Letter from Lucas Colbert-Carreiro, Class of 2015

My name is Lucas Colbert-Carreiro, and though I am originally from Rockland County, New York, I now reside in Ithaca along with most of my extended family. I am actually the fourth generation of my family to attend Cornell University and it is something I have known I wanted to do since I was in second grade. As a student in the College of Industrial and Labor Relations, my academic work has been fairly diverse; I have enjoyed classes on international labor, human resources management, and general labor history.

Lucas Colbert-Carreiro '15 — Lucas Colbert-Carreiro (ILR ’15), our current class scholarship recipient

I am also pursuing two minors: one in English and the other in film. These subjects have been interests of mine for a long time and also relate to my position as a Staff Writer on the Cornell Daily Sun, where I have worked for the past three years writing articles on various Arts and Entertainment-related subjects.

For the past three summers, I have had a range of internship experiences including those in the fields of human resources, marketing, consulting, and nonprofit work. Though each position was very different from each before it, I feel like every distinct experience has brought me closer to learning what I really want to do in the future.

Currently, I am participating in the ILR credit internship program in Washington, DC — spending a semester away from campus gaining real-world experience in the realm of politics and social justice work. My internship is with the Solidarity Center, an internationally focused offshoot of the AFL-CIO that works to promote workers’ rights abroad, and my work with the Asia Department focuses specifically on issues in Bangladesh, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, and Vietnam. I have had the opportunity to meet various political figures, including senators and foreign ambassadors, and produced research that will be important to the organization in the future.

I really appreciate your generous gift and want to extend to you my sincere thank-you, as it has been integral in making all my Cornell experiences possible.

1973 Scholarship Fund

Since it was established at our 15th reunion, the Cornell Class of 1973 Scholarship has been helping Cornell undergraduates finance their education. The fund has been growing over the years through classmate donations, and currently we are able to grant a $30,000+ scholarship to a student or students needing financial aid. Generations of class officers have affirmed the Class of 1973 Scholarship as one of the most visible legacies that we can leave to Cornell. How better to leave a mark than establishing a fund that allows multiple students to afford a Cornell education?

We encourage giving to the Class of 1973 Scholarship, and many classmates have made gifts to help others afford a Cornell education. A gift may be made at any time – and many classmates “round up” their class dues to add a little bit to the scholarship fund. As of 2017, twenty students have received help from our scholarship fund. Check out some of the class letters to see their stories.

Class of 1973 Legacy

The class officers have worked to identify a class legacy that we, the members of the Class of 1973, can leave to Cornell which will make an impact on Cornell's future. We have determined that the class legacy should include: Scholarship (we have a Class of 1973 Scholarship which supports at least one student every academic year and will hopefully grow to support additional students), as described above; Mentorship (both of young class officers and graduating students to encourage their support of Cornell as alumni); and Public Service (both through supporting Cornell's initiatives and in our own communities).