Baruch College Alum Named NYC Urban Fellow
July 24, 2023
Osvaldo Garcia seeks to gain a better understanding of the policy process within New York City and to help implement a sustainable urban planning project with a government agency.
Baruch College alum Osvaldo Garcia (’23), who served as the Undergraduate Student Government’s executive vice president last year, has been selected as a 2023-24 New York City Urban Fellow where he will work with decision makers and assist in the implementation of public policy.
The Urban Fellows Program, a nine-month fellowship, prepares participants for leadership positions in the public and nonprofit sectors. Fellows explore current urban issues through first-hand exposure working in Mayoral offices and City agencies and learning seminars.
“I am ecstatic to be a NYC Urban Fellow. This is a competitive fellowship where people from all over the country apply who are incredibly accomplished,” says Garcia, who majored in public affairs and double minored in journalism and communications at Baruch’s Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. “This program will be a stepping-stone for my career in public service and, more specifically, sustainable urban planning.”
Career Goal: “Uplift marginalized communities”
Garcia applied for this fellowship to work towards his career goal: Be part of initiatives that will “uplift marginalized communities and remedy the systematic issues plaguing our communities,” particularly in his hometown the South Bronx.
As a Fellow, Garcia looks to work with the Department of City Planning or the Department of Transportation.
“Currently, the Department of City Planning is doing a project in the South Bronx that will sustain and reinvigorate my community environmentally and social-economically,” he explains. “These types of projects are the ones I want to focus on.”
Garcia adds, “The Department of Transportation is a vital lifeline for the New York City working class and is one of the main ways we can transform the city into a green, climate-resilient city.”
Students Receive Fellowship Advising Support
Baruch College’s Office of National & Prestigious Fellowships Advising helps guide students through the steps of applying for any scholarship and award that supports their academic studies.
Besides the NYC Urban Fellowship, the Office assists students for a variety of opportunities including Fulbright awards, Gilman International Scholarships, Venture for America, Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship, Freeman-ASIA scholarship, and many more.
VIDEO: Learn how students receive comprehensive support and guidance to pursue fellowship opportunities and nationally prestigious scholarships.