junior summer institute - princeton university

Junior Summer Institute

BIOGRAPHIES

Preparation for professional degrees and careersin public policy and international affairs

2015

PPIAJunior Summer Instituteat Princeton University

2015

STUDENTS

2015 JUNIOR SUMMER INSTITUTE 5

AQSA ARAINCollege: American University Major: International Studies & Economics Hometown: Woodbridge, Virginia

Aqsa studied abroad the past semester at the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy and plans to study the next semester at SOAS University of London. Aqsa has had the opportunity to intern with numerous organizations including the Danish Refugee Council in Jordan, where she worked to establish a community center for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanian communities. In the past, she worked with KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, and

Convergence: Center for Policy Resolution. She also served her community on campus as the President of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), Director of Programming for the Undergraduate Council, and Muslim Representative in the Interfaith Council.

JAMIE ARON College: Mississippi State UniversityMajor: Political Science & MathematicsHometown: Jackson, Mississippi Jamie is committed to promoting women in leadership. She is the creator and director of WE Lead (Women Empowered Leadership Conference) and the facilitator for an Honors Women and Leadership course, which she co-designed. Jamie was one of three women in the nation chosen to study at the Andi Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. last summer, where she discussed conflict resolution and peace negotiations with women from the Middle East,

Northern Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia. On campus, Jamie has been active in the Student Association, where she served as co-Director of Community and Governmental Relations. She will preside as Secretary General this upcoming year for the Mississippi Model Security Council. Jamie has also studied International Relations at the University of Oxford, and Spanish at la Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. She recently completed a Political Affairs Internship with the Borgen Project, a national advocacy group that believes the United States should be doing more to address global poverty.

SEQUOIA BAKER College: University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMajor: Political Science and Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Sequoia works as a legislative aide with the Milwaukee County Board of Supervi-sors where she assists representatives with constituent services, policy and legisla-tion. In the past she has worked as an intern for Wisconsin Public Radio, Gotham Government Relations (NYC) and Prown & Associates (WI). Sequoia’s past research fellowships includes the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University and Support for

Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) at UW-Milwaukee. She is currently an active member of the League of Women Voters.

STUDENTS


JONATHAN BARNETTCollege: George Washington University Major: Political ScienceHometown: Millstone Township, New Jersey

Jonathan studied abroad this past semester at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. While studying at George Washington University, Jonathan interned for the General Majority PAC (Political Action Committee) and later the Democratic Congressional Campaign Com-mittee for the 2014 midterm elections. He also worked for the George Washington summer housing department, the university bookstore, and the Colonial Inauguration orientation

program. During his winter breaks, Jonathan volunteered on service trips to Nicaragua and New Orleans. In high school, he interned for New Jersey Assemblyman Reed Gusciora and volunteered for the Monmouth County Democrats.

TYRA BEAMANCollege: Spelman CollegeMajor: International Studies Hometown: Richmond, Virginia Tyra is currently serving as a fellow of the Spelman Social Justice Program where she has designed the first Intercollegiate Race, Class, and Gender Identity Discussion between racially and socio-economically diverse groups of Metro Atlanta College students. She is an Honors Program student, on the Dean’s List, serves as Feminist Majority Leader Association Vice-Pres-ident, and has served as Freshman and Sophomore Spelman Class President. Tyra’s dedica-

tion to social movements and human rights has been furthered by working with Congressman John Lewis as a Congressional Black Caucus intern and studying specific movements and human rights policies while abroad in Argentina for a semester. As a Change Agent Fellow for the Joseph and Evelyn Lowery Institute and a Rotary Club member, Tyra has had opportunities to travel abroad with cultural immersion programs to Haiti and South Africa.

JORDAN DANIELSCollege: Spelman CollegeMajor: International StudiesHometown: Fairfield, California

Jordan is an International Studies major at Spelman College. She recently returned from studying abroad in Tokyo where she interned with IBM Japan. Jordan is passionate about in-ternational economic development and service. She is the Secretary and Media Chair for the Spelman Chapter of Bethel Campus Fellowship, contributing writer for Girls Going Global, and a member of the volunteer organization Project House.

STUDENTS


ALLI DIVINECollege: Northwestern UniversityMajor: Political Science & International StudiesHometown: Madison, Wisconsin

Alli is a junior at Northwestern University double majoring in Political Science and Interna-tional Studies. She has worked as a research assistant in multiple departments at Northwest-ern, most recently in the Political Science department working on a book about Arab-Israel relations. Her studies focus on the Middle East, and she is learning Arabic in conjunction with studying abroad at Tel Aviv University in Israel during spring 2015. She also coaches youth gymnastics and runs track in her spare time.

JOSÉ LUIS GÓMEZCollege: Pomona CollegeMajor: Public Policy Analysis & SociologyHometown: Phoenix, Arizona

José Luis grew up in a transnational family on the US-Mexico border and is now passionate about the impact of public policy and access to resources for historically marginalized and underserved communities. At Pomona College, he works at the Center for Community Partner-ships, where he facilitates community-engagement opportunities for students and supports the College’s outreach efforts to communities throughout Southern California. José Luis has previ-

ously interned as a teaching fellow with the Breakthrough Collaborative in Santa Fe, New Mexico and with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) in a Congressional Office in Washington, DC. He studied abroad in Rabat, Morocco this past fall, where he conducted independent research on the country’s 2014 regularization campaign for undocumented immigrants. After graduation from Pomona, José Luis hopes to receive a Master’s in Public Policy and pursue a career as a policy adviser in Washington, DC.

TODD HALL College: Williams CollegeMajor: Political EconomyHometown: Jersey City, New Jersey

Todd studied abroad last semester in Botswana where he interned in the Monitoring and Evaluation Department for the Orphans and Vulnerable Children and Gender Project of PCI Botswana. He has interned for LitWorld in New York City, both in their office and as a camp counselor at an affordable housing community. As an undergraduate research fellow at Williams, Todd has conducted research that applies the economics of discrimination to restau-

rant service. He plans to write a senior thesis next fall about the Low Income Housing Tax Credit in New Jersey.

STUDENTS


NIKIESHA HAMILTON College: American UniversityMajor: International RelationsHometown: Brooklyn, New York

Nikiesha studied abroad for the past year in Europe, studying European History and the European Union. While living in Spain, she developed her Spanish skills and studied Med-iterranean politics, history, and culture by traveling throughout the region. For her second semester, she lived in Brussels, Belgium, the capital of the European Union, studying the Euro-pean Union and visiting various European Union institutions throughout Western and Eastern

Europe. She worked for The European Consumers’ Organization, researching the United States’ and European Union’s telecom-munication industry, and the European Union intentions for a Single Digital Market. When she is in the U.S., she volunteers for organizations that focus on educating underprivileged children of color.

ASHBY (A.J.) HENNINGSENCollege: University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyMajor: Political Science & Global StudiesHometown: Parkville, Maryland

Ashby has volunteered with the Refugee Youth Project and interned for Advocates of Survi-vors of Torture and Trauma, two human rights-related non-profit organizations in Baltimore. He writes for the Baltimore Zeitgeist, an independent political newspaper comprised of undergraduate students from various Maryland universities, and blogs for USDemocrazy, a UMBC student-run news blog. His writing for both organizations focuses on international

affairs and human rights concerns. Ashby currently serves as an assistant editor for The Retriever Weekly, UMBC’s student newspaper.

MANUELA HERNANDEZCollege: University of FloridaMajor: International Studies & EconomicsHometown: Miami, Florida

Manuela studied abroad in Magdeburg, Germany for her senior year of high school through a scholarship funded by the State Department. She spent her freshman summer in Medellin, Colombia studying abroad at the University of EAFIT while taking a course about Colombian politics and development. She is currently studying abroad at Sciences Po in Paris for the spring 2015 semester, taking courses in both English and French. Her prior experiences

include working for a semester at the Florida State Legislature in 2014 with House Representative Darryl Rouson and Senator Bill Galvano through a funded University of Florida program at the Bob Graham Center for Leadership and Service. She has served as a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Ambassador at the University of Florida and President of the German Club.

STUDENTS


JAMES HUYNHCollege: University of California, BerkeleyMajor: Public HealthHometown: Walnut, California

James has had formative experiences participating in the Emerging Leaders Program at GLIDE, a human services agency in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. There he worked in the support services section of an affordable housing community and also support-ed the efforts of the advocacy task-force. Currently he works at the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society, where he supports the Network for Transformative Change. His volunteer

work includes being heavily involved in the Suitcase Clinic, a student organization that hosts three drop-in clinics for homeless and low-income populations and also as a mentor for middle school aged youth.

SAKARI ISHETIAR College: American UniversityMajor: International Relations (Russia Focus)Hometown: Saint Louis, Missouri

Balancing international affairs with performance art, Sakari is an avid student of cultural di-plomacy. He split the past summer between an internship with the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute Overseas Briefing Center, and conducting research on Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov (The Master and Margarita) in Moscow. This year, Sakari focused on assisting the Initiative for Russian Culture, an organization that works with the Russian Embassy to plan cul-

tural events for college students in the Washington, DC metro area. In his free time he has enjoyed a position as Artistic Director for a classical theater group, the American University Rude Mechanicals, overseeing the production of plays.

ANA LICONA College: Arizona State University, BarrettMajor: Global Studies & SociologyHometown: Mesa, Arizona

Ana’s passion to solve global issues led her to study abroad in Seville, Spain, during the summer of 2013. During her time abroad, she was able to engage with the local community and understand the meaning of being a global citizen. In her free time, Ana gives back to her community by volunteering with Aguila Youth Leadership Institute and the Medallion Scholar-ship Program. On campus, Ana coaches first-year freshmen students and has also served as a

Peer Advisor for the Hispanic Mother-Daughter Program. Ana is committed to making a positive change in the world and upon her graduation from ASU, she plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in International Affairs.

STUDENTS


KEITH MARTINEZCollege: Villanova UniversityMajor: Communications Hometown: Kyle, South Dakota

Keith grew up on and off the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe. Keith is a graduate of Scarsdale High School in New York, where he spent his last two years in the STEP program, an intensive college pre-paratory program for talented youth. Keith is a junior at Villanova University, where he is a Presidential and a Gates Millennium Scholar. For several years Keith has been the Chair of

the Youth Advisory Board for Lakota Children’s Enrichment, a nonprofit that empowers youth in his home community on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Keith has received numerous awards for his service with LCE: he was named South Dakota’s Youth Service Ambassador by Youth Service of America (2013-14) and a Champion for Change by the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute (2014-15). Keith is a strong believer in giving back. Keith frequently speaks about the power of education, seeking help and perseverance, and made his international speaking debut in the summer of 2014 at the Nexus Global Youth Summit at the United Nations.

SARA MILLERCollege: Yale UniversityMajor: Sociology (Concentration in Markets & Society)Hometown: Waynesville, Missouri

Sara worked as a research assistant and advocacy intern for AKIM in Ashdod, Israel and a social media and web design intern for Boys and Girls Hope: Esperanza Juvenil in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Her activities at Yale University include serving as a representative for the Yale College Council, a peer liaison for the Asian American Cultural Center, a photography editor for the Yale Daily News, and a board member for the Undergraduate First-Generation Low Income Partnership.

CAYLIN MOORECollege: Marist CollegeMajor: EconomicsHometown: Los Angeles, California

Caylin (pronounced Ky-Lin) was born and raised in Los Angeles County, California. During the summer of 2014, he attended the University of Bristol in England through the Fulbright Sum-mer Institute program, studying the trans-Atlantic slave trade from a global perspective. Caylin has set out to promote educational equity for all youth in the United States through reforming funding policies in public education. He understands the powerful impact that education has

had on his own life, and wants the same for others. He attended the Mighty Verbum Dei High School of Watts, California. In high school, he was an excellent two-sport athlete in football and track and field, a leader of the associated student body and campus ministry team. In his community he coached youth football for the Southern California Falcons, tutored youth at 112th street elementary school and a host of other service activities. During high school he interned for Shea Properties in Pasadena, CA and Union Bank in Downtown Los Angeles, CA. As an economics major and psychology minor at Marist College, he has been an honor-roll student for every semester of his collegiate career. As a division-one athlete, he is the quarterback of the Marist Football team. He is heavily involved in the New York community, leading in the Special Olympics, the White Ribbon Campaign against domestic violence against women, the “Take Back the Night” event against domestic violence against women and the Crossover Project at the Polo Grounds Housing Projects in Harlem. Caylin has also interned as a teacher for a class of middle school students in the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools’ summer reading program.

STUDENTS


FLORIPA OLGUIN College: Brown UniversityMajor: Public PolicyHometown: Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico

Floripa has worked for several organizations including the World Bank Group and Ameri-Corps VISTA. Her work has focused around Indigenous Youth, especially in regards to lead-ership development. At Brown University, Floripa works for the Brown Center for Students of Color and has served as a Minority Peer Counselor (MPC), creating workshops on race, class, and gender for first year students, as well as co-coordinating the program in the fall of her

junior year. She is currently studying abroad in Havana, Cuba where she is taking classes with the cultural institution, Casa de las Americas.

KATHERINE PANTANGCOCollege: University of San FranciscoMajor: SociologyHometown: San Jose, California

Katherine has prepared for a career in public service since as early as she could remember. She currently works in Organizing and Community Engagement at the American Civil Lib-erties Union of Northern California and previously campaigned for California’s Proposition 47 in an effort to address mass incarceration. One of her many leadership positions at USF included serving as a Diversity Education Intern at the Intercultural Center. Last year, she stud-

ied abroad in the Philippines with Casa Bayanihan, an alternative study abroad program that afforded her the opportunity to accompany a non-governmental organization serving persons with disabilities. Katherine is also preparing for a semester at the University of California’s DC center in fall 2015.

VICTORIA PEREZ-ZETUNECollege: Gettysburg CollegeMajor: Mathematical Economics & Globalization StudiesHometown: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Victoria is a Mathematical Economics and Globalization Studies double major at Gettysburg College. She is involved in migrant and immigration advocacy and education in Adams County, Pennsylvania. In the summer of 2014, she conducted local research with a Mellon Grant investigating the impact of immigration on household bargaining dynamics. Victoria is currently studying in Valparaíso, Chile this semester. In the future she hopes to continue study-ing economics with a concentration on development.

STUDENTS


PAUL QUIÑONEZ FIGUEROACollege: Gonzaga UniversityMajor: Political Science & EconomicsHometown: Pasco, Washington

Paul is a political science and economics double major at Gonzaga University. Originally from Minatitlan, Colima, Mexico, Paul was raised in Pasco, Washington and has always been interested in advocating for and serving the immigrant community. Upon entering college Paul stayed engaged in this topic by meeting with elected officials in Olympia, Washington to ad-vocate for the REAL Hope Act, a recently passed bill which granted undocumented students in

Washington State eligibility for state financial aid. Additionally, Paul spent a semester in Washington, DC as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute intern in Senator Debbie Stabenow’s office to acquire a better knowledge of the legislative process and how he can best serve his community. While in DC, Paul continued his advocacy efforts and participated in a march from Georgetown University to the White House in support of immigration reform, amongst other things. Following his experience in DC, Paul was accepted to the DHS Summer Scholars Academy in El Paso, Texas. Through this experience Paul was able to observe a community which is directly impacted by immigration (El Paso is a border city) and its surrounding issues. Thanks to being in a border city during the time of the unaccompanied minors’ border crisis, Paul was also able to visit immigration deten-tion facilities and see for himself how the federal government was attempting to cope with the issue. Upon returning to Gonzaga University Paul interned for Senator Patty Murray and for the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs.

JOSEPH QUISOLCollege: College of CharlestonMajor: International Studies & Political ScienceHometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Joseph studied abroad this past year in the Netherlands where he became the social media coordinator for Escaping Barcode Life, a Dutch NGO focused on ending human trafficking and contemporary slavery. His experiences working as an English tutor for English Language Learners in Charlotte, North Carolina and volunteering as a Reading Partner in Charleston, South Carolina have motivated him to apply his academic background in the field of educa-tion policy.

NAUSHEEN RAJANCollege: American UniversityMajor: International Studies & Asian StudiesHometown: Winter Park, Florida

Nausheen’s interest in peacebuilding, development, and conflict management started during high school when she participated in an international camp called Seeds of Peace as part of the American Delegation. While at American University, she has been actively involved as a student leader, currently President of SIS Undergraduate Council. Furthermore, she founded and is the President (since Spring 2014) of U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council Student Chapter,

which is directly linked to the Council started by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Within this club, she began a mentor-ship program for young women in Pakistan. Nausheen also served as an intern for the Regional Affairs office of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. In the past, she has interned at the East-West Center and the Middle East Institute. In spring 2015, Nausheen studied abroad in Istanbul, Turkey, where she had the opportunity to complete research on governance mechanisms and to volunteer for Syrian refugees. In the future, she hopes to work on peacebuilding initiatives that strengthen the capacity of governance and effectively engage the civil society, particularly women and the youth, in conflicted regions of the world.

STUDENTS


SERGIO RODRIGUEZCollege: Pomona CollegeMajor: International RelationsHometown: Santa Ana, California

Sergio spent this past spring semester as a Law Intern at Neighborhood Legal Services (NLS) of Los Angeles County, a nonprofit providing free legal services to the predominantly low-in-come, undocumented, and minority populations in the city of Pomona. He studied abroad in Freiburg, Germany with the European Union Program, traveling to 11 different countries within the EU and visiting EU headquarters. At Pomona College, he is a member of Improving

Dreams, Equality, Access, and Success (IDEAS) at the Claremont Colleges, connecting undocumented students and allies in order to bring awareness of immigrants’ struggles on and off campus. He is also a member of the Quest Scholars chapter at Pomona College, a network of passionate students who work to bring about better resources for low-income and first-generation students. Other interests include recording and showcasing local poets on KSPC (Pomona College’s radio), volunteering at the local animal shelter, and helping with the College Lowdown, a national podcast to help the transition of low-income students into elite colleges.

JEAN-FRANCOIS SEIDECollege: University of PortlandMajor: International EconomyHometown: Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Jean-Francois has lived the majority of his life in Haiti. He worked for the 2005-06 Haitian elections as a supervisor. After the 2010 earthquake, he helped set up a program that helped displaced and vulnerable children. The program still exists and is providing education, medi-cal support and shelter to more 2,500 children. He came to the United States in a leadership program, but was later accepted by the University of Portland to pursue a degree in inter-

national economy. He spent last semester studying abroad in Paris, in a Business and International Affairs program. He is a member of many on-campus clubs and currently involved in many volunteer activities at the University of Portland.

KAMAAL THOMAS College: University of California-DavisMajor: International Relations Hometown: Fontana, California

Kamaal studied abroad for the past year at the University of Hong Kong, where he was the starting Shooting Guard for HKU’s Men’s Varsity Basketball Team. While in Hong Kong, Ka-maal began a research thesis on U.S.-China cybersecurity relations, which he hopes to pub-lish in the fall of 2015. Kamaal has interned for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he conducted policy analysis on counterterrorism issues including the Syrian foreign

fighters as well as cybersecurity and the protection of national critical infrastructure. Additionally, he has held internships at the D.C.-based communications firm, Glover Park Group, and South Los Angeles-based grassroots advocacy organization, Com-munity Coalition.

STUDENTS


KYLE VAUGHANCollege: University of Maryland, College ParkMajor: Government & PoliticsHometown: Baltimore, Maryland

Kyle worked as an intern for Delegate Eric Luedtke in the Maryland General Assembly while serving as a legislator and Speaker pro tempore on the Student Government Association. He also serves on the Office of International Affairs Student Advisory Board and lives in the St. Mary’s Language House, a language immersion program. He previously studied abroad in Chengdu, China, where he taught English and volunteered for Heifer International. He is

currently a candidate for citations with both the Government and Politics Honors and the Language House research programs.

SHAI WASHINGTONCollege: Kansas State UniversityMajor: Political Science & International StudiesHometown: Lenexa, Kansas

Shai is involved in a number of organizations on campus, including Mortar Board Senior Honor Society, McNair Scholars Program, Model United Nations, Arts & Sciences Ambassa-dors, the Admissions Blogging Team, and Student Foundation. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in international relations and then continue on to a career as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State.

junior summer institute - princeton university

Documents