Partnership with Local Catholic Schools

The Gabelli School of Business' Corporate Communications Pipeline Program is a community-engaged-learning initiative that fosters diversity, equity and inclusion while also providing Gabelli School students with meaningful touch-points with the Bronx community. 

The second cohort of Hayes students in the program, attending a Fordham class taught by Clarence Ball at the Rose Hill campus in October 2018.

The mission of the Corporate Communications Program (CCP) is to provide NYC high schools with access to a rigorous business curriculum at the Gabelli School of Business (GSB). This will be achieved by empowering GSB students to coach corporate pitch proposals for community student teams. We are committed to stimulating academic, cultural, and social growth among all of our student participants.

The goals of the program are two-fold: 

First, while doing undergraduate recruitment work of underrepresented minorities, we've seen that community students interested in attending GSB often lack access to critical admissions resources necessary to complete the college application process. The objective of the CCP program is to help high school students with low college access learn more about college, obtain critical communications competencies, and to connect the students with college mentors from the Gabelli School. The program helps to increase college access, academic self-confidence, self-efficacy and mentee/mentor relationships. 

Second, through CCP we expose Fordham students to diverse communities by providing them with community-engaged-learning hours. 

In 2018, we piloted the CCP program with 12 “high achieving” students from Cardinal Hayes High School and have seen dramatic improvements with all of the students increasing their ability to communicate effectively. Through the pilot program, Fordham University admitted 40% (5/12) of the initial cohort to either FCRH, FCLC, or the Gabelli School. We have seen measurable success and we are now seeking to expand the CCP program to address the needs of other community-serving Catholic high schools such as: Urban Assembly School of Business for Young Women, Cristo Rey High School, and Mott Hall High School. 

Please consider investing in this critical program. Your gift will be directed to scholarships for students who complete the pipeline program and want to matriculate into the University. 

Plus, Gualberto Rodriguez III, FCRH ’95, and his wife, Neda Mowzoun, will match all gifts, dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000. Help us meet this match, and thank you for your consideration!