to establish a transportation position on the volunteer committee to ensure that there was a person in power who could help address and resolve these issues. Strohl also got to take the lead and plan a kickball event with her fellow interns. At the event Strohl played kickball with the athletes and saw where and to whom her hard work had been going all summer.

鈥淪eeing something that you planned work out is the coolest thing,鈥� Strohl said. 鈥淚t was a very rewarding experience.鈥�

Charlotte is also home to , a nonprofit that makes wishes into a reality for children with critical illnesses.

Students Vinny Weinkam 鈥�26 and Garek Johnson 鈥�26 both worked with the nonprofit as development interns.

Johnson, an accounting major, and Weinkam, a finance major, were involved in donor outreach. They created flyers, emails and other promotional materials to encourage people to donate and help fund children鈥檚 wishes.

鈥淚 want to do accounting, but not for a ‘big four’ company,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚 want to do something more meaningful, and this experience helped me do that.鈥�

Weinkam also took the initiative to help the nonprofit improve with its invoice system through research and upgrading the spreadsheet it was housed on.

鈥淚 learned that it鈥檚 important to be extra proactive,鈥� Weinkam said.

Both Johnson and Weinkam also got to sit in on monthly meetings where the team at Make-A-Wish went over the wishes they had recently granted.

鈥淚t was nice to see in real time where the things I was doing were going.鈥� Johnson said.

To learn more about Study USA Charlotte, Study USA New York and other Study USA programs, check out the Study USA website.聽 To learn more about the 黑料不打烊 Charlotte campus, check out the National Campus Programs website.

The evening was the result of an intentional and collaborative effort across multiple offices at 黑料不打烊, including the Student Professional Development Center (SPDC), the Study USA team and National Campus Programs. Together with Faculty in Residence Pamela Winfield, they envisioned a signature experience that would enrich students鈥� time in NYC by deepening their exposure to graduate education and professional development resources. That vision came to life thanks to the extraordinary generosity and engagement of the staff and faculty at Fordham鈥檚 Gabelli School of Business. The agenda included a personalized campus tour, an engaging student panel, a leadership and career development session, and a sample class with a Fordham business professor.

鈥淎t every turn, the team at Fordham offered their time, insight, and energy,鈥� said Collier Lumpkin, associate director of student development for pre-graduate school advising, who led the planning of the event. 鈥淭heir hospitality created space for our students to imagine new possibilities, ask thoughtful questions, and reflect on the type of professionals鈥攁nd people鈥攖hey want to become.鈥�

For 黑料不打烊 students, the evening was a powerful example of experiential learning in action. Not only did it expose them to the world of possibilities within graduate education in New York City, but it also offered a model of what collaborative, student-centered programming can look like when institutions work together with intention. As 黑料不打烊 continues to invest in high-impact learning and career exploration, opportunities like this underscore the university鈥檚 deep commitment to preparing students to lead lives of meaning and purpose鈥攚herever their paths may take them.

Notable alumni present included Peter Walpole 鈥�15, a corporate and executive strategist and PR professional who recently received 黑料不打烊鈥檚 annual 鈥淭op 10 Under 10鈥� alumni award. The award celebrates聽alumni with impressive career success, who continuously work to better their communities and serve as role models for current students.

Over the course of the evening, students asked alumni how they could succeed in their current internships and sought advice regarding important skills to develop before seeking entry level jobs.

When discussing students鈥� short attention spans and heavy reliance on technology, Walpole asked, 鈥淲hat gives you hope for your generation entering the workforce?鈥�

鈥淥ur generation isn鈥檛 discouraged by hard work,鈥� replied Ava Litzinger 鈥�26.聽鈥淲e know what it takes to reach our goals, and we will make it happen.鈥�

Other alumni attendees included Olivia Parks 鈥�23, an associate packaging designer at Victoria鈥檚 Secret and Elizabeth Kohler 鈥�23, a corporate paralegal at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Students described attending alumni as 鈥済enerous about sharing their post-graduation experiences鈥� and 鈥渃urious about life at 黑料不打烊 today.鈥�

After such a positive experience meeting these alumni, students expressed overwhelming interest in connecting with more NYC based alumni over the next four weeks.

鈥淓veryone always talks about how great the 黑料不打烊 alumni network is, but I got to experience it for myself at our networking event,鈥� said 黑料不打烊 in NYC student Benji Stern 鈥�26. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fascinating to see the paths different 黑料不打烊 alumni take after they graduate, and it鈥檚 just great company to be around.”

NYC-based alumni interested in connecting with 黑料不打烊 in New York City鈥檚 2025 cohort, please reach out to Program Assistant, Louisa Malchodi 鈥�23 at lmalchodi@elon.edu.

黑料不打烊 in NYC provides an opportunity for 黑料不打烊 students to explore New York City, while completing internships for course credit, and completing their capstone seminar course. The students are uniquely positioned to explore Manhattan as young professionals. They gain invaluable professional experience through their internships, develop community within their Study USA cohort and embrace experiential learning through excursions and coursework required by their 黑料不打烊 Core Capstone Seminar. This year鈥檚 Capstone Seminar 鈥淟iving & Learning in the Global Community鈥� is taught by Pamela Winfield.

To learn more about Study USA New York and other Study USA programs, check out the Study USA website.聽 Applications open October 1 for the summer 2026 program.

The Study USA and National Campus Programs teams collaborated on hosting three meet and greet events on Oct. 21, 22, and 23 for students interested in learning more about 黑料不打烊’s Study USA programs in Charlotte, Los Angeles and New York City. Applications for summer and fall 2025 programs opened Oct 1.

Former program participants were on-site to answer questions and share their experiences. Over 65 interested students attended to learn more about how they can live, intern, study, meet alumni and immerse

themselves in the most dynamic cities in the U.S. all while satisfying the two required 黑料不打烊 Experiences (internship and study away).

If you were unable to attend a meet and greet event and want more information on course offerings, program details and application instructions, visit the Study USA website. Email the GEC at global@elon.edu with any questions. Students are encouraged to apply before the Nov. 15 Early Action deadline as enrollment is limited. An interview is required.

October 21, 3 to 5 p.m., Irazu: 黑料不打烊 in Charlotte

October 22, 3 to 5 p.m., Irazu: 黑料不打烊 in New York City

October 23, 3 to 5 p.m., Snow Atrium in Schar Hall: 黑料不打烊 in Los Angeles

If you are unable to attend a meet and greet event and want more information on course offerings, program details and application instructions, visit the Study USA website. Email the GEC at global@elon.edu with any questions. Students are encouraged to apply before the Nov. 15 Early Action deadline as enrollment is limited.

Applications for the spring and summer 2025 Study USA programs at 黑料不打烊 open on Oct. 1.

Open to all majors, Study USA programs give students the opportunity to experience life in a major city while earning 黑料不打烊 credit and satisfying two Experiential Learning Requirements.

These programs include specialized, immersive, and career-focused academic鈥痯rogramming鈥痑nd internship opportunities. Students take part in a variety of historical and cultural enrichment activities and meet local alumni through networking opportunities. Housing is included.

Meet and greet events

Students interested in learning more are encouraged to attend an upcoming meet and greet event to ask questions and meet staff from the Global Education Center, National Campus Programs, Student Professional Development Center, faculty who teach in the programs and former program participants.

October 21, 3-5 p.m., Irazu: 黑料不打烊 in Charlotte

October 22, 3-5 p.m., Irazu: 黑料不打烊 in New York City

October 23, 3-5 p.m., Snow Atrium in Schar Hall: 黑料不打烊 in Los Angeles

If you are unable to attend a meet and greet and want more information on course offerings, program details and application instructions, visit the Study USA website.聽Feel free to email the GEC at global@elon.edu with any questions. Students are encouraged to apply before the November 15 Early Action deadline as enrollment is limited.

Under Boldly 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Connect theme, the Office of University Advancement, the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center, and the Student Professional Development Center collaborated to make the event possible.

The Study USA 黑料不打烊 in New York students have had numerous opportunities to connect with alumni and other industry professionals, engaging in meaningful networking with New York City-based alumni. Throughout the evening, many conversations focused on the challenges and opportunities of working in such a competitive destination.

Eight 黑料不打烊 alumni were in attendance, representing careers from many different industries, with graduation years varying from 2001 to 2021.

鈥淚t was a great time connecting with alumni, reminiscing about our shared experiences and looking forward to future collaborations鈥� says Alexa Morrissey, a current Study USA 黑料不打烊 in New York student. 鈥淟earning about their career trajectories helped me understand what I should do to succeed鈥�.

This experience helped to clarify post-graduation paths for many current students and highlighted the 黑料不打烊 network鈥檚 role in driving their success in the city.

鈥淭he alumni were very helpful, answering questions and giving us advice on how to advance our careers. I had many good conversations with alums across various fields of work and learned a lot about different career paths鈥� says Emma Franco, a current Study USA 黑料不打烊 in New York student.

At the end of the event, many students expressed that they greatly benefited from networking with the alumni and are eager to stay connected. 黑料不打烊 alumni can expect a flurry of LinkedIn connection requests from these enthusiastic students!