Bronx native Barbara Crespo named Office of Intercultural Education Fellow at Bates College

2014 Dec 1

Barbara Crespo of Bronx, N.Y., has been named a student fellow in the Office of Intercultural Education at Bates College. Crespo, a 2011 graduate of Mott Hall Bronx High School, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jose Crespo of Bronx, N.Y.. She majors in environmental studies at Bates.

Crespo and her OIE colleagues provide their Bates peers with support on topics ranging from honing financial literacy to accessing resources for internships and fellowships. OIE Fellows were selected through a rigorous application process in spring 2014 to qualify for their fall appointment, and each provides support for fellow students in a specific area of expertise. Crespo specializes in the needs of first-generation college students.

In addition to educating students about the needs of first-generation college students, Crespo holds office hours each week, designs and implements programming, and partners with the office's professional staff in supporting Bates students. Fellows are often called upon to act as a liaison between students and Bates support services.

"The student who reaches out to an OIE Fellow might have a question at 9 o'clock at night," says Jessica Perez, assistant dean of students for student transition and support at Bates. "OIE Fellows can provide support and answers to their peers during after-hours times, when they might need it most."