Two seniors at Carlisle School were recently accepted into the Fellowship program at Roanoke College. Olivia Aaron of Martinsville was accepted into the Sustainability Fellowship. Andrew Chitwood of Collinsville was accepted into the Service Leadership Fellowship.
Roanoke College’s Fellowship program provides participants with a practical perspective that will guide them down their career path. Through the program, both Aaron and Chitwood will have the opportunity to work with a community of faculty and staff mentors and other highly motivated students to develop their skills and gain invaluable experience.
Earning a place in this program is very competitive. Each year hundreds of students apply for a Roanoke College Fellowship. Still, only 375-400 finalists are invited to participate in on-campus interviews with faculty and staff in the program’s area of focus. Ultimately only 2-3% of applicants are selected, depending on how many seniors graduate from each of the 13 fellowships. Students who participate in the interview are awarded a $1,000 per year scholarship, and students selected for the Fellows Program will participate in work in their chosen program field, earning either an hourly wage for their work on campus or other benefits.
Aaron has been heavily involved with sustainability projects at Carlisle School and spearheaded an effort to reduce the use of Styrofoam plates in the Carlisle Dining Hall. She also traveled to China during her first semester to speak on Climate Change at an international forum. As a Sustainability Fellow, Aaron will work closely with a team of dedicated, likeminded people from the RC Energy Conservation Program, RC Sustain, and the Environmental Studies Department on projects. According to Aaron, “Being a member of the Roanoke College Sustainability Fellows will give me valuable experience with sustainability and conservation issues as well and the opportunity to promote this area of interest on the Roanoke College campus. I look forward to continuing my work while enhancing my knowledge base for my future career in Environmental Science.”
Chitwood has served on the Harvest Youth Board for two years, and on the Communities Helping Improve Local Lives (CHILL) Board for one year. He is also active in service at Hill Memorial Church. As a Service Leadership Fellow, Chitwood will engage with the college and local communities through volunteerism and partnership. He will participate in paid on-campus work in the field of service leadership. Chitwood said, “The Roanoke College Service Fellows experience will allow me to continue my work with non-profit organizations that seek to improve and help the community around me. It will also provide the opportunity to enrich my skill set and sense of responsibility as an actual paid employee.”
Carlisle School offers a robust multi-year College Counseling Program that helps students to identify the right college for them, navigate the college application process, and apply for scholarships, fellowships, and other opportunities. To date, Carlisle’s 28 seniors have collectively earned more than $2.6 million in merit-based scholarships to attend four-year colleges and universities. Upper School Director Lindsay Favero said, “I am proud of the accomplishments of Olivia and Andrew. They are both wonderful choices for such fellowships, and I know they will be successful at Roanoke College and beyond. A Carlisle education is second to none. It is not only the academic excellence, but also the extracurriculars, the specialized programming, the focus on educating and nurturing the whole person that affords all of our students the opportunities to lead, excel, and succeed.”
Carlisle is currently accepting enrollment applications for the 2020-2021 school year, and new families can learn more about joining the Carlisle Family at CarlisleSchool.org/OpenHouse.
