SPARK GRANT ANNUAL REPORT
2022–2023 Academic Year
SPARK GRANT
When students participate in programs that carry our focus of early experiential learning, they are more likely to have a higher GPA, graduate on time, and open doors to experiences that build on the determination they develop here.
STUDENTS PURSUING ACADEMIC + REAL-WORLD KNOWLEDGE (SPARK)
A door-opening grant providing $1,500 for every qualified student to pursue research, internships, and study abroad experiences.
What is SPARK?
Nazareth offers $1,500 SPARK grants to help cover undergraduate student costs for:
• an unpaid or underpaid summer internship
• an unpaid or underpaid summer research
• an international experience (eligible study abroad or service trip abroad anytime of year)
Who is eligible?
Since its inception, 1,116 students (through Summer B 2023) from all majors and programs have completed SPARK grant-funded experiences.
• First-time undergraduate freshman students within 24 months of their start date at Nazareth.
• First-time undergraduate transfer students within 12 months of their start date at Nazareth.
• Students with an overall GPA of 2.5 or greater.
• Students who have an active planning process established with their career coach.
• Students registered at Nazareth for the semester following the SPARK experience.
Other benefits to the SPARK Grant
• Housing: For students who don’t live locally but who have a summer internship or summer research role in Rochester, a limited number of on-campus rooms are available for a nominal fee.
• Credits: Students can receive a SPARK scholarship for up to 3 credit(s) for a summer internship, research, or study abroad experience (within the eligibility time frame).
Retention
Students who have participated in SPARK currently have a 99.0% retention rate at Nazareth
FAST FACTS
Thanks in large part to SPARK, the number of summer internships and short-term study abroad experiences has effectively doubled.
By the Numbers (2022–23)
• 122 international experiences
• 3 research experiences
• 92 internships
• 4 students lived on campus at a reduced rate during summer 2023
• In total, 217 students completed SPARK experiences in the 2022-23 academic year
Credit-Bearing Experiences
• 59.4% earned academic credit; or more than half of students who completed SPARK kept on track for graduation.
Around the World
• SPARK students traveled to 16 different countries through 22 different programs.
• Students interned and conducted research at 100 different organizations in 10 states.
Employers’ Response
• 97% of supervisors who responded indicated they would hire the SPARK intern if they were in a hiring position and an appropriate position was available.
• 100% of SPARK interns met their supervisor’s expectations.
• 91% of SPARK interns exceeded expectations (intern received a performance rating of “exceeded expectations” or “outstanding”).
EXPLORE OUR WORLD: A RETURN TO STUDY ABROAD
The Center for International Education (CIE) marked a full return to studying abroad during the 2022-2023 academic year, offering 26 semester abroad opportunities and 20 short-term programs. Thirtynine students engaged in semester-long studies, and 189 participated in short-term programming. During the 22-23 academic year, Nazareth more than doubled the number of short-term options offered to students in the previous year, including new programs to Cambodia, Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, and South Africa & Eswatiti. This past year’s highly anticipated return to international programming has left our students yearning for more opportunities to become global citizens this coming year. The CIE is elated to share that new programs are in development for the 2023-2024 academic year, including a new semester opportunity in Austria, as well as new short-term programming in Cuba, India, Japan, and Spain.
Maria Rollinson ‘24 (used SPARK as a transfer student): “This program reaffirmed that I want to make a bigger impact on the world, to do something that will actually help people. Everywhere we went and every organization we interacted with had such a strong sense of community, and it was clear how people were working together to improve life.”
Ariana Montalvo ‘24: “This program has taught me how to step outside of my comfort zone. Going on this trip forced me to become comfortable with being uncomfortable at times, and has shown me the benefits of doing so. This trip gave me the opportunity to step back and think about what really matters to me in my life and what I want to do with my life. I learned more about my passions of community development/ involvement, sustainability, and promoting a peaceful environment.”
INTERNSHIP SITES
Selection of Summer 2023 internships and performing arts intensives:
Bach to Rock
Big Flats Youth Services
Bowers & Company CPAs
Broadalbin Perth Central School District
Brookdale Senior Living
Broome DDSOO High Risk Birth Clinic (HRBC)
Canandaigua City School District
Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps (CAVAC)
Central Square
School District
Centre de Répit Théo Vallières
Child and Family Services
Choral ChameleonThe Institute
Christian School of Performing Arts (CSPA)
City of Cortland Police Department
Club Pilates Teacher Training Program
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Cornerstone Family Healthcare
Drivn
Duke University
Earthly Possessions Boutique
East Harlem Tutorial Program
East House
EFPR Group
FeedMore WNY
Florida Studio Theatre
Foodlink
Fulton Community Basketball
General Dynamic Infomation Technology
Geva Theatre
Gouverneur Hospital
Graph-Tex, Inc.
Happiness House
Heritage Christian Services
Hickok Center for Brain Injury
Highland Hospital
Impact Sports Performance
JCC Rochester CenterStage
Johnson City Middle School
KeyBank
Lightbridge Academy
Linking Hands for Learning
Livingston County Office for the Aging: Avon Senior Nutrition Center
Madison County
Children’s Camp Metamorphosis Counseling and Wellness Services
Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES
Monroe County Office of the Public Defender
Moyal Enterprises
Mt Hope Family Center
Nativity Preparatory Academy
Nazareth Univeristy, Alternative Breaks Program
Nazareth University, Military/ Veteran Services
Park Terrace at Radisson Paychex
Pleasant Valley Productions
Port Warwick Dental Arts
Rochester Central Library
Roswell Park Cancer Research
Safe at Home
Physical Therapy
Salamanca Youth Bureau
Scottland YMCA
Seven Valleys New Tech Academy
St. Joseph’s Health
Star Performance Dance Centre
Susan B. Anthony Museum and House
Syracuse Development Academy
Taylor the Builders
TekniPlex
The Dance Experience
The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier
Tifft Nature Preserve
Total Sports Experience
Troy Youth Assistance
Trumansburg Elementary School
Tully Central Schools
URMC Pediatric
Behavioral Health & Wellness
Vera House
Victor Vet Care
Voorheesville Public Library
Webster HOPE Wegmans
White Lake Music & Post
WNY Urology Associates
YMCA of Greater Rochester
Zea Proukou PLLC
Making a difference in family court
Tavione Griffin ‘24
Major: Legal studies
Minor: Business leadership
Internship: Family court bureau of the Monroe County public defender’s office in Rochester, New York
“I would love to know that I made a difference”
A changemaker at work
What she does: “This internship has been amazing! I work with the attorneys on their cases, and I also work with the caseworkers, shadowing them throughout their day and with the paralegal drafting any motions or settlements.”
Career goal: “to be an attorney, possibly an attorney for the child, providing legal services for kids who are within the legal system for family court matters or other situations. I would love to just know that I made a difference in someone’s life — and help them come out of a terrible or difficult situation.”
Why Naz: Tavi transferred to Naz because she wanted a degree in legal studies, not criminal justice, which is unique in the area. “I really wanted to go into law school feeling as prepared as I could,” she says.
SPARK support: A Nazareth SPARK Grant, which provides $1,500, helped make it possible for her to do the unpaid summer internship and still pay her bills.