W&L Student Receives Venture for America Fellowship Josh Rassin ’24 will begin his two-year placement with a startup company following graduation.

By Emily Innes
December 8, 2023

Washington and Lee University student Josh Rassin ’24 has been accepted into the Venture for America Fellowship Program, where he will be placed as a full-time salaried employee at a startup company or entrepreneurial support organization following graduation.

Venture for America (VFA) is a national nonprofit and two-year Fellowship program that gives recent college graduates firsthand startup experiences that help them develop leadership skills and build their careers.

“For me, being accepted to this program doesn’t just mean that I have a job after graduation,” said Rassin, who is from Houston, Texas. “VFA works to create economic opportunities through entrepreneurship, and this fellowship position means I will get to work with entrepreneurs to help create jobs in diverse communities while polishing and building my entrepreneurial skillset.”

A business administration major and data science minor, Rassin has long held a passion for entrepreneurship. He is a member of the Connolly Entrepreneurship Society (CES) at the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, and is the founder and president of W&L’s chapter of the Association for Latino Professionals. Rassin’s experience with the CES, his summer internships with startups, and the VFA’s training and networking events with current fellows inspired him to apply for the Fellowship Program.

“Josh’s acceptance into the Venture for America Program is a testament to his potential as a future leader and innovator in the entrepreneurial world,” said Jay Margalus, Johnson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership and the director of the J. Lawrence Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship. “We are immensely proud of his achievement, which exemplifies our commitment to nurturing talents who can effect positive change.”

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