The O'Hanian-Szostak Fellowship for Civic Leadership

The O’Hanian-Szostak Fellows for Civic Leadership are awarded to highly motivated students dedicated to public service and contributing to civic life in Maine communities. Fellows develop community-based projects, independent studies, or internships that align with the student’s academic interests, focus on meeting community needs, and build meaningful relationships with local stakeholders and community members in Waterville and across Maine.

The O’Hanian-Szostak Fellowship will be open to applicants during each of four funding cycles throughout the year (fall, Jan Plan, spring, summer). Students submitting applications for year-long community-based projects will need to apply during the fall semester cycle, which opens in August.

Recipients of the O’Hanian-Szostak Fellowship will receive a grant for living and travel expenses and are eligible for lost wages (up to $500 for Jan Plan and $2,000 for semester or summer experiences) if participating in internships or civic engagement projects. For those conducting independent studies, lost wages may only be awarded in summer or Jan Plan if the candidate is abroad or otherwise prevented from securing employment.

Upon successful completion of their community-based project, independent study, or internship experience, O’Hanian-Szostak Fellows will receive an additional $2,000 prize for outstanding community service in Maine.

Any grant and prize is considered taxable income as determined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It may or may not be taxable, depending on your personal financial situation, and therefore may or may not need to be reported on your federal tax return. We advise that you consult the IRS or a tax professional for more information. Colby will report to the IRS on all payments made in accordance with IRS regulations.

Award
Up to $7,000 grant plus $2,000 prize
Deadline
03/23/2025
Supplemental Questions
  1. How has service and civic engagement informed your Colby experience and personal development? What specific experiences have you had and how have these experiences impacted you?
  2. If this experience is a civic engagement project or independent study, please specify any concrete outcomes, deliverables, and timeline and how these will contribute to your identified community need. You may skip this question if this experience is a civic engagement internship.

  3. Please acknowledge that all recipients of the O’Hanian-Szostak Fellowship are required to secure the guidance of a faculty member before funds are released:

    • For those participating in internships, you will be required to find a faculty sponsor and register for transcript notation or notation plus one academic internship credit.

    • For those conducting independent study projects, you will be required to find a faculty supervisor and register for one to four credits, depending on the level of rigor and the academic term in which the project takes place. 

    • For those developing civic engagement projects, you will not be required or able to register this experience but you will be required to find a faculty advisor who can provide guidance and content knowledge for the project. For example, if you were developing a coding curriculum for middle school students, you would want to have a computer science faculty member as a project advisor.