Lincoln University Trustee Donald C. Notice ’79 has served Lincoln University in a number of ways. Chief among his contributions to the campus is the internship and career readiness program that he founded for students attending Lincoln University. Notice has hosted interns from Lincoln University for over 10 years at West Harlem Group Assistance Inc., (WHGA), an award-winning community-based development corporation established to encourage, facilitate, and strengthen the economic viability of Harlem through affordable housing and social service programs. Notice has served as the executive director for 20 years.
In 2008, Notice started an Urban Planning Fellowship program in conjunction with Lincoln University and the Urban Technical Assistance Project (UTAP) of Columbia University. Throughout the eight-week summer fellowship program Lincoln University students researched and analyzed data surrounding issues affecting urban communities in the Harlem area. The data discovered by the interns was used by WHGA to help the organization better understand the community they serve. “We started this program to increase minority participation in urban planning,” explains Notice. “WHGA and UTAP bring these youths striving for higher education degrees together to analyze the urban setting and achieve alongside graduate interns through technical training, project development and urban planning and design lectures.”
Notice continued to broaden his program and formed the WHGA Urban Fellowship for Lincoln University students. Fellows were then placed in various departments and sites throughout the WHGA organization related to their field of study. Not only does the program equip students with the skills and technological knowledge in the urban development and affordable housing field, but it also provides each and every student with the transferable knowledge to bring along to their future career paths. “I have gained so many experiences and lessons by interning at the Communities for Healthy Food Hub", says Emani Parsons a Lincoln University ’17 health science major that interned with WHGA summer 2016. “I learned how to help clients manage their pantry visits, created itineraries for farmers’ market walks, and improved databases to store client information.”
To date, WHGA has provided paid internships to 24 Lincoln University students and throughout the years have went on to permanently employ four at its company. One of the alumnis from the internship program, Isaac Boateng was recognized as one of Lincoln’s 40 under 40 in 2015 and has went on to start his own business, Babu Global, a fullservice global marketing, creative and communications agency.
“Black college graduates across the nation are increasingly facing difficulty in securing gainful employment. As alumni it’s our responsibility to open doors and create opportunities for future generations of Lincoln
University graduates trying to gain entry into an increasingly competitive job market,” states Notice. “Fellowship and Internship opportunities provide students with opportunities to develop analytically, to expand their ability to think critically, develop the interpersonal skills and cross-cultural understanding that is crucial in today’s economy.”
“However the benefits are in no way one-sided. WHGA benefits greatly from their presence over the summer and over longer term periods of employment with us. Students and recent graduates bring new perspectives and technological literacy to our organization which has lasting positive impacts on the programs we provide to the Harlem community,” said Notice.
