Testimonials

 “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