Conversations about the future at Carleton often carry urgency, which is often inspired by questions of students’ post-graduation career.
The Weitz Fellowship positions itself directly as a response to that uncertainty. Designed as a one-year post-graduate program, it provides one-year, full-time jobs for nine Carleton graduates at nine nonprofit organizations in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. The program is open to any Carleton seniors who are interested in starting a career in “advocacy & education, arts & film, law & policy, or nonprofit management,” according to the Carleton Career Center. . For students, the Weitz Fellowship serves as a stepping stone into professional careers.
“It’s a one-year fellowship opportunity… to place new Carleton graduates in nonprofit organizations,” said Associate Director of the Career Center and coordinator of the Weitz Fellowship at Carleton Chad Ellsworth.
According to Ellsworth, Weitz Fellows are not confined to a single role, but instead move across departments at nonprofits. “It’s meant to be like a rotational program…they’ll get experience in different areas before maybe specializing. They’ll spend time in finance, marketing, outreach…and then have the opportunity to build their own project,” said Ellsworth. The fellowship is not only about job placement, but also enables students to find their place in the job market.
This matters especially for Carleton students, because many do not graduate with fixed career trajectories due to the liberal arts model that does not emphasize preprofessional training. In fact, the Weitz Fellowship is not designed to immediately place students on rigid career paths. “Organizations don’t expect Carls to come in with a deep knowledge… they want somebody that’s passionate and interested, ” said Ellsworth.
For some Weitz Fellows, this openness is what truly appeals to them. Clarissa Guzman
’22, who majored in Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN) with a minor in Educational Studies, entered the fellowship with only a general interest in nonprofit work rather than a fixed career plan. Through the fellowship, she is currently a career development program coordinator at Wallin Education Partners.
“I had heard about the Weitz Fellowship [when] I was a junior in college. I was then really motivated to apply after doing a summer internship with Growing Up Healthy in Northfield. I knew that I really enjoyed community organizing and wanted to continue exploring that career path. I liked how the fellowship provided the opportunity to explore different aspects of a nonprofit and live in a different state,” said Guzman. She described the experience as exceeding her expectations because it allowed “career exploration and also [for me to] create community.”
The fellowship also intentionally places cohorts of Carleton graduates in the same cities, which according to Ellsworth, is a “nice little concentration of Carleton grads.” This program design allows alumni to develop a close career network with their former college classmates.
Joy Onyeanu ’21, who majored in psychology and now runs her own events planning company called Adorned Weddings & Events, said that this network of fellow alumni was critical for her fellowship experience. At Carleton, Onyeanu was part of the Posse Scholars program, a program that incorporates a mentoring structure that pairs small cohorts of students with a faculty mentor for their first two years of college.
“I also really enjoyed the built-in cohort aspect of the fellowship, especially knowing I’d be in a new city right after college. Having been a Posse Scholar during my time at Carleton, I knew the impact having a cohort can have on a new uncomfortable environment, so knowing I’d once again have a built-in cohort during my time as a fellow was game changing,” said Onyeanu. For her, the fellowship was about developing a support system similar to what she had at Carleton, making her transition to the workplace feel less jarring.
However, some participants described their transition into professional life as unexpected.
Amber Lozoya ’23, who majored in SOAN and is now a community organizer at Nebraska Appleseed, recalled entering the program with hesitation. “I actually did not want to apply to the Weitz Fellowship when I found out it was in Nebraska. Like come on? Who thinks about moving to Nebraska… definitely not this Houstonian. However, I kept being encouraged by professors who believed in me a little more than I did… Thankfully, I did get chosen and was very grateful for the opportunity of landing at such an amazing organization with some of the coolest people ever. I did not really have any expectations, so my experience was very meaningful, as I was allowed to mold my fellowship to the experience that I wanted,” Lozoya said.
Still, Lozoya recalled challenges in adjusting to her fellowship position. “The only area I felt underprepared in was navigating a nonprofit workplace, not only as a person of color, but as a person with lived experience. I didn’t realize how triggered I would get working in this field. Especially feeling hopeless and useless when you truly can’t help someone…There were many moments that I did feel like I was on the wrong side of the table or in the wrong room,” she said.
For many Weitz Fellows, the fellowship leaves a long-lasting impact that significantly informs their career trajectories.
For Guzman, the skills she developed as a Weitz Fellow have shaped her long-term career path. “I didn’t realize at the time, but my experience doing volunteer coordination opened up career opportunities for me. I never particularly saw myself doing volunteer engagement as part of my career, but being able to organize volunteer appreciation events, tracking data, using my interpersonal skills, and learning onboarding processes, made me a strong applicant for the positions I applied to post Weitz Fellowship,” said Guzman.
Onyeanu described a similar experience. Watching a gala come together at Opera Omaha, she was struck by what she described “such a small but mighty team.”
“Seeing the community of Omaha come out to support and celebrate this event because of the impact and influence the organization holds in the communities reinforced even more in me that I wanted to go into event planning, through whatever field I would be going into next to continue creating a similar impact through bringing people together, whether for a wedding, a corporate event or anything in between,” said Onyeanu.
The Weitz Fellowship has helped many students overcome the anxiety of their post-graduation life and career. The fellowship enables participants to gain a deeper understanding of their post-Carleton vision, and shows how they can shape their paths as new members of the workplace.
“This program impacted my career choices by reinforcing what my passions are, but also
showing me what I don’t want to do in my future or the type of workplace I want to [have]. Being in a great environment shows you what’s possible in the workplace,” said Lozoya.