Steven G. Fullwood, Manager of the BNY Mellon Pre-Professional Development Program at the Schomburg Center, and Associate Curator of our Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, interviews our current cohort of Pre-Professionals:

Each spring and fall semester, eight to ten college undergraduate and graduate students are selected to participate in the BNY Mellon Pre-Professional Development Program here at the Schomburg Center. Founded in 2013, the program seeks to facilitate transitions to full-time positions at a broad range of institutions and businesses that seek smart, culturally competent, and well-balanced professionals whose experiences are suited for the fast-paced challenges of the information age. The program is made possible through the generous support of BNY Mellon. Below, our current group of pre-professionals discusses their experiences:

Suliaman Adedotun Onafuwa

School: Baruch College
Major: Finance
Department: Membership
“I assist in reaching potential donors who can make significant contributions to the Schomburg Center. I also help analyze our database—either by uploading information on to Excel or organizing files."

Nora Soto

School: Pratt Institute
Major: Information/Library Science
Department: Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books
“I work with Steven G. Fullwood to help process the In the Life Archive, a collection of black LGBT/queer personal papers and organizational records. I conduct research, compile biographies and content notes, and create catalog records so that these collections can be discovered online by both Schomburg patrons and general users.”

Isoke Cullins

School: Fordham University at Lincoln Center
Major: New Media and Digital Design
Department: Exhibitions
“As the Exhibitions Pre-Professional, I act as a curatorial intern/assistant. My role is both creative and administrative. The Exhibitions department is in the midst of establishing our voice in the artistic community, developing our exhibitions models and protocols, and populating our exhibitions archive for future research. My position has allowed me to play an integral role in this formative phase for the department. I’ve also been able to engage with various aspects of developing, executing, and managing exhibitions.”

Jennifer Boone

School: Hunter College/CUNY
Major: Africana & Puerto Rican/Latino Studies, Political Science
Department: Public Programs
“My mentor's dedication in translating black culture and the black experience into programs that inform, empower, and inspire the Schomburg community helped me understand their importance. The level of creativity, production and audience engagement that I learned definitely contributes to my career path. I recommend this program to anyone who wishes to work for cultural institutions.”

Stephanie Schwartz

School: Simmons College
Major: Archival Management
Department: Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference
“Working as a Pre-Professional at the Schomburg has been a rewarding experience so far. I get to hone my cataloging skills by creating inventory records while making connections at this one-of-a-kind educational institution.”

Vardia Duterville

School: Columbia University: Institute for Research in African American Studies (MA)
Major: African American Studies
Department: Education
“The Pre-Professional program here at the Schomburg Center is a great opportunity for students interested in various aspects of black life. The program has allowed me to see a variety of career paths that engage with the community of New York and throughout the United States. The Pre-Professional program offers training for students in both a culturally and professional way.”

Pia Walker

School: CUNY City College of New York
Major: Biology
Department: Public Programs
“The Pre-Professional program allows students to hone their professional skills by placing us in an environment in which we work closely with the coordinators and staff of the various divisions of the Schomburg Center. We work together to provide quality programs and resources for the public. As a public programming pre-professional, not only have I been able to learn the various aspects of planning and producing events and programs, I am consistently encouraged to share and develop my own programming ideas and truly feel that I am a valued member of the Schomburg family.

Kai Walkes

School: Kingsborough Community College; Fashion Institute of Technology
Major: Liberal Arts/ Secondary Education; Gemology
Department: Education and Exhibitions
“Being a pre-professional at the Schomburg Center has honestly been the best and most thorough work experience I’ve ever had as an intern. My supervisor, Deirdre Hollman, allows me to decide how and what I want to learn from this program while providing supportive guidance.”

Alicia Perez

School: Marymount Manhattan College
Major: International Studies/Economics
Department: Communications
“What I’ve learned here at the Schomburg is the value of teamwork, framing a narrative, and appreciating the importance of preserving history, which I will bring with me far beyond my time as a Pre-Professional.”

Interested in becoming a Pre-Profession at the Schomburg? Visit the NYPL Careers website one to two months before the beginning of each term, which begins in September and February.