December 11, 2018

SVSU students gain valuable corporate experience through Botz Liberal Arts Fellowship

Four Saginaw Valley State University students have been selected for a fellowship that will provide them with opportunities to apply their liberal arts education in a business setting.

SVSU annually selects several students in the College of Arts & Behavioral Sciences for the Botz Liberal Arts Fellowship, which provides support for the participants to gain a challenging internship in a business setting. The program connects regional employers with selected junior and senior liberal arts students for a semester-long, fellowship-funded internship. Through events, workshops and scholarship support, the initiative introduces liberal arts students to opportunities in business.

This year's class was selected due to their academic success, along with their current interest and potential for success and leadership in a business environment. The students will interview with employers during the 2019 winter semester to find an appropriate internship experience.

The students selected as Botz Fellows for the 2018-19 academic year are:

•                     Vincent Frank, a music major from Greenville

•                     Melanie Frasca, a theatre and English double major from Waterford

•                     Shelby Hagle, a psychology major from Port Austin

•                     Shelby Townsend, a graphic design major from Davison

To qualify, students must have completed at least 45 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and pass a rigorous selection process. The students are mentored by Joni Boye-Beaman, professor of sociology; Ranjana Dutta, professor of psychology; and Bill Stec, interim director of Career Services.

The fellowship was established in 2013 by SVSU alumna Janet Botz. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in both sociology and English in 1974. While a student at SVSU, she was a reporter and later editor of The Valley Vanguard, the university's student-run newspaper. Botz enjoyed a 30-year career with the Dow Corning Corporation, retiring as  chief communications officer. She then served as vice president of Public Affairs and Communications at the University of Notre Dame.

Currently, Botz serves on the university's Foundation Board of Directors and is a past member of the Alumni Board and the Board of Fellows. For her accomplishments, she received the university's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998.