Program description
The Pershing Fellowship in Non-Profit Leadership (Pershing Fellowship) is a paid summer internship program in St. Louis offered by the Washington University in St. Louis Center for Career Engagement. The program provides experience, programming, and financial support to Washington University undergraduate students interested in non-profit leadership. Pershing Fellows are matched with summer internship roles at non-profit organizations focused on a range of activities including social services, education, health care, and arts and culture in the St. Louis region.
Applications for the 2026 Pershing Fellowship will open on November 1st, 2025, and close on December 21st, 2025 at midnight.
Students in the Pershing Fellowship each receive a $10,000 summer stipend and participate in regular professional development activities, including meeting with leaders from across the St. Louis community, learning about the landscape of non-profit and community organizations in the region, and connecting with cohort and community members. The goal of the Pershing Fellowship is to provide students with engaging and challenging projects that will enable them to gain a better understanding of the opportunities and impact of non-profit careers in general and St. Louis non-profits in particular. Students participating in the Pershing Fellowship prepare and deliver a short presentation of their work and contribution to the organization and the community at the conclusion of their summer internship experience. Students must be enrolled in a full-time, degree-seeking program and in good academic standing to apply and participate in the Pershing Fellowship.
Application & Interview Timeline
Application Timeline
Applications will open on November 1st and close on December 21st at midnight.
Students will be notified of the committee’s decision by Jan. 9th
Interview Timeline
Interviews will take place from January 20th to 23rd.
Pershing Fellows Finalists
Students selected to participate in the Pershing Fellowship in Non-Profit Leadership will need to confirm their acceptance by January 28th.
WashU Cohort Programing
Once selected to participate in the Pershing Fellowship in Non-Profit Leadership, WashU students will participate in pre-internship programming during the spring semester. These events are intended to prepare you for your summer internship with Pershing.
- WashU Cohort Meeting & Get to Know You:
- 2 Professional Development Sessions
- Sessions will include goal setting, professionalism, and competency knowledge.
- Date Range: March & April
- Ettiquette & Networking Event
- Date Rance: Mid-April
- GPSi Centered Career Coaching Contacts
Pershing Fellowship Application Materials
- Resume
- 2 Professional References: References will be contacted if the student is selected to interview for the fellowship.
Applications will be assessed based on students’ commitment to:
- Leadership: leading others to a common organizational goal;
- Scholarship: high performance in academic pursuits; and
- Citizenship: commitment to improve a community.
Application Steps & Application Form
Step 1. Log in to the website via your WUSTL Key to begin the application.
Step 2. Complete the application.
*CCE Tip: Write your application essays in a Word document. This will help with spell check, formatting, and if you run into any issues with the application system.
Step 3. Submit the application.
*Once you have submitted your application, a confirmation similar to the one below will be emailed to you. If you do not receive a confirmation email, your application was not successfully submitted. Example of confirmation email;
Application issues: Please contact careers@wustl.edu with the subject line – Pershing Fellowship Application Issues. This will allow us to field application issues from general Pershing Fellowship questions.
The 2026 Pershing Fellowship in Non-Profit Leadership Application has closed.
2025 Pershing Fellow Cohort
Below are our 2025 Pershing Fellows and their Non-Profit internship locations
Pershing Fellowship Graduation Regalia
Pershing Fellows who complete the fellowship are recognized at Commencement with a teal and maroon honor cord. This signifies that they have participated in one of the Center for Career Engagement’s programs. Contact Maria Bruns, Assistant Director, Internships & Experiential Learning in the Center for Career Engagement, for details on how to receive your regalia.
Questions?
Please contact the Center for Career Engagement at careers@wustl.edu or attend one of our info sessions.
Asia Brantley – James S. McDonnell Foundation 
Daniel Park – Arch Grants 
Lacey Shin – Saint Louis Art Museum 
Mason Shaver – City Academy 
Myla McGhee – Hermann Center 
Rachel Becker – St. Louis Community Foundation 
Subratha Araselvan – Clark-Fox Family Foundation 
Ugonna Agwu – Invest STL 
Shirine Awad, Sophie Jeffers – International Institute 
Paige Campbell – Forest Park Forever 
Kayla Triplett – Nine PBS 
Justin Xu – Invest STL 
Chloe Rado – Arch Grants 
Jennifer Ton – MOVE STL 
Cece Ly – KidSmart 
Ellie Kaufman – Hermann Center 
Sachi Agarwal – St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Frequently Asked Questions
Students should review the process for reporting stipend income on your tax Return: https://financialservices.wustl.edu/wfin-topic/payroll/tax-issues-fellowship-stipend-recipients/reporting-stipend-income/
Students will need to secure housing on their own once selected for the fellowship. WashU has summer housing available for students interning in St. Louis that students can apply for: https://conferenceservices.washu.edu/summer-housing/.
Students who are participating in the Chancellor’s Career Fellows are ineligible to apply and be selected for the Pershing Fellowship. Students are also discouraged from applying for additional WashU funding as a part of the Pershing Fellowship.