Community Impact Fellows Support Public Service in the Bay Area
The Community Impact Fellows program, administered by the Haas Center for Public Service, has been supporting Stanford students and community organizations since 2003. It is is one of a number of Cardinal Careers fellowships where staff at the Haas Center help new graduates secure their first job in service with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, or companies that serve the public interest.
Open to graduating seniors or coterm students with a deep commitment to public service, Community Impact Fellowships offer a year-long, full-time, mentored experience in an organization dedicated to the public good. These fellowships provide Stanford-exclusive opportunities in fields such as information technology, public policy, education, philanthropy, and medicine.
Fellows apply to work with participating public interest organizations, which are located in the San Francisco Bay Area; Washington, D.C.; or other locations across the United States. As part of a professional development cohort, fellows receive support and coaching from their organization mentors and the Cardinal Careers team at the Haas Center.
"The Community Impact Fellows program embodies Stanford's goal of promoting the public good," said Yi-Ching Ong, executive director of the Haas Center for Public Service. "Our fellows are not only gaining invaluable perspectives and professional experience, but also making meaningful contributions to communities in need, especially in the Bay Area. We are very grateful to our partner organizations for nurturing our fellows and inspiring them to continue integrating public service in their paths beyond Stanford."
This past year, 16 Community Impact Fellows have been making a difference. Three-quarters of them have been working with partner organizations in the Bay Area, including the City of San José, Redwood City Together, and Foundation for a College Education in East Palo Alto. Starting this summer, 18 new fellows will take up their year-long placements. To these young people, the Community Impact Fellows program is not just a job—it's a commitment to addressing some of their adopted community’s biggest challenges.
Caroline Clement: Bridging Gaps in Healthcare
Caroline Clement is a senior studying biology and will start her year as a Community Impact Fellow when she graduates this spring. Caroline is originally from San Diego and will be working for SIRUM, a nonprofit that redistributes unused medications to people in need.
“I wanted to start my career with a foundation and background in local service and commitment,” said Caroline. “The Community Impact Fellowship is the perfect base on which to build upon a lifelong undertaking in service work—you learn so much about the needs of the community and gain tools about how best to address those needs.”
Carly Smith: Continuing Commitment Post-Graduation
Carly Smith, who graduated in 2023, is originally from Rocky Mount, VA. This past year, Carly has been working with Ravenswood Family Health Network, a network of healthcare clinics in the mid-Peninsula area that provide care to people in the community regardless of their ability to pay or their immigration status. After her fellowship concludes, she will start a new role at Stanford Cardiovascular Institute.
On her decision to stay in the Bay Area after graduation, Carly said, “After living in the Bay Area for four years, and especially living here solo during COVID, it felt like home. I wanted to give myself more time to explore the surrounding area and immerse myself in the community as an individual, rather than as a Stanford student.”
Scarleth Contreras: Exploring Community Issues
Scarleth Contreras, also a 2023 graduate, has been working with El Concilio of San Mateo County, a nonprofit dedicated to providing employment and education services to underserved communities. Originally from the Los Angeles area, she noticed the resemblance of the people she was serving to her home community in southern California.
“I could have gotten a similar job down there, but I wanted to continue exploring the issues that I had been learning about here,” she said. “I am inspired by my coworkers, who have been at El Concilio for 30-plus years and have such a rapport with the community members they see all the time.”
