NDN is excited to announce it's 2010 Summer Intern Class. So excited, in fact, that we're counting down the days until these magnificent seven arrive!
Emily Byl will join Haylie on the Membership and Development Team. Emily deferred the first semester of her Freshman year of college to work on the Obama campaign in Michigan, where she worked as a field organizer in Northern Kent County. Later during the campaign, she worked in three counties in Indiana. Emily is a rising Junior at the University of Michigan. She is active in the student government on campus and is currently Co-chair of the LGBT Commission. Additionally, Emily is the music director of a co-ed a capella group on campus. Emily is looking forward to joining the NDN Team for the summer!
Jordan Fraade will help Simon, Alicia and the rest of the staff as the Writing and Research Intern. Jordan graduated from Columbia University this past May with a B.A. in history and a minor in Spanish. Originally from Connecticut, he has spent the last four years happily living in New York and is looking forward to spending time in D.C. for the summer and then whatever city his travels take him to next. Major areas of interest in politics include how various methods of communication influence political discourse and ideas, education policy, and Latin American affairs. He spent spring 2009 studying abroad in Madrid and is fluent in Spanish, and past D.C. experience consists of interning in Senator Chris Dodd's office in summer 2008. Hobbies include reading (esp. modernist novels and Russian lit), music of all shapes and sizes, eating his way through New York, dead-tree journalism, Indian food, the NYT crossword puzzle, and cheering on the NDN softball team after he inevitably strikes out.
Andrew Mulherkar will assist Jake and the rest of the Green Project Team. Andrew is a rising 5th-year student in the dual degree program between Tufts University and New England Conservatory. At Tufts, he is a major in International Relations, with a focus in Environmental Economics. His interest in environmental policy grew out of his work with organizations including Climate Solutions and the Washington Environmental Council, both based in his hometown of Seattle. Mulherkar has continued to develop an understanding of environmental and energy-related issues through his involvement with Tufts Recycles and the Tufts Energy Forum. At the same time, he has actively pursued his passion of playing jazz saxophone, through private study with Miguel Zenon and Jerry Bergonzi, among others. His other interests include a wide range of outdoor activities, travel, and cooking. He is eager to join the NDN team this summer.
Jeff Ochfeld will work with Amanda on NDN's Membership Program. Jeff, a rising sophmore at the University of Texas at Austin, was raised in Potomac, Maryland and is excited to work in Washington, D.C. to reacquaint himself with our nation's capital. In his free time he like to play sports, surf the web, and keep in touch with current events. Jeff also enjoys volunteering and learning from individuals with a variety of backgrounds. Jeff plans to backpack through Europe in the next few years so that he can become immersed in the rich culture found throughout the continent.
Samhir Vasdev will help out Sam on the Global Mobile Project. Samhir is a junior studying political science and African studies at Georgetown University. He is interested in studying the emergence of new media and technologies as important political players in the global landscape, as well as the importance of harnessing their power in responsible public policy. Outside the classroom, Samhir is a passionate soccer fan who loses his voice on a weekly basis watching his team play on TV. Other random interests include policy and corruption in the underdeveloped world, snowboarding, and graphic/web design. After graduating from Georgetown, Samhir hopes to work in East Africa for a while before selling his soul to attend law school.
Ana Maria Vidal joins us as the intern for the Hispanic Project. Ana Maria is delighted to be joining the NDN Hispanic Programs Team this summer. Right after graduating from Tufts University in 2007, she served as a Deputy Advisor to the Governor of Puerto Rico in the Office of Economic Development working mostly on projects of science, technology and education. Her exposure to higher education partnerships in Mexico with the Library of Congress as well as her experience as a citizenship teacher for Salvadorian Refugees in Massachusetts have led her to be interested in education policy issues regarding Hispanic populations both in the US and abroad. She is currently pursuing to a master's degree in Government at Johns Hopkins University and hopes to finish her thesis about Puerto Rican political culture and the welfare state this summer too!
Laura White will work with Jake on NDN's Globalization Project. Laura White is an enthusiastic changemaker who is deeply rooted in public service. After working extensively with the low-income children population in Atlanta, Laura developed an interest for poverty issues and started a nonprofit that provides free swimming lessons for low-income children. Laura now attends Tulane University in New Orleans, LA and continues to work with the nonprofit she founded, Wild and Water Swimming. She is also studying Political Economy, Economics, Education, and Urban Studies and works extensively with the Roosevelt Institute and the Ashoka U Changemaker Campus Program. Laura will be serving as President of the Tulane Roosevelt Institute in the fall, as well as continuing to serve as Project Manager of the Tulane Ashoka U Program.
Congratulations to NDN's 2010 Summer Intern Class!
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