William & Mary

Washington Center

Spring 2012 Program Scholars

	Greg Beckwith '13 Greg is a junior at the College and a Public Policy Major. Hailing from Alexandria, VA, he has just returned from a semester abroad in the UK studying Parliament and British Politics at the University of Nottingham. As a student on campus during his first two years at William and Mary, Greg was a member of the Wind Symphony, Sailing Club Team, and Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Off campus and outside of class, Greg pursued volunteer service trips during Spring Breaks that allowed him to share some of his time and strengths as well as taught him much about other communities. Greg also loves all things athletic including, soccer, baseball, rowing crew, water skiing, sailing, and wakeboarding. Driven by his passion for politics, Greg has interned on Capitol Hill and worked on a VA State Senate Campaign. As a student in the W&M in Washington Program, Greg looks forward to studying how think tanks and media outlets affect voter opinion and influence election results. Following graduation, Greg hopes to work on the Hill and attend graduate school to further his understanding of public policy.
	Joe Belsterling '15 Joe is a freshman at the College of William & Mary and is pursuing a double major in Government & Finance. On campus Joe is the campus leader for the Americans Elect organization, involved in campus buddies, part of the outdoors club and a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity. Joe loves politics, the stock market, college basketball and college lacrosse. As a participant in the W&M Washington Program, Joe hopes expand his experiences and knowledge base through immersion in the D.C. political world. He desires an internship either at a think tank or on the Hill because these both would prove to be inimitable political experiences that would provide countless learning opportunities. After graduation, Joe aspires to enter a dual-degree graduate program to pursue an M.B.A and J.D.
	Chandler Crenshaw '14 Chandler Crenshaw is a sophomore pursuing a degree in Government and Economics. Possessing a passion for politics, Chandler has been active in the political community since high school. He previously interned for Bob McDonnell's Campaign for Governor in 2009 and the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus last summer. He serves as the Deputy Field Director for Mickey Chohany's campaign for Virginia Senate. On campus, Chandler currently holds the position of First Vice Chairman for the College Republicans. He is excited about the opportunity of living and interning in Washington in a strongly contested election year. In addition to academic work and political pursuits, Chandler works as a lifeguard at his local pool in the summer. He is an avid supporter of the Chicago Cubs.
	Parker Dato '13 Parker is a junior at the College majoring in International Relations. A San Diego native, he has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to experience all the history, culture, and humidity the East Coast has to offer. A longtime history buff and political enthusiast, Parker is even more excited to be spending a semester in Washington D.C. He plans on going to law school after graduating from William & Mary, perhaps with an intervening stint in the Peace Corps, and hopes to pursue a career in either law or law enforcement. In his free time he enjoys reading, playing volleyball, and watching TV crime dramas (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles included).
	Meredith Dost '13 Meredith Dost is a junior and a public policy and hispanic studies double major at the College, hailing from the suburbs of Chicago. She is particularly interested in political polling, complimented by assisting Professor Rapoport of the Government Dpt’s research, relations between the U.S. and Latin American countries, and public education in the U.S. During the fall 2011 semester, she is studying abroad in Argentina on a human-rights focused program where she interns at the Comisión Provincial por la Memoria on the Torture Committee, providing legal help for accused Argentines in preventative prison. While on campus, she is actively involved in leadership positions in W&M Students for Belize Education, an annual international service trip, the Choir, and Reveille A Cappella. Her goals include working in DC post-graduation and then attending a political science or educational policy-based graduate program. In her spare time, she teaches music classes for children at the Williamsburg United Methodist Church and volunteers in and around campus through the Office of Community Engagement and Scholarship.
	Drew Engelhardt '13 Drew Engelhardt is a junior government major at the College. His current academic interests include the Congress, public policy development, and comparative politics. When not reading about competing theories of legislative behavior, Drew chairs the scholarship committee of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Although he is from Camarillo, California, Drew does not in fact surf. Instead, in his free time he enjoys reading existential and political philosophy, following the most recent adventures of Doctor Who, and catching up on the latest shenanigans of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May in Top Gear. After completing his degree, Drew plans on pursuing graduate education in political science.
	Erich Hartman '13 A native of the Chicago suburbs, Erich Hartman is a William & Mary junior majoring in Government with a minor in Economics. Erich is a keen observer of both domestic and international politics and a self-admitted policy wonk. An avid traveler, he has spent the past few years everywhere from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Wasilla, Alaska, and has volunteered for a number of community service projects in Thailand and Myanmar. Last summer he was a fellow in the W&M National Security Institute and worked as a research intern at the Hudson Institute, a DC think tank. In the future, Erich would like to pursue a career in either national security or public policy before he launches his inevitable bid for world domination. In his spare time, he enjoys history, cinema, and reading The Wall Street Journal.
	Dan Hartranft '13 Dan Hartranft is junior and a Government major at the College. He writes for the Dog Street Journal and is an active member of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. He is also a member of the William and Mary chapter of the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network think tank. Outside of government studies, he is also interested in history and economics. He plans on someday working in either Washington, D.C. or Philadelphia. In his spare time, he likes to play the bass, write, watch skydiving videos, and row. He grew up in Warminster, PA.
	Gus Herbert '13 Gus Herbert is a junior government major at the College of William and Mary. Along with participating in the William and Mary in Washington program, Gus is also a member of the Delta Phi fraternity on campus and an intramural sports supervisor at the College. He is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Pi Sigma Alpha Government Honors Society. Besides academics, Gus is an avid politics enthusiast who plans to start a career in campaign management when he finishes college and gets out into the real world. His long term goals include being a part of a major presidential campaign and eventually working as a criminal prosecutor in his home town of Louisville, Kentucky.
	Soyoung Kim '13 Soyoung Kim is a junior at the College of William and Mary. She is majoring in International Relations and minoring in Economics. She is from Seoul, Korea and is particularly interested in the Asia-Pacific region. During the summers, she has worked in private educational institutes in Korea. On campus, she is teaching intermediate level of Korean to fellow students in Hello WM. She hopes to be a diplomat and work in Korean government in the future. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends, watching movies, and listening to music. She also likes to walk around the campus and Colonial Williamsburg on sunny days. She looks forward to spending a semester in Washington, D.C. with fantastic opportunities that are waiting for her.
	Rachel Lienesch '14 Rachel Lienesch is a sophomore at the College majoring in Government and Sociology. On campus, she is the historian for the Young Democrats organization, works on layout for the DOG Street Journal new magazine, and tutors second graders at Matthew Whaley Elementary School. Rachel is a political junkie who has worked on several delegate campaigns in Northern Virginia, and is thrilled about getting more experience in politics and campaigning this spring. She hopes to pursue a Masters degree in public policy after graduation, and someday help make policy working for the government or an advocacy group. In her spare time, she loves to read and, when Williamsburg weather cooperates, relax and spend time with friends in the Sunken Gardens.
	Steven Lovern Steven Lovern is a Junior and Government major here at the College. He comes from a small, rural town in Southern Virginia – Dinwiddie County. After graduating with a class of 21 from high school, Steven is definitely ready to be a part of the fast paced 2012 election process in DC. His deepest interest in government is American Politics and more specifically elections. He is trip leader for the international service trip Bridges to Community that travels to Nicaragua every winter break to build houses for underprivileged families and establish sustainable communities. Steven is also an Orientation Aide during the College’s Orientation process. He loves getting able to show new students what life at William and Mary is really like and introduce them to the ins and outs of campus. Steven is very excited to spend the semester in DC to experience all the Washington has to offer.
	Gabe Manion '14 Gabe is a sophomore at the College. He is majoring in public policy, and he plans to study public policy in graduate school after finishing his bachelor’s degree. His passion is for health care policy, and he has conducted several research projects on American health care policymaking. He is involved in many campus organizations, including the International Relations Club, Public Policy Club, and 1 in 4. In addition, he is currently a brother of the William and Mary Delta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. In his free time, Gabe loves playing and watching tennis and basketball, hanging out with friends, and keeping up with good music, books, and movies. He has lived near DC since second grade, but he is excited about experiencing DC in a whole new way this Spring.
	Davey McKissick Davey McKissick is a senior government major at the College. He’s from Northern Chesterfield, VA just south of Richmond. Davey is an executive member of Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity Phi Beta chapter. In addition he is a member of AIDSTanzania, a service group that travels to Tanzania every January to educate communities on safe sexual practices. Davey has also been managing the Tribe’s Varsity Volleyball Team since his freshman year. Starting this past summer, Davey has been working on Delegate Robin Abbott (D- 93)’s re-election campaign. Davey is interested in learning how the political parties play a significant part in elections and affect the electoral outcomes in Congress. He is excited for the opportunity to live and learn in D.C. Looking towards the future, Davey wants to work in the D.C. area helping on campaigns or working on the Hill.
	Nick Reck '13 A junior at the College, Nick is a Government and Philosophy double major from the greater Philadelphia area. He has focused his government studies on domestic policy issues, and his philosophy degree on the Existentialists, particularly Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. This past summer Nick interned in the DC offices of Senator John Kerry and Representative Barney Frank. After graduation Nick plans to work for a few years in DC en route to a Law degree. In his spare time, Nick likes reading and talking with friends at the Daily Grind, playing tennis, smoking his pipe, copy editing for the Monitor journal of international studies, and working on the Bullet Quarterly literary journal.
	Meg Schwenzfeier '14 Meg Schwenzfeier is a sophomore and a government major at the College. A Sharpe Community Scholar her freshman year, she is particularly interested in political engagement and participation and is currently working on a research project studying political volunteerism. She has previously interned with a congressional campaign in Charlottesville, Virginia. In Williamsburg she is involved with the Neighborhood Council of Williamsburg and is the Secretary of Public Affairs for the W&M Student Assembly Executive. She is also one of the College’s representatives to Virginia21, a statewide student lobbying organization. In her free time she enjoys relaxing with friends, reading, and getting apple cider in Colonial Williamsburg. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and also lived in Lee, New Hampshire before moving to Virginia.
	Cleo Watson Cleo is an exchange student from Cardiff University in the UK, where she studies European Politics and International Relations. She has an open mind regarding future career path but is currently interested in working in diplomacy, finance or for an NGO before turning to domestic politics in the UK or USA. She currently rows for the Women’s Varsity squad at William and Mary and is secretary of the Politics Society, an NSPCC counsellor and a member of the Varsity Women’s lacrosse team at Cardiff. Working in the Houses of Parliament and interning at The Spectator and The Sunday Times caught her interest in politics initially, whilst travelling extensively in India, studying in America and analysing European Union activity has expanded this to include a fascination with the relations of different global actors. She likes to watch films, cook and indulge in outdoor pursuits (as well as have a well-deserved nap after rowing practice!). She is incredibly excited to be at the centre of the political world for a whole semester and cannot wait to experience everything DC has to offer.
	Min Kyung Yoo '13 Originally from South Korea, Min Kyung is a junior and a public policy major at the College. Over the summer, she interned at Ministry of Unification, a South Korean government department that deals with inter-Korean relations. The internship experience has expanded her interest in North Korean issues and policies, and she plans to conduct her summer Monroe research on South Korea’s alternative secondary education system for North Korean juvenile refugees. On campus, she is a student coordinator of the Center for Student Diversity’s SPAN (Student Peer Advisory Network) mentoring program, and works at Reves Center for International Studies. She has an upbeat personality, and enjoys spending time with friends, walking around outside, and working out. When she finishes her higher education, she wants to take career paths relevant to education or North Korean policies.