The following article was written by Tori Hegenauer '27, English adolescence education major with creative writing and psychology minors. Post grad Tori plans to teach high school English, with a desire to bring the community to her classroom and her classroom to the community. Tori gives us a first-person perspective as she guides us through her summer experience in the Marie and Rupert Tarver Internship Program. This donor-supported program is open to all majors and runs every summer. For more information, reach out to melissa.gaeke@marist.edu. 

September 8, 2026 -- Going into my fourth year, I thought I knew Marist and the surrounding community well. Spending a summer here through the Marie and Rupert Tarver Internship showed me just how much I still had to discover. 

As one of eight students selected for Tarver, I spent eight weeks living on campus, taking classes, interning with a local organization, and becoming more connected to the Poughkeepsie community. 

Interning With a Local Organization 

A large part of my Tarver experience centered around my partner organization, the Poughkeepsie Public Library District (PPLD). I spent 32 hours a week at the Adriance Memorial branch, where I had the chance to experience something new every day. 

Teen Librarian Hannah Ricottilli (left) and Tori Hegenauer '27 tabling at the Poughkeepsie Pride Parade. Photo by Kira Thompson. 

I began my internship in the Youth Services Department, where I helped plan and facilitate youth programs, supported community events, and built relationships with young patrons and their families. 

As the summer progressed, my role expanded beyond Youth Services. I worked with the library’s marketing team to support its social media presence and developed a visual template for its public-facing strategic plan, set to be released in 2027. 

Creative design was new territory for me, but the project became one of the most valuable parts of my internship. It pushed me to build new skills, take on opportunities I had not expected, and grow in ways I can carry into my future classroom. 

 
Tori Hegenauer '27 (right) helps a young patron and his mom navigate a sensory activity. Photo by John Torres. 

One of my favorite experiences was attending the PK OST Summer Summit '26 with Beth Vredenburg, PPLD’s Branch Services Manager. The conference gave me the opportunity to network and speak with field experts, grant funders, community members, and organizations throughout the Poughkeepsie area dedicated to supporting youth during out-of-school time. I even had the opportunity to hear from Marist alumnus Jamar Cummings ’12, who now serves on the Poughkeepsie City School District Board of Education. 

Wading Into New Ways to Serve 

Tarver interns seining for fish (fishing with a vertical net) in the Hudson River outside of Norrie Point Environmental Center. Photo by Chris Bowser.  

When I wasn’t volunteering at the library, I was in class learning about civic engagement and planning ways to support our local community with my fellow Tarver interns. During one class, we traveled to the Norrie Point Environmental Center. As part of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, employees at Norrie Point conduct research and educate the community on estuaries, river ecology, and environmentalism in relation to the Hudson River.  

At Norrie Point, we were tasked with assessing how accessible their field programs were, especially for English as a New Language (ENL) learners, and providing feedback for implementation. As a future educator myself, I was thrilled to be part of improving an education program. 

Although I was hesitant to try activities that were out of my comfort zone, I quickly realized that experiencing something I would never do otherwise is exactly what I was looking for when I applied to Tarver.  

The People Who Shaped My Summer 

Tori Hegenauer '27 with her library mentors Isa Ramirez-Pagan (left) and John Torres (right). Photos courtesy of Isa Ramirez-Pagan and John Torres. 

One of the most meaningful parts of Tarver was realizing how many people were invested in helping me grow. Throughout the summer, I found mentors at both Marist and the Poughkeepsie Public Library District who encouraged me to ask questions, try new things, and trust myself in unfamiliar situations. 

At Marist, Dr. Patricia Ferrer-Medina offered a unique connection between my classroom experience and my internship through her role on the PPLD Board of Trustees. Dr. Moira Fitzgibbons, who also serves on the Board, helped me build additional connections with library staff. 

I also relied on my assigned Tarver mentor, Dr. Kate Chaterdon. Because she was already my advisor and had taught me in two classes, having a familiar face made stepping into a new experience feel less intimidating.  

At the library, John Torres and Isa Ramirez-Pagan became two of my closest mentors. John gave me the freedom to explore my interests and take ownership of my work, while Isa became someone I could always turn to for questions, encouragement, and support. 

That sense of community extended to the entire Tarver program. Our faculty, Dr. Melissa Gaeke, Dr. Daria Hanssen, Dr. Patricia Ferrer-Medina, Dr. Jessica Boscarino, and Dr. Kate Chaterdon, brought different perspectives to our classroom conversations and helped guide us throughout the summer. 

Just as meaningful was learning alongside seven students whose internships took them into very different corners of the Hudson Valley community: 

• Alice Adams '28, Exodus Transitional Community 

• Eamonn Dreyer '27, Sun River Health 

• Sebastian Vega '27, R.E.S.T.A.R.T. at the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center 

• Summer-Leigh Yapp '27, Grace Smith House 

• Victor Rivera Jr. '27, The Empowerment Center, Dutchess County Government 

• Caitrina Kiel '27, The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference 

• Lily Hardwick '27, Dutchess Outreach 

We may have spent our days at different organizations, but coming back together gave us the chance to learn from one another’s experiences. By the end of the summer, Tarver felt like more than an internship. It was a community of people who challenged, supported, and encouraged each other to grow. 

A Glimpse into My Cohort’s Work 

Sebastian Vega '27 presents his final project to a room of faculty, peers, and supervisors from partner organizations. Photo by Tori Hegenauer '27/Marist University. 

One of the things I valued most about Tarver was hearing about the wide range of work my classmates were doing across the community. Although our placements looked very different, common themes emerged throughout our conversations and final presentations. 

Repeatedly, we saw the power of storytelling to uplift communities and the importance of helping people feel respected, valued, and treated with dignity. At the heart of so many of our experiences was the same goal: creating communities where people feel seen and that they belong. 

Sebastian Vega '27 interned with R.E.S.T.A.R.T., a rehabilitation and re-entry program at the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center. During his internship, Sebastian created a comprehensive resource guide for case managers and started a book club that continues today. His experience showed how listening to people’s stories and bonding through shared interests can play an important role in creating healthier, more supportive communities. 

Caitrina Kiel '27 explored another side of community engagement through her internship with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. She researched invasive species and their impact on trails throughout the region, showing how caring for a community can also mean caring for the shared spaces and environment that bring people together.  

Caitrina Kiel '27 (middle) discusses the impact of invasive species with coworkers at Library Field, New Castle, New York. Photo courtesy of Caitrina Kiel '27.  

Hearing these stories alongside the experiences of my other classmates helped me see how many different forms civic engagement can take. Whether we were working with young people, supporting individuals navigating the justice system, protecting the environment, or serving communities in other ways, we were all learning how meaningful change begins with listening, respect, and a commitment to making people feel that they belong. 

Tarver wasn’t a part of my four-year plan, but it was a key experience that shaped my time at Marist forever. I will always be a Tarver alum, and I’ll never forget the people that I encountered and the memories we share. 

Applying to Tarver 

Applications for the next cohort are not yet open. However, students are encouraged to contact Dr. Melissa Gaeke at melissa.gaeke@marist.edu to express interest, ask questions, and learn about next steps for the application process.