College of Staten Island The City University of New York
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Macaulay Honors College Internships Thomas Brigandi, Finance Economics and Accounting Major
I chose the Macaulay Honors College because it not only gave me access to great professors, but it also gave me access to internships and part-time work in the financial services industry of New York City. At the College of Staten Island I triple majored in Finance, Economics, and Accounting and used my Macaulay Opportunities Fund to take additional classes at the Investment Banking Institute and to register and prepare for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam. I interned for the Bureau of Asset Management at the New York City Comptroller’s Office, which manages the world’s largest municipal pension fund and oversees $120 billion in assets. While there, I worked on special projects in the energy and natural resources sectors and reported directly to the Chief Investment Officer. At Macaulay/CSI, I did research and produced an honors thesis on the topic of Public Finance and Public Policy. I had a terrific faculty mentor, CSI Professor Jonathan Peters and received funding for my study from the Research Foundation of CUNY. My honors thesis explored infrastructure finance and the toll burden of Port Authority bridges on the Greater New York City area. This research has been cited by New York State Senators and United States Congressmen. As a Macaulay student who is committed to giving back to the global community, I serve as Director of Global Volunteers and Vice President of the American Foundation for African Children's Education, a New York City-based multinational NGO that repairs primary schools in West Africa. To date, the foundation has repaired six schools and helped over 8,000 children in Senegal. Kalpita Abhyankar, Biology Major
Right now I am working with Dr. Alejandra Alonso on Alzheimer’s-related neuroscience research. I have also been working with Dr. Tomoaki Kato of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, a noted pioneer of multiple-organ transplantation, on a study of organ donation. New York is known to have the lowest donation rates in the country, and we are trying to find out why. Our first task is to work with the hospital staff to understand their knowledge of organ donation and then to develop a plan to increase donations. Richard Algarin, Biology Major
Valerie DeAngelo
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I chose CSI because it was close home and the Macaulay Honors College seemed to provide a lot of guidance and support. Plus the package of full tuition scholarship and other financial benefits was perfect. The research and internship opportunities have been better than anything I anticipated. 
The Macaulay Honors College at CSI allowed me to explore my interest in medicine, not only in the classroom, but also in a doctor’s office. I took part in a semester-long internship with Dr. John W. Decorato, a prominent plastic surgeon on Staten Island. I had the opportunity to observe various surgeries such as liposuction, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), and breast augmentation and learn proper techniques for pre/post-operative patient care. Upon completion, I received a stipend, a recommendation letter, and invaluable contacts. From working with the team of nurses to the endless hours spent in surgery, my overall experience was unforgettable.
I had an internship last summer with MTA bridges and tunnels where I learned about the engineering field and its applications in the real world. I was able to work with the engineers in the Quality Assurance department and assisted them as they visited different projects and ensured that quality work was being done. In one instance I helped to inspect the catwalk underneath the Verrazano Bridge and went on a manlift to view work being done inside the lower level. It was an unbelievable experience.