On February 16, ITIAH Angels for Learning (IAFL) met with the Deans of Rider University to establish a strategic partnership and provide opportunities for Rider University students. Deans Kutcher, Liptrot, and Cook met with IAFL founder Marie Thadal, volunteer coordinator Jolia Thadal, and undergraduate fellow Kat Dinh. The conversation was fruitful, and both parties were able to learn more about ways they can form a synergetic partnership in the near future.
Years ago, Marie was a student at Rider University. Born in Haiti, she emigrated to the US and became the first person in her family to attend college. Now, as the founder of IAFL, she wishes to give back to college students by offering opportunities for them to “craft their own roles” in IAFL. Through their roles, she hopes they gain the necessary experience to excel in their future careers.
The Deans inquired about IAFL’s current needs and determined which departments would best fit IAFL’s mission. A partnership with Rider University would rejuvenate the student fellows program by drawing in more fellows. Rider hopes to match student volunteers with roles at IAFL. Additionally, two other programs are under consideration: assignment of an executive-in-training to IAFL to establish communication between the organization and Rider University and design of a case study to develop a business plan for the long-term growth of IAFL. IAFL’s next steps are to update their Handshake profile to include descriptions of the departments and specific roles. IAFL hopes to continue its mission to improve education for Haitian youth through this pending partnership with Rider University.