Student Information

Interested in serving as a Hess Fellow? The program matches community-orientated students with advocates who are at the forefront of campaigns for systematic change. Fellows gain practical experience and concrete insight into advocacy as they tackle such projects as researching the effects of public policies, coordinating national lobby days on Capitol Hill, fostering grassroots activism, completing grant requests, developing new initiatives, and enhancing existing programs. Each fellowship is tailored to fit the needs and interests of each student, and the program is open to students of all academic interests, career aspirations, and political affiliations.

Fellows receive a $3,000 stipend to help cover living expenses during the summer. Fellows participate in the pre-internship seminar, work for forty hours a week for at least eight weeks during the summer, and actively engage themselves in the campus advocacy project during the following academic year.

The Application Process

The student application is available here.
Email the application and your resume to hessfellows@bsc.edu by Monday, February 20, 2012.
Applicants must be rising juniors or seniors.
All students are welcome to apply for a Hess Fellowship. Students pursuing a Distinction in Leadership Studies are especially encouraged to apply.
BSC staff members, former Fellows, and community leaders interview student applicants in mid-February.
Selected students will be recommended for a placement based on their interests and their compatibility with the hosting organization. Agency supervisors may choose to conduct a phone interview in late February with the student recommended to serve with them.

Overview of Program

Spring Overview

Fellows contact agency supervisors.
In consultation with their agency supervisors, Fellows determine the start and end dates of their internships.
Fellows arrange housing during their internships.
Fellows attend a luncheon with program supporters.
Fellows participate in a pre-internship seminar that prepares them for the summer advocacy internship. The seminar considers a variety of topics, including the meaning of "advocacy," the challenges of the public policy process, and the multiple ways to measure success of advocacy endeavors. Seminar participants also gain practice in analyzing a policy brief and discuss the advocacy sector with state advocacy leaders in Montgomery.

Summer Overview

Fellows work a minimum of forty hours per week for eight weeks at their hosting agency.
Fellows submit four, biweekly reflections about their experiences and a final write-up in response to reflection prompts.
Fellows participate in at least one group conference call.
Funds permitting, program administrators conduct site visits to agencies hosting a Hess Fellow and engage the Fellow and the agency supervisor in a dialogue about the internship experience.

Overview of Following Academic Year

Fellows attend a post-internship retreat in the fall to reflect on their experiences.
Fellows coordinate a campus-wide advocacy project with the central goal of translating their summer experiences into action for the campus community.
Fellows highlight their experiences in a fall reflections event with the BSC administration and program supporters.
Fellows help select the next class of Hess Fellows.

Key Links

Application – Take the first step in serving as a Hess Fellow.

Hess Fellows Agencies – Learn more about the agencies that have applied to host a 2012 Hess Fellow.

Hess Fellows Program Timeline – Review the program schedule.

Hess Fellow Reflections – Read what Fellows have said about their experiences.

Student-Initiated Hess Fellowships – Review the criteria and requirements for arranging a Hess Fellowship with an agency that has not yet partnered with the program.

Hess Fellow Annual Reports – See what previous classes of Hess Fellows have accomplished.