Five recent bachelor’s degree recipients from Manhattan College’s class of 2014 — Anthony DiCesare, Tegan Nelson, Carlos Orbe, Ivy Seraphin and Kathleen White — have been accepted to volunteer with a variety of organizations. The graduates will spend the next year serving the following organizations: Lasallian Volunteers (LVs), Rostro de Cristo, Jesuit Volunteers Corps (JVC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Corps.
All four organizations have a similar purpose to help and aid people in the U.S. and abroad. LVs work to help educate some of the poorest neighborhoods in the U.S. for one to three years, while Rostro de Cristo provides an immersion experience in Durán and Guayaquil, Ecuador, and JVC places volunteers in schools, nonprofits and other sites around the world. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security’s FEMA and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) have partnered to establish a FEMA-devoted unit of 1,600 service corps members within AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), solely devoted to disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
“We’re proud of all our Manhattan graduates every year, and we have a special spot in our hearts for our students who pursue full-time volunteer programs here or abroad,” said Lois Harr, director of Campus Ministry and Social Action. “The world needs them to share their unique gifts and talents, and they have incorporated ‘faith, service and community’ into their lives in a very deep and meaningful way.”
The five graduates’ majors, college activities and positions include:
- Anthony DiCesare, a resident of West Long Branch, N.J., graduated with a B.S. in psychology, and was a research assistant for Maria Maust-Mohl, assistant professor of psychology, at the Bronx Zoo. As a research assistant, he observed and collected data on the communication and social behavior of captive giraffes. DiCesare will leave for Mississippi in July for 10 months to work with the natural disaster unit of the AmeriCorp NCCC-FEMA program.
- Tegan Nelson, a resident of Middletown, R.I., graduated with a B.A. in international studies with a Spanish minor, and was involved with the College’s Campus Ministry and Social Action department during her time at Manhattan. She also was a board member of the Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience (L.O.V.E.), a Catholic Relief Services Campus Ambassador, and a representative of the Model United Nations Club. Nelson will spend the next year working with Rostro de Cristo.
- Carlos Orbe, a resident of Beallsville, Md., graduated with a B.A. in communication and a minor in public relations. He was involved with Lasallian Collegians, the student chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, debate team, and Entrepreneurship, Advertising and Green clubs during his time at Manhattan. He also was a member of the Thomas More Law Society and played Division I Soccer. Orbe will be joining LVs in Tulsa, Okla., this summer to help with public relations work, teach all junior high grades, assist high school students in applying to college, and coach soccer.
- Ivy Seraphin, a resident of Towson, Md., graduated with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in women and gender studies. During her time at Manhattan College, she worked for the Business office, participated in the College’s Singers, served as secretary of the Players’ executive board and director of the Players’ Cabarets, and was a research assistant to two professors. Seraphin will work with the LVs in Racine, Wis., for the next year or two.
- Kathleen White, a resident of Keansburg, N.J., graduated with a B.A. in peace studies and history. She was active in the student organization JustPeace while at Manhattan, was a recipient of the Jasper Summer Research Scholars program last summer, and worked with the College’s Campus Ministry and Social Action department, the Center for Academic Success, and the Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center. White will work with the JVC as an outreach coordinator at the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth in Washington, D.C.