Two Trinity students who participated in the Sr. Seton Cunneen ’65 Summer Service Fellowship during summer 2025 recently shared their transformative experiences on the latest episode of Enlighten Exchanges, the Trinity Times podcast.

Saron Gebereegziabhier and Margot Malumbu joined host Sydney Ware to discuss their 10-week community service internships, which took them into different corners of the Washington, D.C. area to serve vulnerable populations and explore pressing social issues.

Malumbu spent her fellowship at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where she supported patients in various departments. After facing some initial workplace challenges, she found her stride in the emergency department. “I was surrounded by people that could actually appreciate my work,” Malumbu said. “That really taught me that not everybody will understand your work ethic, but you have to stand up for yourself and change your environment if you need to in order to have a good outcome from it.”

Gebereegziabhier worked with Project Blackbird, a nonprofit organization focused on destigmatizing mental health issues through storytelling. As a psychology student, she served as a researcher for the organization. “I really appreciated the mental health component of it,” Gebereegziabhier said. She found particular value in being able to implement ideas quickly: “The fact that you can actually, if you have an idea, you can go for it, you have resources. You can connect with people, and be able to, you know, get the ball rolling and implement the things.”

Both fellows highlighted the weekly reflection sessions with Sister Ann, program mentor, as a key component of their experience. These Friday gatherings included visits to museums and other sites around the D.C. area, where Campus Ministry connected cultural experiences to the students’ service work.

The Sr. Seton Cunneen ’65 Summer Service Fellowship has been supporting Trinity students since 1996. Funded by the Maurice R. Robinson Foundation, the fellowship honors the work and commitment of Sr. Seton Cunneen SND ’65, former Campus Minister and faculty member at Trinity.

The program offers Trinity students a paid 10-week community service internship at a non-governmental organization, providing an opportunity to explore social issues and deepen their commitment to serving the common good. Fellows work 40 hours per week from late May through July, including Fridays spent on campus for reflection sessions facilitated by the Office of Campus Ministry.

Internship sites may focus on areas such as poverty, domestic violence, human rights and trafficking, community development, and other social issues. All placement sites must align with the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and must be approved by the Cunneen Fellowship Committee.

The fellowship provides a $4,500 stipend for the 10-week internship, with on-campus housing available at no cost if desired.

Applications Now Open for Summer 2026

Trinity students interested in applying for the summer 2026 fellowship can attend one of two required information sessions:

• In-person: Wednesday, February 11, 4:00 p.m., Main Hall 240
• Virtual: Thursday, February 12, 5:00 p.m. (via Zoom)

Eligible applicants must be full-time College of Arts & Sciences students who will graduate no earlier than Spring 2027 and maintain good disciplinary and academic standing with a minimum 3.2 GPA.

Applications are due by Monday, March 16, 2026. The application requires a 500-word essay, current resume, and one letter of recommendation from a Trinity faculty or staff member.

For more information, contact Campus Ministry at campusministry@trinitydc.edu or (202) 884-9608, or visit the Cunneen Fellowship application page.

Listen to the full podcast episode featuring Saron Gebereegziabhier and Margot Malumbu on the Trinity Times podcast, “Enlighten Exchanges.”

In this episode of Enlightened Exchanges from student news publication, Trinity Times, Sydney Ware explores “A Summer of Service,” highlighting the experiences, reflections, and impact of summer service through the Trinity community, and the Cunneen Fellowship.