May 5, 2009

Foundation names five students from Rhode Island as 2009 Metcalf Fellows

Will allow worldwide adventures this summer

Five college students from Rhode Island will forfeit some of the traditional happy, carefree days of summer to travel throughout Europe to visit landmarks of Western historical and political thought, engage in a two-week volunteer excursion in Peru, participate in a medical internship program in Tanzania, and travel to Guatemala to learn about the culture and economic environment.

The five “adventures” were developed by area college students who just received support totaling $21,313 from the Michael P. Metcalf Memorial Fund and the Christine T. Grinavic Adventurer’s Fund at The Rhode Island Foundation. Metcalf was chairman and publisher of the Providence Journal before he died in a 1987 bicycling accident. In helping establish the Metcalf Fund in his memory 20 years ago, Metcalf’s wife Charlotte explained, “I wanted to create an opportunity that was a departure from the usual scholarship. I thought of making ‘wonder’ful experiences – transforming experiences – happen for others.”

Christine T. Grinavic was a true adventurer. Christine, 26, was crewing on the sailing vessel, "Flying Colours," when it went missing off the Carolinas during the first named storm of 2007. She was the only child of Mary and (the late) James Grinavic. Christine was a 2001 recipient of a Metcalf Fellowship. Supplementing the income available through the Michael P. Metcalf Memorial Fund, this fund broadens perspectives and enhances personal growth of students participating in travel and career internship programs abroad.

The experiences – all self-designed adventures for college students outside their college classwork – are intended “to promote personal growth through travel.” More than 60 students have had experiences from Appalachia to Zaire since 1990.

Receiving a combined Metcalf and Grinavic Fellowship is Laura Marrin, a sophomore at Wellesley (MA) College from Bristol. Other 2009 Metcalf Fellowship recipients are Mariana De Coste Calla, a sophomore at Boston University from Riverside; Michael Mangiante, a freshman at Villanova (PA) University from Wakefield, Tianchi Wu, a sophomore at Yale University (New Haven, CT) from South Kingstown, and Seth Steinman, a sophomore at the University of Rhode Island from North Kingstown.

Laura Marrin will use her award toward a two week trip to Lima, Peru, with Cross-Cultural Solutions, an international non-governmental organization that incorporates volunteering and cultural enrichment. Marrin will be volunteering in Villa El Salvador where she plans to learn about economic and community development. Her work will include helping children with their English studies as well as teaching young women computer and handiwork skills to enhance their chances of attaining employment. She explains, “By volunteering in Villa El Salvador in Lima and witnessing poverty firsthand, I hope to learn more about the Peruvian culture, and hopefully become a more educated and engaged global citizen.”

A 2007 graduate of Moses Brown School in Providence, Marrin is an international relations major and women’s studies minor at Wellesley College. She notes, “I believe that I have important skills to share and to develop by volunteering with the people in Villa El Salvador, where I hopefully will gain valuable insight into the world of cross-cultural dialogue, social injustice, and international relations.”

Mariana De Coste Calla received a Metcalf Fellowship to participate in a six-week medical internship program in Tanzania with the Institute of Field Research Expeditions. The program includes one week of language and cultural immersion where she will learn Swahili and about the Tanzanaian culture, followed by five weeks of volunteering at the Baraa Dispensary in the Baraa village.

A 2007 graduate of East Providence High School, she is a biology major and human physiology minor at Boston University. She notes, “I feel that this medical internship will teach me lessons that will last me a lifetime. Lessons such as how to live close to completely on my own in a foreign country and manage my finances, how to interact with people of a completely different culture, and how to work under conditions without all the resources that American health practices have.”

Michael Mangiante will apply his Metcalf Fellowship to a two-week travel excursion to Costa Rica to study a shade-growing method of producing coffee. The study will examine the effects on local forest and animal ecologies of coffee grown under more natural, forest-like conditions rather than plantations. He shares, “Not only will I be an ambassador of cultural exchange, but also I will have an opportunity to conduct fieldwork alongside the coffee growers of a farm cooperative.”

A 2008 graduate of Prout School, he is an environmental science and interdisciplinary global studies major at Villanova University. In his essay, he notes, “I envision my professional role after college as one who helps communities or nations become more sustainable in agriculture…and my [studies] will give me the tools to develop solutions for complex global problems.”

Tianchi Wu will use his Metcalf Fellowship to travel throughout Europe to visit major landmarks of Western historical and political thought, including visits to hometowns and gravesites of several great writers, philosophers, and statesmen. In his application essay, he notes, “I hope to find my own intellectual capital in the ideas developed by authors who have come to establish the modern instruments and institutions of international affairs.”

A 2007 graduate of South Kingstown High School, he is an economics and international studies major at Yale University. Wu plans to work for the United States government as a policy maker in national security or international affairs. He has a particular interest in global security
concerns arising from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He notes the importance of this trip, “A
concrete understanding of the great ideas of historical and political thought achieved [through
this trip] would be invaluable to me, both personally and professionally.”

The final 2009 fellowship recipient Seth Steinman will apply his Metcalf Fellowship to a four-week Guatemalan cultural excursion. Although Steinman states that he is uncertain about what his future has in store for him, he hopes this trip will give him insight and guidance towards a career path. The purpose of his trip is three-fold, to get the best cultural linguistic experience by cultural immersion, to learn about the economy through small businesses and the coffee trade, and lastly, to use his political activism and leadership experience to give back to the community.

A 2007 graduate of North Kingstown Senior High School, he is a political science major at the University of Rhode Island. In his essay, he notes the personal significance of this trip, “This entire grant process, combined with being alone in another country, gives me the confidence that I can do anything, so my ambitions will never be held back by my fears.”

Applications for Metcalf Fellowships will be available again in November for college students wishing to pursue experiences in 2010.