From left, Taylor Crownover, Natalie Schliekelman, Gaby Madriz, Zora Levette, Carolina Loayza, Vanessa Han, Evelyn Marquez and Ella Garcia make up the latest class of Coro Fellows. They will take part in rigorous, experiential, community-based leadership training over the next seven months at organizations across the St. Louis region. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
The newest class of Coro Fellows is getting acclimated at nonprofit organizations across the St. Louis region after kicking off the program earlier this month.
Housed in the Community Innovation and Action Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis since 2020, the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs helps develop emerging civic leaders through an intensive post-graduate fellowship that includes rigorous, experiential, community-based training. Coro graduated its first class in St. Louis in 1974, and its alumni have gone on to work and lead in government, business and nonprofit sectors locally and far beyond.
The new class includes eight fellows from across the country, including one St. Louis native, Gaby Madriz, a graduate of Clayton High School.
“They’re just eager to get to know St. Louis,” Coro Program Director Leah Moser said. “They are so motivated. They are thinking right now about who they want to meet, what they want to get out of this experience, who they should be connecting with to really have the most impact during their time here.”
This year, the program has been condensed from nine months to seven to align with other Coro Fellows programs in New York and California. Moser said the shortened program will remain as rigorous as ever and with the same number of assignments as before, but it is meant to increase the pace and give the fellows more time to plan their next steps following the fellowship.
The program opens with a nonprofit rotation. The fellows work with their placement host to complete a specific project, which is typically something the organization has had limited capacity to get underway, or something an organization might hire a consultant to support. The fellows have placements at organizations such as as Cortex, Arch Grants, Safe Connections, Missouri Coalition for the Environment and new hosts United Congregations of Metro-East and Macedonia Development Corporation in Illinois.
Each fellow will then also complete a placement in government. Previous hosts have included the City of St. Louis Comptroller’s Office, the Circuit Attorney’s Office, the Planning and Urban Design Agency, and the Office of the President of the St. Louis Board of Alderman. Board of Alderman President Megan Green is a Coro alum from 2006.
This winter, the fellows will have a group placement, and they will also be responsible for finding an independent placement as their final experience. Program leaders will provide them with an initial list of organizations who have offered projects, but fellows will be expected to connect with one that aligns with their interests and goals, pitch who they are and what they can bring to the organization, and secure funding.
Moser always looks forward to the transformation that takes place throughout the program.
“We get to kind of see that culminate in their graduation because that’s their opportunity to reflect on what they’ve gained from the program,” she said. “I think for many of them, it is deepening their understanding of how to contribute and how they want to use their skills. They get to see a lot of different types of leadership, and they get to interview folks who sit in very different positions of power and influence across the region, and so we hope that they can learn from those individuals and decide what type of a leader they want to be.”
Meet the 2026-27 cohort of Fellows:
Taylor Crownover
University of Texas at Austin
BA in Sociology and BA in Plan II Honors
“By joining Coro, I hope to apply lessons learned in academic settings to real-world action. Building on past experiences with nonprofits and local government, I plan to bring that knowledge to diverse cross-sector placements throughout St. Louis. I especially look forward to gaining insight and guidance from local leaders, mentors and my cohort peers.”
Ella Garcia
Florida State University
Master of Public Administration
“I am participating in the Coro Fellows Program because I believe it will allow me to apply my interest in government and grow both personally and professionally. I am particularly interested in the cohort aspect of the program as well as the multi-sectoral exposure it provides!”
Vanessa Han
Johns Hopkins University
BA in International Studies and Sociology
“I am honored to be a part of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs to continue learning about ways in which I can serve the community around me. Throughout my academic career, I have been passionate about furthering racial justice, particularly through the lenses of immigration and the carceral state. I hope to build upon this experience and expand beyond it through my time at Coro.”
Zora Levette
Wellesley College
BA in Media Arts and Sciences
“Through hands-on experiences and building connections with those around me, I look forward to the opportunity to learn what makes a person a change maker in this world.”
Carolina Loayza
Mount Holyoke College
BA in International Relations
“I am joining the Coro Fellows Program to better understand how public institutions operate and how decisions are made across sectors. With a background in international relations and a focus on cultural diplomacy, I am particularly interested in how governments build trust and engage diverse communities. I see Coro as an opportunity to strengthen my ability to navigate complex environments and contribute meaningfully to public service.”
Gaby Madriz
Washington University in St. Louis
BA in Latin American Studies and Economics
“Coro is an amazing opportunity to better understand and improve the region I call home. St. Louis is a beautiful, yet deeply fragmented, city; I hope that Coro helps me bridge gaps and identify solutions to issues facing our residents.”
Evelyn Marquez
University of Southern California
Master of Public Policy
“I appreciate the challenging nature of the fellowship and look forward to the wealth of knowledge I will gain about different sectors of public affairs and myself! Through the rotational assignments and the hands-on approach, the Coro Fellowship will help me explore what leadership means to me. I look forward to connecting with new people, learning about the St. Louis communities, and the constant learning!”
Natalie Schliekelman
Bryn Mawr College
BA in Environmental Studies, Growth and Structure of Cities
“As an Urban and Environmental Studies major, I am deeply interested in how public policy and governance processes, especially at the city and state level, can be used to solve the issues of our time, especially climate change. The Coro Fellows Program is a way for me to dive into the world of public affairs and learn about it from a multitude of angles through the different rotations. I’m excited to explore a new city and see where Coro takes me!”
