MMC Student Earns 2010 Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship

Erica Jackson '13

“Erica’s selection for the 2010 Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship marks a good beginning to the second decade of MMC’s affiliation with the Thomas J. Watson Foundation,” said Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Marguerita J. Grecco, Ph.D. “Erica was a very strong candidate and I am grateful the Fellowship’s panelists agreed with our committee’s assessment of her application.” 

Jackson, a member of the Black and Latino Student Association at MMC, was named to the Fall 2009 Dean’s List. She presented “Frida Kahlo: Beyond Surrealism” at MMC’s Honors Day 2010 and won the Writing II Award for Excellence. Jackson is considering careers as a museum curator, a journalist or a writer. 

“My advisor, Assistant Professor of Art History Adrienne Bell, Ph.D., told me about the Watson fellowship, and I thought it was a great opportunity,” said Jackson, an art history major pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree with an English minor. “Through the fellowship, I will gain ample on-site work experience in the nonprofit sector.” 

Established by the Thomas J. Watson Foundation in 1999, the Fellowship operates on the principle that “talent is broadly distributed but only selectively developed.” Watson fellows choose from coveted jobs (“work they can learn from”) over three consecutive summers in nonprofit agencies, business organizations and government service that give them a chance to grow and develop interpersonal skills and gain self-confidence in a variety of professional settings. In the third summer, Watson Fellows may apply for an international assignment through partnerships with the Institute for International Education, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Save the Children, and many other organizations.

A summer series of weekly seminars further enhances the learning experience by encouraging debate and interaction and by providing an opportunity for Watson Fellows to share knowledge from their work experiences. Visits to cultural institutions such as Shakespeare in the Park, The New York Botanical Garden and the American Museum of Natural History enable students to discover New York City’s free summer offerings. Every Watson Fellow receives a generous stipend as compensation and support for summer employment and continuing Fellowship obligations. 

Twelve New York City colleges, including Marymount Manhattan College, compete annually for 15 Jeannette K. Watson Fellowships; eight are divisions of the City University of New York and four are private colleges. In addition to MMC, Long Island University, Pace University and St. John’s University are invited participants. Each college may nominate up to four candidates to the selection panels. Campus representatives and internal college nominating committees inform students about the Fellowship and prepare them to participate in the selection process. Fellowships are available to first and second year undergraduates only. Through the 11 years of MMC’s participation with the Fellowship, the College has been honored with 13 Fellowship awards. 

Previous MMC recipients of the Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship are (2000) Kasia Reterska ’02, (2001) Melissa Rodriguez ’04 and Isabel Sinistore ’04, (2002) Jessica Murray ’05 and Marilyn Ordóñez ’05, (2003) Cornel Bradford ’06, (2004) Christopher Perre ’07, (2006) Jamie-Lynn Argenta ’08, (2008) Jeffrey Lewis ’10 and Olivia Warren ’11, and (2009) Alex Kane ’11 and Julianne Willis ’13. 

Marymount Manhattan College is an urban, independent, liberal arts college. The mission of the College is to educate a socially and economically diverse student body by fostering intellectual achievement and personal growth and by providing opportunities for career development.

Published: April 09, 2010