Our Stories

 “Throughout my time at NExT, I was able to progress and gain valuable skills that I will carry with me for my remaining time at NExT as well as my time at law school. [...] I am a strong advocate for experiential learning as I do not think these skills would have been taught in the traditional classroom. This was through the progression of NExT, which has you start off on a team, create your own project and lead your own team. Through peer mentoring, I was able to learn how to lead a consulting team as well as connect with people from different backgrounds.” - Ethan Hull NExT Fellow ‘23

“In NExT, I worked with a nonprofit that serves individuals and families affected by developmental disabilities. I sought out NExT initially to “bring my psychology minor to life” while working my way toward PA school as a biology major. Throughout my year and a half working on this project, I built my confidence as a leader, developed time management skills and my professional capabilities. In a moment of reflection, I realized my biology major, psychology minor, community development certificate, and desire to aid in achieving health equity for marginalized populations, that Public Health was my passion. I am now enrolled in the Masters of Public Health program at SUNY Albany with a concentration in Social, Behavioral, and Community health. I'm not sure exactly what job title this will lead me to, but the NExT experience showed me that this is the field where I belong.” - Danielle Pellino NExT Fellow ‘22

“One of the most valuable facets of my experience as a NExT Fellow was that I consistently felt I was able to contribute, that I was having a positive impact in the lives of others by accomplishing collaborative team objectives. My experience in a program assessment project of habilitation for individuals who are working to learn life skills through Wildwood Programs allowed me to develop a stronger and more holistic understanding of how to support people with developmental disabilities and their families more effectively.” - Irelan Fricke, NExT Fellow ‘22

"As a biology major, I joined NExT to diversify myself as a medical school applicant and gain the skills and social literacy that would turn me into a better physician one day. Working on a NExT project to consult a local food bank and non-profit clinic for underserved populations taught me a valuable lesson, as I worked to analyze data that would help both organizations quantify their impact in the Capital Region. I learned that when you're working in healthcare, you're often dealing with quantitative data from your patients- but you can't provide high-quality patient care if that's all you see. Behind each dataset is a living, breathing human being who needs to be treated with empathy and respect. With a diverse set of projects to choose from, I think anyone at Siena can benefit from the experiences that NExT provides.” - Paul Barnas, NExT Fellow ‘23 

"NExT provides you with a lot of skills and really allows you to better understand how to both delegate work as well as how to manage what you already have. It helps you build communication skills with professors, community partners, and public speaking during presentations. Additionally, NExT helps you develop project skills such as working with others, organization, time management, and delegation. You also gain research skills and can learn how to use Tableau and SPSS to do analysis to understand how to match the research to the work you are doing, to better understand what you need to address, and how the research can explain the issue you are working on." Aleksandra "Lesia" Wojtowycz '25

"The NExT Fellowship was one of the most meaningful parts of my professional growth at Siena. When I first joined the program, I was part of a small two-person team, and as our group expanded, I stepped into a co-leadership role before leading teams myself. Working in this environment taught me that leadership is not about assuming what people need, but about creating space for their voices. I learned to pause, reflect what I was hearing, and ask questions such as, 'Is this what you are saying?' or 'Is this what you are asking for?' This approach strengthened my communication skills and helped me build a leadership style grounded in collaboration, clarity, and respect. NExT gave me the opportunity to guide projects, support peers, and practice thoughtful facilitation, all of which have prepared me for the professional roles I hope to take on after graduation." Talia Narzymski '26

"Working with NExT has helped me grow professionally and personally, even though the work is very different from my Math and Computer Science majors. Through my current project with Bring on the Spectrum, where I meet with local organizations and gather information about job training and transition programs for neurodivergent individuals, I have learned how to communicate clearly, lead conversations, and move through professional settings with confidence. Stepping into a field outside my major has helped me discover a new area I am genuinely interested in and want to keep exploring. The skills I am building in organization, communication, adaptability, and leadership are preparing me with tools I can take with me when I graduate." - Rebecah Leonard '26

"Throughout NExT, I have grown in my ability to effectively communicate, lead, and serve creatively. Our community consistently builds confidence, and I have felt that firsthand. I was pushed to lead team meetings, partner meetings, and now I feel confident enough to lead workshops no matter the audience. NExT also builds skills such as data collection and analysis while keeping your passions in focus. I had the opportunity to complete an IRB-approved study for Whitney Young Health Center, where my team and I examined data for 1,000 patients to identify the needs that could be met by pro bono legal resources and complex care initiatives. Even in my creative projects, such as painting a mural at a local nonprofit, I met with the community and collected their feedback to incorporate into my design. Without NExT, I wouldn’t have been able to serve my community in ways that help me pair my personal and academic passions with service!" - Drishti Matta '26

"The NExT Fellowship played a major role in my growth as a student at Siena. Working directly with nonprofit partners, leading a team, and collaborating with students from different academic backgrounds helped me build real-world skills and confidence. The program created space for feedback, reflection, and growth, teaching me how to navigate challenges and communicate professionally. Seeing the program continue to evolve based on student input shows its strong commitment to learning and meaningful student experiences. While I learned many team building skills, I found that this program has ways to incorporate itself into the field that I want to go into in medicine. I learned through my experience in my NExT project that it’s very important to listen and learn who your patients are because social determinants of health impact their wellbeing. Additionally, the experiences I had with my diverse team members gave me insights on how to incorporate non-medical backgrounds into a case and come up with a solution." Aaminah Afzal '25