Sarah Lawrence Students Turn Learning Into Local Impact at CLIP Celebration

Sarah Lawrence’s Community Summer Celebration, held Thursday, August 6, exemplified the College’s deeply rooted commitment to experiential learning, community engagement, and social responsibility. The annual gathering highlighted the transformative experiences of students participating in the Community Leadership Intern Program (CLIP), demonstrating how academic rigor can translate into direct, local impact.

The celebration began with a poster presentation showcasing CLIP students’ diverse summer contributions across Yonkers and Greater Westchester County. From documenting local history at the Yonkers Public Library to advancing environmental literacy at Groundwork Hudson Valley and Sarah Lawrence’s Center for the Urban River at Beczak, their work spanned crucial intersections of civic life.

In other internships, students provided care and artistic engagement to aging populations at Wartburg Adult Care, facilitated community education and workshops at the Hudson River Museum, and created space for self-expression among incarcerated individuals through SLC’s long-standing Right-to-Write program at the Westchester County Department of Correction (WCDOC). At the core of each project was a shared goal: making community members feel seen, heard and valued.

For CLIP intern Olivia Elnawsany ’27, who worked with Wartburg Adult Care, the experience underscored the importance of forming relationships through attentive, responsive care. “At the heart of providing care is human connection and being patient with one another,” she said. “I spent a lot of my time finding ways to accommodate people with different needs, and at the heart of that was listening.”

Following the presentations, New York State Senator Shelley Mayer introduced Yonkers-based artist Patricia Santos — founder and CEO of the summer internship site We Art One Artist Collective — and presented a proclamation in her honor. A rising leader recognized by the Westchester Multicultural and Yonkers chambers of commerce, Santos embodies the same ethos of mentorship and advocacy that Sarah Lawrence cultivates.

Santos reflected on the role of creative expression in community revitalization. “Impact does not start just with you; impact starts with those around you,” she advised attendees. “And when you start something that you want to do and it’s not there, then create it.”

The event culminated in an awards presentation honoring local partners who help make these internships possible. Among the honorees was WCDOC’s Sgt. Marie Reyes, who received the Community Connection Award for her work with Right-to-Write. Reyes described how the program gives incarcerated participants “a voice” and an opportunity to write about their experiences.

“The interns come in and they remind our young men and women that, yes, you can do something right,” Reyes said. “You’re a human being, and this is not the end of your story. This is just the beginning, and you still have your future to write what you need to write.”

Nelson Rodriguez, Sarah Lawrence’s director of Community Partnerships and Engagement, credited the enthusiasm of students and partner organizations with sustaining CLIP for more than 15 years.

“It truly is a transformative experience for all involved,” Rodriguez said, “and we are grateful to be able to coordinate and plan this program every summer with our friends in the community.”

Benjamin Zender, a Sarah Lawrence public humanities fellow and LGBT studies faculty member who was also honored at the event for his advocacy, reflected on the choice and commitment required to create meaningful change. “Everything wants us to go to bed and let things happen to us,” Zender said, “but we are the people who know what it means to wake up and make a different choice.”

His words captured the spirit of the celebration and the purpose of CLIP: Students step beyond the traditional classroom, build relationships across communities, and choose to apply their education to the public good.