OEEP Stories

Richard “Dick” Fincher ’73, who has been instrumental in creating and teaching the Vietnam Engaged Learning Program and the Hopi & Navajo Engaged Learning Program, has announced his intention to slow down and gradually retire from teaching, but the legacy he has created will continue.

On August 1, the High Road New York City fellowship drew to a close. 25 Cornell ILR undergraduates gathered at ILR’s New York City office, joined by the sponsors, mentors and organizers who helped mark a third successful iteration of the program.

McKenna “MJ” Raade ’25 "wanted to sample everything" before settling on a career path. She had that opportunity at the ILR School before entering the UCLA School of Law this fall.

The ILR School provides numerous opportunities for students to learn from alumni through guest panels and mentorships and gain valuable work experience through fellowships and internships.

In June, 23 students set off on Cornell ILR’s longstanding High Road Buffalo program, a two-month journey through Buffalo, NY’s neighborhoods, public spaces, politics, culture, economy and community.

Cornell ILR’s High Road New York City program began its third year at the start of June. 24 ILR undergraduates will spend eight weeks working across 17 partner organizations around the city for a summer full of engaged learning.

Edwin “Ed” Baum ’81 and his wife, Holly Wallace, are supporting the New York City High Road initiative by funding stipends, subsidizing housing and providing robust program support.

The second year of High Road NYC ended in late July. Final presentations from 24 fellows brought together their mentors, colleagues, community members, and just about anyone who had made it yet another fruitful summer for the ILR students.

The New York City High Road Fellows are lucky. People show up for them in every direction–a testament to the ILR community, the organizations they’re working with, and, it seems, humankind in general.