ASPA’s 2012 Founders’ Forum Fellowship Program Needs Your Help

Jose Luis Irizarry

As ASPA’s Student Representative I have worked very hard with ASPA’s Staff, National Council, Sections, SIGS and members to help facilitate student (and new professional) programming for our ASPA members. The goal has been to create opportunities for more student involvement and to help ASPA better meet the needs of their student members.

One of the programs that we have been working to further are the Founders Forum Fellowship (FFF) Program. One of the key benefits of the FFF program is that it provides students with an opportunity to participate in our conference and engage our members. In this economy where support to attend such conferences is dwindling, the FFF Program can be as a shining light of honor and assistance. Participating in professional conferences provides a number of great experiences, helps students expand their knowledge of the field, and among other things, opens the doors for future opportunities. Some students, like myself, may not be able to financially afford such opportunities and programs such as the Founders Forum Fellows make it possible. Your support of these programs is essential for its development and future existence. Last year, your support sponsored 15 Fellows which allowed the students to attend the conference and all ticketed conference events and participate in the launch of our mentoring program.

Since 2011 the ASPA Mentoring Program has run as a pilot program linked with the FFF Program. All selected fellows were also selected as mentees for that particular mentoring cycle. The second mentoring program cycle will begin at the 2012 annual conference. This program provides the fellows with a direct link to an experienced ASPA member and leader in the field (in an area of interest to the mentee). This benefit is in addition to the benefits of being selected for the FFF program. The second mentoring program cycle will begin at the 2012 annual conference. This program provides the fellows with a direct link to an experienced ASPA member and leader in the field (in an area of interest to the mentee). This benefit is in addition to the benefits of being selected for the FFF program.

This year I reach out to you to ask you to show your support for the 2012 Founders Forum Fellowship Program so that we can do the same thing this year. Once again, your support keeps this program alive and strong and this program has been stronger than ever (so let’s keep this momentum). To help ASPA raise the necessary resources to ensure the survival of this program sponsorship is still needed. For more information about Founders’ Forum Sponsorship Opportunities click here (Please make the here word a link to the attached PDF document).

Your support is greatly appreciated by ASPA but most importantly by our students, who benefit from this experience. Our students are the most important feature in ASPA since they are the ones who will lead us into the future and ASPA has dedicated itself to investing more in this future. It’s my hope that you will join us in this endeavor.

For more information about sponsoring our Founders Forum Fellows, the Student and New Professional Reception, or the Annual Conference in general, please visit our website.

Once again thank you so much for your support.

ASPA member Jose Luis Irizarry is ASPA’s Student Representative to the National Council, 2010-2012. Email: [email protected]

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