The Cornell Tradition Fellowship

Volunteer at Family Weekend!
Looking for volunteer hours? Help out at Family Weekend! Shifts are available from Thursday, September 24 through Sunday, September 27. Volunteers will assist with packing bags, checking in attendees, supporting our Family Celebration Lunch, and welcoming families at events. More information on available positions and sign-up is here:

2026 Family Weekend Staffing Sign up | Notion Sign up to Volunteer!

Fellows Making an Impact

Boston meteorologist Kevin Lemanowicz recently stepped down after 30 years as Chief Meteorologist at Boston 25 News. As he reflected on that milestone, he also took a moment to recognize the role The Cornell Tradition played in helping him get there.

As a Cornell Tradition Fellow, Kevin balanced his coursework while working as the student manager at Entrepôt on North Campus.

"The assistance given to me by The Tradition was the difference maker in my financial survival at Cornell. Without it, my career path may have looked very different.”

It's always rewarding to hear from alumni who take the time to share how the Cornell Tradition shaped their Cornell experience, and, in many cases, the opportunities that followed.

Thank you, Kevin, for sharing your story!

Summer research is about more than making discoveries, it's about developing the confidence to ask questions, think independently, and explore new possibilities.

"I'm doing research developing organic solar cells, and I've really enjoyed having the freedom to conduct independent experiments and map out my own research. I've also enjoyed spending time with my friends and family!" ~Vanshikha Sabbi

Opportunities like these allow Cornell Tradition Fellows to apply their knowledge in meaningful ways while growing as researchers and future leaders.

Are you using your support account funding for your summer experience? We'd love to hear what you're working on! Send us a photo and a brief update, and you could be featured in an upcoming student spotlight.

Volunteers are needed to help check-in new students:
• Monday, August 17
• Tuesday, August 18
• Friday, August 21
• Saturday, August 22
If you would like to volunteer, Register here and choose your preferred location and role: https://events.ces.scl.cornell.edu/event/MIAO2026/summary

From groundbreaking research to hands-on clinical experiences, Cornell Tradition Fellow Ruby Lin is spending her summer exploring a career that has the potential to change lives.

"This summer I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a research fellowship at Weill Cornell Medicine. I am studying the effects of UBR5 expression on breast cancer and whether breast cancer organoids serve as a better model for in vivo cancer growth. (Mostly I spend my days taking care of cell lines and hoping they behave.) We hope this research will help develop new therapies with fewer side effects for patients with triple-negative breast cancer. Along with research, I've also had the opportunity to shadow a trauma surgeon and spend time in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. I've met so many passionate physicians during my time here, and it has truly been such a fruitful experience. I'm so sad it'll be ending soon."

Experiences like these allow Cornell Tradition Fellows to apply what they're learning in the classroom, explore meaningful career paths, and contribute to research that has the potential to make a lasting impact.

Are you using your support account funding for your summer experience? We'd love to hear what you're working on! Send us a photo and a brief update, and you could be featured in an upcoming student spotlight.

Cornell Tradition Summer Support Account funding is helping our Fellows explore careers in exciting and unexpected ways.

This summer, Ianna Banfield is splitting her time between two unique internships. As a Summer Marketing Coordinator for The Statler Hotel, she’s managing social media, contributing to brand development, and helping launch marketing campaigns. Ianna is also working in BuzzFeed's AI Incubator Lab, conducting user research, contributing to product design, and helping improve the user experience across the company's apps.

"It has been so much fun to learn the diverse ways that I can apply my skills and my Communication degree, as well as explore other career paths that exist."

We're excited to see how experiences like these help our Fellows discover new opportunities and prepare for careers after Cornell.

Are you using your Support Account to fund a summer experience? We'd love to hear what you're working on! Send us a photo and a brief update and you could be featured in an upcoming student spotlight.

Cornell Tradition Summer Support Account funding is helping Joel Aidoo gain hands-on experience in Accra, Ghana, through an architectural internship with Adjaye Associates.

"So far, it has been a great experience learning about architecture being designed on the African continent by African architects and designers. It is quite rewarding to see the great work being done on the continent as we embrace new methods of construction specifically for this area. I love working with my project team here in Accra!"

Experiential learning takes our Fellows around the world, providing opportunities to learn from new perspectives, cultures, and communities.

Are you using your Support Account to fund a summer experience? We'd love to hear what you're working on! Send us a photo and a brief update and you could be featured in an upcoming student spotlight.

From Cornell to underwater ecosystems! Tradition Fellows are making waves this summer through incredible funded experiences.

"This summer, I am an REU intern at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Center for Limnology, where I am conducting research on algal colonization in newly flooded littoral habitats. The water level of the lake I am studying has risen by over 5 meters in the past 9 years, which has caused houses and roads to now be underwater. It has been an amazing experience, and I have been loving every minute of exploring the microscopic world of diatoms, green algae, and cyanobacteria." ~Emma Acri

Are you using your support account funding for a summer experience? We'd love to hear from you! Send us a photo and a short update and you might be featured in an upcoming spotlight.

Call for Applicants: Big Red Table | Peer Facilitator
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
"Big Red Table" is a special dinner series designed to promote connection and belonging among incoming students during New Student Orientation. Facilitated conversations over dinner will allow small groups of students to gather around a table, get to know one another, sharing what brought them to Cornell, and beginning to establish the connections needed to feel at home in their community. Dinners will host up to 100 students, seated in tables of 8-10, across two evenings (August 20 & 22).

FACILITATOR ROLE
Trained peers will be placed at tables to energize discussion, ensure every student feels included, and keep conversation flowing throughout the evening. This is a high-impact, people-centered role with opportunity for significant impact. Peer Facilitators will create the conditions necessary for genuine connection.

RESPONSIBILITIES & TIME COMMITMENT
• Attend 2 hours of required virtual training in August. (Dates TBD)
• Contribute 4 hours of facilitation time by participating in at least two of the four Big Red Table dinners offered on August 20 & 22. (Each dinner is a 90-minute commitment.)
• Facilitate table conversation to spark and sustain conversation using provided prompts.
• Ensure students at your table feel welcomed and included.
• Support a warm, low-pressure atmosphere where students can be themselves.
• Check in with program staff as needed throughout the evening.
• Total Commitment: approximately 6 hours.

QUALIFICATIONS
• Current Cornell undergraduate students (any class year, any program; must be on campus) OR current graduate and professional students who attended Cornell as an undergraduate student.
• Experience and/or genuine interest in fostering belonging and connection for incoming first year or transfer students.
• Comfortable initiating and sustaining conversation in a group setting.
• Ability to "read a room" and adapt strategy, knowing when to step in and when to step back.
• Experience with facilitation, peer mentorship, or community-building is a plus, but not required.

BENEFITS
• You'll play a direct role in shaping how hundreds of new Cornellians experience their very first days on campus.
• Structured training in group facilitation, active listening, and inclusive conversation design.
• Network with peers from across Cornell's colleges and programs.
• Deepen your own sense of belonging
• A low time commitment, high return on investment (~6 hours total).
• Dinner included on each evening you facilitate.
* This is a volunteer position

TO APPLY
Interested students should complete an application (https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cGS3tM0XeY1B8xw), and include a resume and brief statement of interest (of up to 500 words) by Noon on June 17, 2026 (EST).
Contact Taylor Bouraad ([email protected]) with questions.