The students are part of Quinnipiac’s Presidential Public Service Fellowship Program, an initiative now in its 22nd year of partnership with Hamden and North Haven, Connecticut. 

The fellowship places outstanding Quinnipiac student leaders into municipal departments for paid full-time public service in the two towns. The fellows leverage their knowledge and skills to advance community-defined projects, leaving a lasting impact. 

The fellowship is a partnership with the office of Quinnipiac President Judy Olian and Quinnipiac’s host town governments. It is supported by a financial donor trust established by Hank Bartels and Nancy Bartels in 2003. Since the program's founding, over 150 students have served as Public Service Fellows, representing nearly 50,000 hours of service in the community.

The fellows are:

• Elizabeth Connelly of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey: Hamden Planning & Zoning

• Cristina Egas of Middlebury, Connecticut: Hamden Mayor's Office

• Fae Hull of Torrington, Connecticut: Hamden Town Engineer

• Serene Hicks of Hackensack, New Jersey: Hamden Police Department

• Christian Knight of Windsor Locks, Connecticut: Hamden Town Clerk

• Bharath Reddy Kondam of Siddipet, India: North Haven Information Technology

• Anthony Siteman of Walpole, Massachusetts: Hamden Economic Development

• Cara St. John of Plantsville, Connecticut: Hamden Mayor's Office

• Noah Sussal of Cheshire, Connecticut: Hamden Economic Development

The fellowship director emphasized the program’s impact on both the surrounding communities and the student experience at Quinnipiac.

“We often hear that young people are turned off by public service,” said Scott McLean, professor of political science. “But what I have seen is how young people are hungry for meaningful action, and their experiences in leadership make them confident in their ability to improve life in our communities.”