2022 FOSSI Scholar Cianni Wallace, a sophomore majoring in sustainability at Howard University, had the opportunity to join her sponsor, Quaker Houghton, for an eight-week internship in Philadelphia this summer.
Cianni's internship responsibilities
Cianni’s responsibilities included supporting, reviewing and responding to customer questionnaires;
reviewing corporate sustainability ratings and highlighting potential areas of improvement; and communicating sustainability wins through internal communication channels like SharePoint and Teams. Working with the Quaker Houghton team, she gained a better understanding of corporate sustainability and became fully versed on each pillar of sustainability, including environmental, social and governance factors.
She also participated with other summer interns and Quaker Houghton employees in a volunteer event at Cradles to Crayons, which provides young children, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive at home, at school and at play. The team created motivational cards for the children to read before heading to school, and sorted and inspected donated items including clothes and books.
Cianni reflects on her experience at Quaker Houghton
Summing up her experience, Cianni said “My time working at Quaker Houghton was truly amazing. I was able to learn so much about working in a corporate environment and how sustainability plays a pivotal role in the company. My favorite part was being able to learn from so many people and absorb their experiences and guidance.”
Quaker Houghton looks forward to the future
Mentor and Quaker Houghton Corporate Sustainability Specialist Natalie Amparo added “Cianni was committed to being helpful in any way that she could, even on projects that seemed intimidating. She met them with a willingness to learn and grow. We look forward to having her back over the next couple of years through the FOSSI program.”
Highlighting the importance of developing the next generation of STEM talent, Melissa Leneis, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Quaker Houghton, noted “Academic partnerships with leading programs like FOSSI help foster students’ interests and fast-track their real-world experience, ultimately making them stronger candidates for jobs after graduation. As employers in the STEM space, we are highly committed to investing in America’s next generation of STEM leaders. By making STEM more accessible, we help bring new talent to our industry and support to our communities.”
We invite companies not currently supporting FOSSI to build their pipeline of outstanding and diverse talent by supporting a FOSSI scholar. Learn more.