51勛圖厙

Mouhamadou Diallo ���27  | Sports Communication Major, with minors in Africana and Global Studies | Internship: Spring 2025 | Presidential Fund for Equity Recipient 

As someone deeply involved in campus life���serving as president of the Muslim Student Association and playing on the club soccer team���Mouhamadou Diallo ���27 thrives on connection and community. His dream is to use journalism to spotlight untold stories and advocate for political and social change. 

That passion for storytelling led him to an internship at the Sports Museum of Dutchess County, where he spent the semester diving into local sports history, preparing exhibits, and learning from seasoned professionals.  

���Coming from the city, I didn���t expect this area to have such big sports figures,��� he said. ���The museum was really humbling���it showed how even small communities can have hidden gems.��� 

Originally from Harlem and now studying Sports Communication with minors in Africana and Global Studies, Mouhamadou initially took on the internship for the experience. It wasn���t until later that he realized he could apply it toward his for-credit requirement���something that increased both the workload and the significance of the role. 

���I probably put in about 130 hours,��� he said. ���There was always something to do, whether it was staging exhibits, writing biographies, or helping out with social media.��� Among his favorite projects was preparing the museum for its opening day and the dedication of the Pat Zerbe Room in Women���s Sports. The museum honored Zerbe for her role in establishing women���s tennis and basketball at Dutchess Community College.  

He also conducted research at the Beacon Historical Society and wrote a biography on a renowned local boxer, Melio Bettina. 

But with no paycheck and the need to travel off-campus twice a week, the logistics could have become a barrier. That���s where the Presidential Equity Fund made a difference. 

���The Equity Fund really helped with gas money and took a lot of stress off my shoulders,��� Mouhamadou said. ���It let me focus on the internship itself���on why I was there. I didn���t have to worry about how I���d pay to get there every week.��� 

The fund, created to remove financial obstacles to meaningful experiential learning, allowed Mouhamadou to fully commit to the opportunity and explore new career paths. 

���At first, I didn���t think I���d ever want to work in a museum, but after this, it���s actually something I���d consider,��� he said.  

He interned alongside other students���two seniors and a junior���and was mentored by Marist alumnus Mary Sagar and museum president Bill Ponte. ���What stuck with me most was being around people who were older and wiser,��� he said. ���You absorb so much just being in that space. It really broadened my perspective.��� 

Reflecting on fund's generous donors, Mouhamadou wants them to know: ���Their money isn���t going to waste. It���s helping people like me who might not have the resources otherwise. I really appreciate it.���