Worcester, Mass. -
Clark University senior Giovannina "Janie" Crocco, of North Haven, CT, has been awarded a Compton Mentor Fellowship ($35,000) to conduct research on sex trafficking in Italy and Nigeria. Ms. Crocco is one of just five graduating college students from across the United States to be awarded the prestigious fellowship.
Ms. Crocco will spend five months in Turin, Italy, and five months in Lagos, Nigeria, studying the trafficking of Nigerian women to Italy for sexual exploitation. She plans to collaborate with the United Nations Crime and Research Institute in Turin and the African Radio Drama Association in Lagos during her Fellowship year.
A Dean's List student at Clark, Ms. Crocco majors in Government/International Relations and International Development. She pursues a minor in French and is fluent in Italian. Her extra-curricular activities have included Student Council, Student Representative to the Clark University Board of Trustees Shareholder's Responsibility Committee, Model U.N., and Model European Union. She works as a driver/dispatcher for the University escort van service, and she has worked in Italy as a translator for the World Wildlife Fund and as a tour guide. She expects to return to Clark University following her travels to earn a Masters Degree in International Development.
Ms. Crocco is the daughter of John and Rita Crocco, of North Have. She is a 2003 graduate of North Haven High School.
The Compton Mentor Fellowship Program is the only Compton Foundation program with a focus on graduating college students from the United States. The program is designed to promote creativity and support the commitment of graduating seniors as they move beyond academic preparation to real world application and contribution.
Each year, five Mentor Fellows are selected from participating universities and awarded a one-year, $35,000 fellowship. The stipend is to implement a self-directed project, contributing their talents and energy to real-world situations. At the core of the Fellowship is the partnership between a fellow and a mentor, who provides guidance, encouragement and impetus for continued learning and service.