Colin Powell School’s Public Service Career Hub Wins National Award

The Public Service Career Hub at The City College of New York’s Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership has earned the American Association of University Administrators’ Exemplary Model Award for 2023.

The Hub, housed within the Colin Powell School’s Office of Student Success, was recognized for its efforts “to make educational opportunities available to groups of students who may not originally have the assets, the contacts, and the preparation to experience the value of internships, fellowships, and fieldwork that can be the signature activity of their academic careers,” said AAUA Awards Vice President Jerry Neuner. He cited as particularly commendable the “extensive analysis of the structural and personal challenges that are faced by many students of color, immigrant status, first generation status, and low incomes,” as well as “quantitative evidence of success, primarily headcounts of those who have been served.” 

These awards are chosen from among nominations made by faculty, staff, and administrators from colleges and universities from across the country. They are made for initiatives that reflect creative solutions to common problems that may have been posed by accrediting bodies, legislation, governance, or the institutions own internal strategic objectives.

Created in September 2021 with the support of a generous grant from The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, the Career Hub helps students prepare for public service careers by providing them with assistance in obtaining internships and jobs.

“The model for the Hub differs from other centralized career services that rely primarily on private sector recruiters,” said Maya Guiterrez, its founding director. “It represents an opportunity to develop public service-oriented career services that provide a road map to internships and careers in social justice organizations and across government and public service.”

“We are delighted to support the Social Justice and Public Service Career Hub at The City College of New York’s Colin Powell School, and we congratulate them on their outstanding accomplishment in helping more City College students realize their long-term career goals,” said  Cass Conrad, executive director of the Petrie Foundation. “Too often, students, especially first-generation students, don’t know where to look or even how to think about careers in public service. The new Career Hub provides a roadmap and the support needed to pursue careers in social justice organizations and across government and public service.”

“Preparing students for careers in public service is one of the primary goals of the Colin Powell School,” said Andrew Rich, the Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis Dean of the Powell School. “This award is a testament to the Career Hub’s innovative model and early success. I am grateful to the Petrie Foundation for its partnership and to Maya Gutierrez for her leadership in developing a model that is readying our students for enriching careers in public service.”

About the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership
Established in April 2013, the Colin Powell School is home to the social science departments at CCNY as well as the core leadership development and public service programs of the College. With almost 4,000 students, and graduating the most CCNY students annually, the Colin Powell School mission is to transform the nation’s most diverse student body into tomorrow’s global leaders. Half of our students are immigrants; most come from lower income backgrounds. More than seventy percent are first-generation college students, and eighty percent are people of color. The Colin Powell School and City College remain among the most effective engines of economic and social mobility in the United States. The School is led by a faculty dedicated to the highest standards of research and to the university’s democratic and public obligations. Read more about the Colin Powell School.

About the City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. This year, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.