During the Fall 2025 semester, the Office of Student Success at the Colin Powell School launched the Freshman Forward program, an initiative aimed at equipping first-year students with the essential professional skills that complement academic training — laying the foundation for success in careers, internships, and fellowships early on during their college journey.
The program encompasses a flexible, part-time schedule that unfolds across the first year and kick starts with professional development workshops during the students’ first semester, followed by a volunteer experience in an on-campus office or approved site, allowing them to gain valuable hands-on workplace experience and learn professional etiquette.
The first cohort of Freshmen Forward secured placements in the Architecture Library at the Spitzer School at CCNY, the CCNY LGBTQ+ Student Center, the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, the CCNY Division of Enrollment Management, the Immigrant Student Center for Resources and Research, the New York Public Interest Research Group, and the One-Stop Student Services Center.
Maya Gutierrez, Director of the Public Service Career Hub at the Office of Student Success and the force behind the Freshmen Forward Program, shares “we are very grateful to our site partners for raising their hands to provide an important professional development opportunity at a key time in a college student’s life: boosting confidence just as they are starting out. With the pilot program in full swing, staff are learning what attracts students to the program, what keeps them motivated, and the how to design the curricula to provide them with what they need at the right moment. “
Students are expected to complete 30-50 hours of volunteer work at the participating sites throughout the Spring ‘26 semester, after which they will join a graduation ceremony, earn a professional development certificate, and receive priority consideration for internal internships and fellowship programs in the Fall semester. As a demonstration of effective early intervention, Maya has also shared that several students are actively applying to summer internships and fellowships.
The program has also allowed students to build community amongst other like-minded folks, and provided an introduction to “networking” skills. The need for spaces that foster connection and collaboration is latent for students, as Maya shares “students manifested the need for unstructured time during the training for them to get to know one another. They didn’t want to just complete the Career Wins on their own; they wanted to meet other students interested in getting an early start on their professional development and develop a loose cohort. Thus, we started the monthly check-ins (with pizza, of course!), and it’s been a hit!”
About the Office of Student Success and Public Service Career Hub
The mission of the Office of Student Success is to support students beyond the classroom in their professional and personal development. OSS enriches students’ college experience by connecting students with peer and alumni mentors who can help navigate the road ahead; paid internships that provide work experience; and fellowships that enable students to tackle critical issues.
Created in September 2021 with the support of a generous grant from The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, the Career Hub helps students prepare for public service careers by providing them with assistance in obtaining internships and jobs.
