Waterford native Adrian Melendez-Cooper named Office of Intercultural Education Fellow at Bates College

2014 Dec 1

Adrian Melendez-Cooper of Waterford, Conn., has been named a student fellow in the Office of Intercultural Education at Bates College. Melendez-Cooper, a 2013 graduate of Waterford High School, is the son of Mr. Alejandro Melendez-Cooper and Dr. Maria Amparo Cruz-Saco of Waterford, Conn.. He majors in economics at Bates.

Melendez-Cooper and his 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. Melendez-Cooper specializes in internships and fellowships.

In addition to educating students about internships and fellowships, Melendez-Cooper 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."