Student Opportunity Fund

Experiential Education Guarantee

The Student Opportunity Fund, which is made available through the generous support of donors to the College, subsidizes the costs associated with student participation in a wide range of high-impact learning activities. These activities are at the heart of Stonehill’s Experiential Education Guarantee (EEG); our commitment that 100% of students will have had at least one practical hands-on experience designed to strengthen career prospects, improve career satisfaction, and increase salaries. The EEG program was created in recognition of the fact that students who engage in hands-on learning experiences as undergraduates have greater success when launching careers, report higher career satisfaction and often earn higher starting salaries.

You can find more information about the guarantee, including the five core principles and the college-sponsored opportunities here: stonehill.edu/how-will-you-lead/leadership-in-the-field/experiential-guarantee/      

Application Process 

Student Opportunity Funds are awarded through an application process that is administered by the Navigation Center for Student Success. The process considers both academic merit and financial need and preference is given to students who can clearly articulate and demonstrate the significant financial hardships or barriers that jeopardize their ability to participate in desired high-impact learning experiences. To ensure Experiential Education is a guarantee for all, these funds are crucial.   

Your Support Matters  

Thank you for your investment in the Student Opportunity Fund, which ensures that our students can focus on enhancing their academic and pre-professional careers without worrying about financial barriers and limitations. Awards received from this fund impact the lives of our deserving students for many years to come. They facilitate their growth as they become active and prepared professionals and enhance their academic and professional development skills for success in their future careers. 

Words of Thanks

James Aste, Class of 2026

“I cannot stress enough how much it means to me that your generosity allows me and many other Stonehill students access to life altering opportunities. During my time as a chemistry major, I’ve done a lot of research with my professors, and was given the opportunity to present my research at the ACS Chemistry Conference in Atlanta Georgia. Unfortunately, the cost of attending such an event is not negligible. Airfare alone would have prohibited me from being able to afford to attend, let alone the cost of admission, housing, and more. Because of your generosity and support of the Student Opportunity Fund, I received funding that will allow me to travel to this conference. 
Being able to present my research at such a large-scale national conference is a massive honor on its own, but it impacts me in more ways than one. The skills I will be able to learn and practice with my presentation at this conference will equip and prepare me for any career path I may follow after I graduate. Whether that be working in private industry, or research in academia, my ability to successfully communicate with people from a wide variety of backgrounds will be necessary. It will also offer a great opportunity for me to connect and network with many different well-established professionals from a wide variety of academic and industry disciplines.”

Alimata Baradji, Class of 2029

“I would like to begin by thanking you for this award. I am incredibly grateful for your support funding in my education. This award will help me cover the cost of the Washington DC Externship Program. The externship experience will help me fulfill my Experiential Education Guarantee (EEG) requirement by providing me with hands-on experience in a professional setting. Professionally, the externship will help me grow my professional background by networking with alumni and professionals, building my LinkedIn profile and resume, and improving communication and workplace skills. Being exposed to professional settings will help develop confidence, and I will gain valuable insight into various career paths in Washington, DC. Personally, the internship will allow me to travel and grow my professional background by speaking with professionals, exploring, and understanding different career fields, and building skills.”  

Charlotte Perry, Class of 2026

“I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to you for funding the Student Opportunity Fund that allowed me to attend the 246th American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. I conducted research through the Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) regarding the relationship between the size of extrasolar planets and the elements found in their host stars. Working with my advisor, Dr. Francesca Fornasini, our goal was to help contribute to the existing knowledge of planet formation by trying to find large scale trends between planets and their stars. At the beginning of the following semester, SURE hosted a poster session for the Stonehill community where I was able to present my preliminary results of the research. As I continued my research into the fall, I decided I wanted to present my research at a poster session during the AAS meeting in June… During the AAS meeting I was able to engage with individuals who are heavily involved in exoplanet science or stellar chemistry. They recommended further avenues of interest and could point out specific methodology choices that might have affected the results. I spoke with fifteen people during my hour-long session and came away with several questions, new research interests, and even one contact. Not only was this beneficial to my professional career, but also to grow my confidence as a legitimate member of the science community.”