From the classroom to the office

Often students learn just as much, if not more, from work experience as they do in the classroom, and that approach is what propels Adelphi University’s Community Fellows program.

Sponsored by the Garden City-based school, the program is funded with $180,000 to pay for 60 students to receive a $3,000 salary for summer internships. The selected students are placed with one of their top three choices of nonprofit organizations on Long Island that best matches their skills and educational path.

Adelphi’s program includes a one-credit course on how students can prepare for their internship. It teaches them how to create a resume, what to expect in an office environment and how to conduct themselves.

Adelphi junior Argyro Pagiavlas is interning at the Five Towns Early Childhood Learning Center on Wahl Avenue in Inwood. The center, which was established 72 years ago as the Five Towns Child Care Center, cares for children from 18 months old to kindergarten age. They are open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.,Monday through Friday, in order to accommodate working parents.

Pagiavlas, or as the kids call her, Argie, is a speech pathology major and is using this internship as an opportunity to work “hands-on” with kids. “I’ve only worked with kids once before so it’s giving me a chance to be with young children since I don’t have any younger siblings,” Pagiavlas said. “It’s a great chance for anyone to get to know how to take care of kids.”

Her duties include serving the children breakfast and lunch each day, teaching them to eat family-style and how to not only be independent, but also use manners and behave properly. She also spends time playing games with them and calming them down during rest hour.

Another Adelphi junior, Anustha Shrestha, is an economics major interning at Five Towns Community Chest in Woodmere. She is an international student from Nepal and currently lives in Elmhurst.

Community Chest raises funds and channels them to individuals, different organizations and institutions throughout the Five Towns and the surrounding community such the Center for Adult Life Enrichment in Hewlett, the JCC’s kosher food pantry in Woodmere, the learning center in Inwood and Peninsula Counseling Center in Valley Stream.

Hired as a public relations intern, Shrestha has assisted in organizing Community Chest’s annual 5K run and has contacted organizers of other such races in Lynbrook, Inwood and Malverne. The goal is to have participants in the events register for one and then they would be registered for the other three.

“The best part of interning here is that Bob [Block] involves me in every project he does,” said Schrestha, referring to Community Chest’s executive director. “It allows me to work independently, but I’m also learning how to network, reach out and fundraise.”

Her internship has not only given her the chance to learn about developmental economics, Schrestha said, but she is also receiving an education about American culture in terms of food, etiquette and attire.

“She’s just a pure blessing and we love her,” said office manager Pattye Bohnet. “We don’t think we’re going to let her leave when the summer’s over.”