William & Mary

Washington Center

Fall 2008 Program Scholars

	Maura Bardos '10 Maura Bardos is a junior majoring in Government and Mathematics. On campus, she plays oboe in the symphony orchestra, is a brother in APO (a co-ed service fraternity), and serves as a health outreach peer educator (HOPE). Maura also enjoys volunteering and tutors first graders at a local elementary school. After graduation, she intends to pursue a career in public policy. Originally from a suburb of DC, she is looking forward to spending a semester in the city. Maura is interning at The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
	Stephanie Beckett '09 Stephanie Beckett is a senior Government and Black Studies double major. In Williamsburg she is a tutor with the AVID program at Berkeley Middle School and she also works part time as a cashier. On campus she is a member of in the African Cultural Society, STANDarfur, Phi Alpha Delta (Pre-Law Fraternity), as well as Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. She has been very fortunate to be a Gates Millennium Scholar with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She divided this past summer between studying abroad in Cambridge, England and interning in DC. She is very interested in African politics and plans to one day study in West Africa. Her ultimate goal is to become a politician or public official. She is absolutely thrilled to be back in the DC area, where she attended boarding school and previously interned for Congressman Robert C. Scott and the Washington Wizards. Stephanie is interning at C-SPAN.
	Dalton Bennett '10 Dalton Bennett is a junior majoring in Public Policy. Dalton is a transfer student from Fudan University located in Shanghai China where he studied Chinese language intensively. While in China, he worked with a Chinese Robotics firm, helping to establish American marketing relationships. Dalton has also interned at an international consulting group, Atoka International located in Washington D.C. where he provided research support for international project development for emerging markets. His academic interests include China, ethnic separatist movements throughout Asia, post conflict state building, and Western diplomatic relations with central Asian nations. He also speaks Chinese and has working knowledge Spanish. Before returning to China this past summer, Dalton assisted in running an orange plantation located in rural Honduras. Upon graduating, he plans to pursue a career as a Foreign Service officer. Dalton has a weakness for Spanish literature and a good cigar. He is interning in Senator Jim Webb's Office.
	Sean Callahan, UVA '10 Sean Callahan is a junior at the University of Virginia majoring in International Affairs. On campus, he teaches swim lessons to children of the Charlottesville community and is in active member of STAND, a student anti-genocide coalition. Sean is from Fairfax, Virginia, where he spends his summer coaching his neighborhood swim team. Sean is interning at The State Department in the Office of Reconstruction and Stabilization.
	Stephanie Ferguson '09 Stephanie Ferguson is a senior at the College of William and Mary, majoring in International Relations. She spends time volunteering for CPK, Avalon, and The Boys and Girls Club. She is the chair of one of her sorority’s philanthropies and participates in community service with her sorority. She spent high school traveling to Europe, Africa, the Pacific, Australia and Indochina on her family’s sailboat, volunteering in humanitarian work and familiarizing herself with the people and their culture. She continues to do so over breaks when she visits her family. She spent spring semester of her sophomore year studying abroad in Madrid, Spain and speaks Spanish. This past summer she interned with Connie Mac IV, US Congressman from Florida. Stephanie is interning at The Hudson Institute.
	Christian Hall '08 Christian Hall is a senior majoring in Russian and Post-Soviet Studies with a History minor. In 2007, he worked at the Human Rights Campaign, a GLBT advocacy organization in Washington, as a political fellow. His academic interests include modern Russian history, American government, and ethnic conflict. This past summer, Christian studied Russian language and literature in St. Petersburg, Russia. In his free time he enjoys catching up on the news, spending time with friends, and exploring. After graduation, he will continue working in Washington and further down the line pursue a graduate degree in International Relations or a related field. Chris is interning for the Global Strategy Institute at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
	Allison Hutchings '09 Allison Hutchings is a senior pursuing a double major in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies. Her academic interests include the Middle East, international development and conflict resolution. On campus she is a resident assistant for Reves Hall, a community service leader in the Office of Student Volunteer Services, and a member of Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, Kappa Delta Sorority, and Mortar Board. Her hobbies include volunteering, yoga, running, traveling, reading, and most recently, belly dancing. This past summer she studied Arabic and traveled throughout Jordan and Syria. While ultimately she would like to become a professor, her short-term goals include joining the Peace Corps and attending law school. Allison is interning at The Middle East Institute.
	Megan Liaboe '10 Megan Liaboe is a junior pursuing a major in International Relations and a minor in Arabic. This past year she working as a Resident Assistant on campus and worked off campus at the National Center for State Courts. She is a member of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, William and Mary Students for Barack Obama, and the International Relations Club. Megan loves reading, sushi, flying on airplanes, and, of course, sweet home Chicago. Megan is interning at the Foreign Service Institute in the Overseas Briefing Center, which is part of The State Department.
	Jasmine Lief '09 Jasmine Lief is a senior at William & Mary majoring in international relations. She is from Falls Church, Virginia but has lived in several cities in the U.S. and abroad. Development, migration, and the Middle East are her main areas of interest. She speaks fluent French and studies German and Arabic. Additionally, Jasmine spent the Fall 2007 semester in Berlin, Germany, where she returned this past summer to conduct research on Muslim immigrant women. Afterwards, she participated in an intensive Arabic program in Meknes, Morocco. On campus, she is involved in the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, ESL tutoring, and the Middle Eastern Cultural Association. In her spare time, Jasmine enjoys traveling, talking about fashion and politics, and eating at interesting restaurants. Jasmine is interning at the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
	Elizabeth Owerbach '09 Liz Owerbach is a senior double majoring in International Relations and Russian/Post-Soviet Studies. On campus, Liz is an active member of the International Relations Club, and has served as Vice President for Campus Affairs and Director of Operations for The College’s High School Model United Nations Conferences. Liz also participates on the school’s MUN team and is an active member of Americans for Informed Democracy. Liz also loves music and theater; she plays the harp and is a member of the Pointe Blank Dance Company. Last summer, Liz studied in St. Petersburg, Russia and completed an independent documentary. She hopes to one day work in international law, promoting human rights and democracy in Eastern Europe. Liz is interning at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in the Central and Eastern Europe Program.
	Emily Shroder '11 Emily Shroder is a sophomore at William and Mary, majoring in Government with a possible minor in Chinese. She works as a Peer Scholarship Advisor for the Charles Center, and tutors elementary school students in English. Emily loves learning new languages, cooking, reading, running, and playing tennis. This past summer she used a Freshman Monroe Grant to study the portrayal of Native Americans in American museums. In the future, she plans to study abroad in China and Spain. Emily hopes to have a career in U.S. foreign relations. She is interning at The Asia Foundation.
	Karsten Thot '10 Karsten Thot is a junior from Seattle, Washington pursuing a degree in Government. On campus he is a brother in Beta Theta Pi and has been employed by William and Mary Residence Life as a Resident Assistant. During free time, he enjoys relaxing with friends, listening to NPR, and watching Arrested Development. After attaining a degree he hopes to work abroad. Karsten is interning at the Environmental Law Institute for the Global Environmental Governance Project.
	William Warriner '09 William Warriner was born in Northern Virginia has strong family roots in Richmond. He is a fall 2007 transfer student from Virginia Commonwealth University where he pursued both music and the study of government. Besides studying government and music, he was also part of a successful attempt to establish an Asian male fraternity at VCU. At the end of his sophomore year, having decided to devote his life to political science instead of the performing arts, Will made the decision to transfer to the College of William and Mary. However, music, in particular jazz, still plays an important and inspirational role in his life and he has played in both of William & Mary’s jazz bands. After graduating, he hopes to attend graduate school up to the doctorate level. After achieving a PhD, he hopes to teach at a university and to continue his own education through researching and publishing. Will is interning at The Hudson Institute.
	Shirin Wertime '10 Shirin Wertime is a junior from Arlington, Virginia majoring in Government and Middle Eastern Studies. She is active in several student organizations on campus and is the co-founder of chapters of Codepink and Students for Justice in Palestine at William & Mary. Shirin has grown up speaking Persian at home, has studied French for the past eight years and is currently in third year Arabic. She spent last summer studying Arabic in Ifrane, Morocco and continued her study this past summer in Syria. She will also be spending a semester studying at l’Université Lumière Lyon II in Lyon, France. Shirin enjoys traveling, studying languages and eating her grandmother’s Persian cooking. She is interning for The Regional Voices Project at the Henry L. Stimson Center.
	Elizabeth Wheless '10 Beth Wheless is a junior at the College who is completing a double major in German and Government. In her free time, she volunteers at the Heritage Humane Society and works as a hostess at the Trellis Restaurant and The Royal Chocolate. Beth also enjoys cooking, reading, pilates and running. Beth is interested in international relations and hopes to intern at a government office. She would like to be a high school teacher after graduation. She then plans to go to law school, where she will focus on international law. Beth is interning at the Minority Office of the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform.
	Heather Winn '10 Heather Winn is a junior majoring in Government and History from Perkasie, Pennsylvania. She is a research assistant for Professor Tierney working on the PLAID and TRIP databases. She is also a Tribe Ambassador for the Admissions office. Additionally, she plays on the club volleyball team and is a member of Alpha Chi Omega. In her free time, Heather enjoys playing sports, traveling and being outdoors. After college, she plans to attend graduate school and earn a degree in political science. Heather is interning for the Post-Conflict Reconstruction (PCR) Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).