Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer announced today the students selected for the fourth year of the “Civic Leaders of Tomorrow” Fellowship Program. The program is designed to promote future leaders in public policy and immigrant rights advocacy as well as to advance the goals of the DREAM Act.

“I am proud that we created a program which focuses on leadership in the public and nonprofit sectors, because it is vitally important in the education of young people today,” said Borough President Stringer. “Given their talent and dedication, I know that each of the fellows we are announcing today will strive to deepen their understanding of government and non-profit agencies in New York City—and use these skills to play a constructive role in the public arena.”

The 2011 fellows are: Omar Guzman, a Computer Science student at the College of Staten Island; Prianka Kazi, a Political Science student at Barnard College; Liang Lin, a freshman at Queensborough Community College; Agustina Perez, an International Studies and Political Science student at Marymount Manhattan College; and Evelyn Pichardo, a Government student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Students will participate in educational and leadership development programs, services and activities that promote professional growth, including both field work and seminars that will help them synthesize their experience in the field with policy and advocacy theory and strategy.

The New York State Youth Leadership Council--the only undocumented youth-led organization in New York working to promote the advancement of immigrant youth through leadership development--serves as a collaborative partner of the Fellowship Program, and provides training for fellows on how to be effective advocates.

Each fellow works with an immigrant rights not-for-profit or community-based organization for a minimum of eight hours per week for a full semester, and will receive a $1,000 stipend for the duration of the fellowship.

The immigrant rights not-for-profit organizations hosting the fellows include: Internationals Network for Public Schools, New Immigrant Community Empowerment, Project Hospitality, Sakhi for South Asian Women, and the Urban Justice Center Street Vendors Project.

The Grace and Mercy Foundation serves as the sponsor of the fellowship program.