ER
Erika Riley
  • Creative Writing
  • Class of 2019
  • Stony Brook, NY

Erika Riley Is Among 2017 Mellon Scholars Pursuing Internships and Research

2018 Feb 8

More than 30 Knox College students, including Erika Riley, undertook internships, community service, or other research and creative work with the help of Mellon Experiential Learning Fellowships.

The Fellowship is designed to provide first-generation and income-eligible students with financial assistance in order to gain valuable experience in a high-impact experiential practice. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the award provides up to $3,000 to defray costs for students, providing them with the opportunity to participate in such transformational learning experiences.

Sara Kitsch, director of the Gerald and Carol Vovis Center for Research and Advanced Study, highlighted how the grant provides more than just academic engagement. "This type of opportunity allows students to grow not only as students, but as individuals, as the process encourages the kind of preparation, engagement, and reflexive thinking that is essential to being successful throughout life."

For many students, the fellowship allowed them to explore a longtime interest in greater depth. Salvador Solis '18 is one such student. He spent winter term developing software, but his research began well before his Mellon grant. For years, Salvador has been fascinated with modifications (mods) for the video game Minecraft, which allow a user to create customized objects and experiences within a game. Salvador studied software and mod design over the course of an independent study to prepare for his Mellon research. With the help of experts in the gaming industry and access to professional tools, Salvador was able to code his own Minecraft mod.

Another benefit of the Mellon experience is the specificity that it can lend to otherwise broad disciplines and career paths. Jasmine Artis '19 used her Mellon funding to complete an internship at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital. Her experience varied between meetings, reconciliations, financial reports, and other accounting and finance-related tasks. As a student of economics, Jasmine felt that "there are so many paths" available, but she wasn't sure which one was right for her. "This internship definitely helped me narrow down my options and redefined my focus."

On campus, Yuuki Wittmer '18 conducted an independent study analyzing the liquid crystalline properties of copper. At the heart of this research was experimentation and innovation: several times, a reaction wouldn't go as planned, forcing Yuuki to draw from past experiences and the knowledge she acquired in other chemistry courses. "This research has strengthened my problem-solving abilities, as well as the importance of working as a team, and learning from other researchers."

Luba Liubvina '20 is grateful for the doors that were opened by the fellowship. She conducted an intensive study at the Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG), and spent eight hours a day working with famous glass artists like Suellen Fowler and Hugh Salkind. In her free time, she explored the library collections and attended glassblowing demonstrations. "My ultimate goal as an artist is learning and mastering more materials. CMOG for sure is the best place to learn about glass, and Knox enabled me to go there."

Here are Knox's Mellon Scholars for summer 2017:

  • Karen Armendariz '18, research, public transportation and the Latinx community, Chicago, Illinois
  • Jasmine Artis '19, internship, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin
  • Ananda Badili '19, research, various dance studios, Chicago, Illinois
  • Rashika Bahl '17, internship, Simon & Schuster, New York, New York
  • Alexis Bell '18, research, Knox College Department of International Studies, Galesburg, Illinois
  • Nadine Burroughs '18, service project, Houston Food Bank, Houston, Texas
  • Jaime Contreras '18, internship, NRG Global Inc., Oak Park, Illinois
  • Jonathan Damota '19, Intensive Experiential Learning Program, Summer Health Professions Education Program, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Danielle Ellis II '19, internship, California Harmony Project, Los Angeles, California
  • Jackson Faulkner '18, internship, Merrill Lynch, Peoria, Illinois
  • Karina Garcia '18, service project, The Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois
  • Jaki Herrmann '19, internship, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, Illinois
  • Eli Hicks '20, internship. Hegeler Carus Foundation, LaSalle, Illinois
  • Myesha Jackson '18, internship, Rowe Clark MSA, Chicago, Illinois
  • Deja Jenkins '19, internship, NAEIR, Galesburg, Illinois
  • Ashley Kerley '20, service project, Safe Harbor Family Crisis Center/The Purple Hanger, Galesburg, Illinois
  • Raegina Likewise '18, internship, West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, West Des Moines, Iowa
  • Maureen Lincke '18, internship, 5th Judicial District Court Colorado, Breckenridge, Colorado
  • Jasmine Littrice '18, internship, Monument of Faith Church, Chicago, Illinois
  • Luba Liubvina '20, internship, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York
  • Trezher-Njoh Malafa '19, internship, Mel Foster Real Estate, Galesburg, Illinois; Health Equity Research summer scholar, Michigan State University, Flint, Michigan
  • Karla Medina '18, internship, Illinois United Way of Lake County, Gurnee, Illinois
  • Carly Miller '18, research, Knox College Department of English, Galesburg, Illinois
  • Erika Riley '19, internship, Davler Media, New York, New York
  • Hannah Robinson '18, internship, Egyptian Health Department, Eldorado, Illinois
  • America Salgado Hernandez '18, internship, Heartland Alliance, Chicago, Illinois
  • Lindsay Smith '18, internship, The St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Salvador Solis '18, research, Knox College Department of Computer Science, Galesburg, Illinois
  • Adrian J. Sotelo '19, internship, Breakthrough Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • Martin Soto '19, internship, Kohls Diamond Gallery, Galesburg, Illinois
  • Janie Sutherd '19, internship, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, Illinois
  • Eduardo Wence '19, Internship, Justicecorps, Galesburg, Illinois
  • Brian White '18, internship, Knox College TRIO Achievement Program, Galesburg, Illinois
  • Yuuki Wittmer '18, research, Knox College Department of Chemistry, Galesburg, Illinois
  • Naja Woods '18, research, Knox College Department of Journalism, Galesburg, Illinois
  • Judith Espinoza '20, research, Knox College Department of Journalism, New York, New York