Greetings,

As winter comes to an end each year, I am always awed and inspired by the brilliant young leaders that apply for our Project 55 Fellowship Program, and this year’s applicants are no exception. We received over 70 applications for the FY24-25 fellowship year, all with a keen desire for civic leadership work. When asked the question during an interview, “What does civic engagement mean to you as a developing leader and professional?”, one applicant responded, “Civic engagement work has been this broader theme of access: who has it, who doesn’t, and why.” When asked how they understand equity and justice, another applicant replied, “Equity, justice and inclusion are often just equated with DEI work. But the real key to equity work is recognizing the different needs of different populations and removing barriers to meet those needs.” It is this passion and insight from young leaders that continually inspires and motivates the AlumniCorps staff, board and volunteers to do the work of advancing civic engagement and professional development.

We are pleased to announce that Tim Schmidt has been promoted to Director of Programs and Strategy as of January 1st. As director, Tim leads our Program Team in the growth and expansion of AlumniCorps' robust program portfolio including, our flagship program, Project 55 Fellowship, and our 8-month cohort program, Emerging Leaders. Tim Schmidt joined the Princeton AlumniCorps team in July 2023 as Program Manager of Partnership Engagement and Investment. Congratulations Tim! Join me, also, in welcoming Andrijana Bilbija ‘21 as AlumniCorps’ new Program Manager. Andrijana is a Project 55 alum and co-author of the book, “When We Walk By.” She will be leading our Emerging Leaders program.

If you are in town for Princeton Reunions this May, please stop by our offices at 12 Stockton Street on Thursday, May 23rd for our 1st Annual Fellowship, Leadership and You Open House event. We invite you to meet with AlumniCorps Board and Staff, hear from our Project 55 Fellowship and Emerging Leaders alum and learn about exciting new AlumniCorps initiatives. Hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be available.

Your investment in Princeton AlumniCorps allows us to continue to inspire and support generations of leaders working in the public interest. Please consider participating in our upcoming Donor Match Campaign this March. In the interim, you can visit our donor page here.

If you are in Princeton, I invite you to stop by our office at 12 Stockton Street. Spring is right around the corner and soon all the bright colors will be blooming in our Founders Garden. It would be a great place to join me for a chat over a cup of coffee.

In community,
Kimme Carlos
Executive Director