In appreciation of the mentoring that Pace students in Professor James Lawler’s CIS 102W service learning course do with developmentally and intellectually challenged clients of AHRC NYC, the organization established the Melissa Riggio Higher Education Program Scholarship.
This award of $1,000 was given to Nadezhda “Hope” Goldfard, a Dyson psychology major, for her ongoing efforts on behalf of individuals affiliated with AHRC.
In 2009, Hope enrolled in Professor Lawler’s CIS 102W Web Design for Nonprofit Organizations with AHRC NYC in which she and her classmates served as mentors to high school students and young adults in computer literacy, life planning and resume preparation skills. Since the conclusion of the course, she has continued her involvement with the organization and has been “an instrument of change” and has played a “pivotal role” in partnering with the young adults in courses and programs of Dr. Lawler’s that are piloting their inclusion in the campus life of Pace University.”