CCRC Welcomes Three Interns for Summer 2021

Three undergraduate interns have joined CCRC virtually this summer to support research teams studying guided pathways and developmental placement and to work with the center’s communications team.

CCRC Director Thomas Brock said the interns—Laila Dola and Farzana Matin from Hunter College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY), and Annie Zavitz from Barnard College—will gain a broader understanding of the role that research plays in strengthening higher education. The Hunter internships are supported by the CUNY Recovery Corps program, which places CUNY students in various fields to help revitalize New York.

“They will support our research and communications at a time when there is increased national attention on community colleges and the critical role they play in providing access to higher education,” Brock said. “As current undergraduates, they will also deepen our understanding of and sensitivity to the challenges and opportunities young adults are experiencing today.”

You can learn more about the three interns below. We are delighted to welcome them to CCRC!

Laila Dola is a rising sophomore at Hunter College. She is majoring in media studies with a concentration in emerging media. Dola hopes to specialize in interactive media production, while also advancing her skills in web production. This summer, she is working as a communications intern at CCRC, where she is assisting the communications team with her skills in writing, design, and technology.

Farzana Matin graduated with honors from Hunter College with degrees in clinical psychology and sociology and a minor in human rights. She recently completed an internship as a helpline specialist at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), where she provided resources and information on community services to individuals with mental health conditions and their families. She was also a grant administrative intern at the non-profit Prospect Hill Foundation while completing her BA. In addition to working at CCRC this summer, Matin is volunteering at Crisis Text Line. At CCRC, she is working with the team examining guided self placement in community colleges for the CCRC-led Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness.

Annie Zavitz is a rising senior at Barnard College, where she majors in English and minors in education studies. She has worked as an editor for Meliora, Barnard’s journal for English theses; as a college advisor for Matriculate, which connects high-achieving low-income students with a near-peer college mentor; and as a tutor for Thinking Caps Group, a tutoring and academic coaching company. At CCRC, Zavitz is interning with the guided pathways team and helping to craft a research agenda about rural community colleges.