Meet the 2025 Dwight Hall Summer Fellows!

“The opportunities from my Summer Fellowship experience shaped my career and intellectual passions in ways no classroom experience alone could have.” – 2022 Summer Fellow

Twenty-one Yale undergraduates and recent graduates are advancing public service and social justice this summer with funding from the Dwight Hall Summer Fellowship. Celebrating its 58th year, the Fellowship continues to support students as they form lasting relationships with communities in New Haven, in their hometowns, and across the United States. With the involvement and mentorship of community partners, students dive into projects, research, and internships focused on social change. This summer, Fellows are addressing issues ranging from housing insecurity to healthcare access to global development. 

Fellowship Funding Options

In 2024, Dwight Hall launched a dual funding structure for the Fellowship.

Full Funding: A fully-funded budget for a full-time, 8- to 12-week opportunity, with preference for placements in New Haven or Fellows’ hometowns.

Supplemental Funding: An alternate funding source to increase accessibility in the social sector for students who are underfunded for their summer experience or working part-time on projects.

After a successful pilot year with overwhelming student interest, Dwight Hall is continuing the dual structure and has raised the Supplemental Funding cap from $1,500 to $2,000 to better meet student need.

In 2025, nine students have been awarded full funding to advance social impact work, while 12 students receive supplemental funding. Eighty-six percent of all Summer Fellows receive Yale financial aid. Fellows were selected based on the strength of their projects, their relationship with their community organization, and their dedication to public service and social justice. Dwight Hall received a high volume of applications – 125 total – underscoring the high demand for social sector opportunities.

“I’m thrilled to welcome these students to the Dwight Hall Summer Fellowship,” says Mark Fopeano, Director of Programming and Evaluation for Dwight Hall at Yale. “This is a unique environment for students looking for summer experiences. On one hand, many community organizations at all levels are managing an uncertain and shifting climate, and on the other Dwight Hall has seen some remarkable opportunities for students to have meaningful summers. I am always inspired to read Summer Fellows’ applications. This group of students has brought genuine relationships into their projects, which honors the historic and current intent of the program.“

What are they doing? Where are they going?

Six Fellows will be in New Haven this summer with projects centered around community wellbeing, urban planning, community arts, and the carceral system. Han Pimentel-Hayes ’27 and Jamie Nicolas ’25 are two of these students who will continue building relationships established over the past academic year as Dwight Hall Urban Fellows.

This summer, Jamie will bolster essential financial literacy skills among formerly incarcerated people by becoming a Certified Financial Education Instructor. Kevin Paulin, Winning Ways Executive Director & Co-Founder, is excited to have her back. “Jamie’s dedication and passion for expanding access to financial education for marginalized populations have made her an invaluable member of our team,” he says. “I am confident that her contributions this summer will have a lasting impact on our organization.”

Beyond New Haven, Fellows have found ways to meaningfully contribute to their home communities, especially related to housing insecurity. Sidney Arthur ’27 is helping elders and families secure critical home repairs and livable housing within the Navajo Nation in Tempe, Arizona. On the East Coast, Devorah Feder ’26 is combining direct service as a Live-In Resident of the Haley House soup kitchen with research about Massachusetts supportive housing organizations.

This year, applications reflected a prevailing interest among students in legal support, research, and government service. These causes make up nearly half of the selected Fellows’ positions. Melangelo Pride ’26 and Yakeleen Almazan ’25 are returning to their home states for legal projects. Melangelo is collaborating with caseworkers at the Tennessee Justice Center, increasing access and awareness to healthcare and nutrition among underserved Tennesseans, while Yakeleen is continuing an ongoing relationship with the Arizona Courts Project before returning to Yale in the fall as a law school student.

Riley Elliott ’26 and Caroline Pecore ’27 are working for different organizations which provide free legal support for immigrant and refugee children. A humanities major, Caroline reflects: “I ultimately hope to gain experience in the field of immigration law, further my understanding of the critical role legal aid plays in protecting vulnerable populations, and contribute to an organization that is doing essential work during such a difficult moment.”

In government service, Max Fisher ’26 and Samantha Warfel ’27 are in Washington, D.C., working as House and Senate interns, respectively. Emily Hettinger ’26 returns for a second year as a Summer Fellow, this time to her hometown where she is serving in the felonies department of the Orange County Public Defender. Emily describes working for a public defender as a “years-old dream,” and is “excited to contribute to the arduous yet deeply important work of moving sand.”

Why? How?

Founded in 1968 by Dr. David L. Warren ’70 M.Div, ’70 M.U.S., the original mission of the Summer Fellowship was to establish an environment for students to create social change through full-time, paid engagement in coordination with New Haven community partners and organizations. While the Fellowship has expanded outside of New Haven, its core goal remains the same today.

“The Summer Fellowship is a marquee initiative for the Hall,” says Mark Fopeano. “Dwight Hall academic year fellowships offer meaningful experiences, and Summer Fellowships allow students to be fully immersed with their chosen cause. It is in these 8-12 weeks that students really get a feel for their professional pathways and where they can really increase organizational capacity for community partners. The best part of my role is saying yes to motivated Yale students, and this summer should be exceptional.”

The Dwight Hall Summer Fellowship is notably hands-on. Fellows engage with a weekly reflection process, receive guidance and support from program staff over the summer, and are invited to a virtual workshop series on social sector careers. A Summer Fellow from 2022 shared, “The opportunities from my Summer Fellowship experience shaped my career and intellectual passions in ways no classroom experience alone could have.”

Summer fellowship offerings are made possible through the generous support of Dwight Hall’s funding partners, including the Yale Club of New Haven, which has supported the program for decades; Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance, which since 2017 has supported YANA-Dwight Hall Summer Fellows working domestically who are eligible for financial aid but no longer eligible for Yale’s Summer Experience Award; and the Dr. Peter R. Muehrer ’82 Fund, which since 2018 has funded students working within the field of community mental health. Additional funding is provided by generous alumni and by the Dwight Hall Summer Fellows Fund.

Dwight Hall Summer Fellows – Full Funding

Dwight Hall Summer Fellows – Supplemental Funding