Cabrini University’s Next Steps program allows students who have completed 300 hours of community service to receive a monetary stipend that can be used towards college-related expenses. Next Steps is a college program affiliated with the federal service organization Americorps.
In order to complete the requirements, students volunteer eight-to-10 hours-a-week of direct service at a nonprofit of their choice, which can range from an after-school program to volunteering at a thrift store to supporting domestic violence victims. They have a full year, August- to-August, to complete the 300 hours. Typically the student’s placements at an organization are held for the duration of the entire academic year.
Although students can choose to volunteer at a non-profit of their choice, The Wolfington Center offers a shuttle to several Norristown non-profits including CHOC (Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center) and to Catholic Social Services.
Kailey Curacao, sophomore English and secondary education major, volunteers at St. Augustine Academy, an after-school program in Norristown. She prepares and teaches dance classes for girls in 2nd to 4th grade twice a week on Tuesday and Thursdays. After the dance class ends, she helps them with any homework that they may have.
Curacao loves her volunteer placement and is pleased to know that she has a positive effect on the girls.
Kiesha Bright, a current criminology graduate student, was actively involved in Next Steps during her undergraduate years. She volunteered at CHOC and organized a hygiene drive on campus to provide people experiencing homelessness with the necessary personal items like toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.
A portion of the required hours is set aside for professional development meetings (i.e financial aid planning) and mentor meetings.
Next Steps participants are asked to serve as a mentor to incoming freshman students to guide them throughout the academic year and help them adjust to college. Many have found the mentor program to be an incredible opportunity to build strong relationships with students.
Curacao has built strong bonds with the girls and hopes that the relationships between her and her two mentees are not transient.
“Both of them are the sweetest girls I have met and I am so grateful to have them in my life,” Curacao said. “I hope I stay in contact with them after we are no longer officially mentor and mentee.”
Bright looks fondly upon the relationships she built with others at a mentor. She was glad that she could provide encouragement to her mentees, something that she wished she had during her freshman year of college.
“I like that you meet a lot of different people from different places,” Bright said. “As both of my mentees were from New York… we all got along really well we had a lot in common.”
The program was piloted about three years ago with Cabrini University, Kutztown University and Temple University. They are looking to expand and have recently added Millersville University as part of the program.
Currently, there are 12 students and 15 mentees in Cabrini’s program. However, the program is growing in popularity. It is open to all students, preferably those with work-study.
Mia Scocozzo, 2016 graduate of Cabrini University, serves as Cabrini’s Team Director for Next Steps. In this brand new position, she is responsible for making sure that relationships are established between the placements and the students.
She noted that one of the beauties of the Next Steps program is that it allows students to focus in on whatever avenue they want to pursue.
“Each student has their own journey and story with what they are doing. Some really, really focus on their mentoring relationships and some have more than one mentee,” Scocozzo said. “Others are really focused on their service.”
For students who are interested in joining Next Steps, more information can be found by contacting Mia Scocozzo (mms399@cabrini.edu) or by stopping into the Wolfington Center, located on the 3rd floor of Founders.
