Authentic Leadership Fellows

Amanda Azia '26

Amanda is a rising junior from Potomac, Maryland majoring in government with a minor in history on the pre-law track. She is excited to gain invaluable experiences, both personally and professionally, through the Authentic Leadership Institute and in her role as a Public Policy Clerk within Baker Donelson’s Federal Aerospace and Defense Policy team. On campus, Amanda holds a leadership position in Hillel. She is also involved in Alpha Phi Omega, is a Tour Guide for the Office of Undergraduate Admission, works as a Students Events & Hospitality Assistant at the Alumni House, and will begin conducting political psychology research in the fall. She was a Courageous Leadership & Authentic Excellence fellow and is currently a fellow of Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies.

Carolyn Bohnert '26

Carolyn Bohnert is a sophomore from Arlington, Virginia. She is majoring in Business Analytics and minoring in Environment & Sustainability. She is so excited to be part of the program, as she believes it will help her gain leadership and intrapersonal skills that she will take with her for the rest of her life!

Jennifer Buyer '26

Jennifer Buyer (she/her) is a sophomore at The College of William and Mary from Wilmette, Illinois. She is pursuing a major in Business Analytics with a minor in Data and Public Health, both of which she plans to apply in her future career. Beyond the classroom, Jennifer is the devoted leader of the HeadStart program for William and Mary’s chapter of Circle K International (CKI), a proud member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, and an enthusiastic player on the Club Tennis A Team. She especially enjoys spending her time reading to children through the HeadStart organization, as she holds the belief that early literacy establishes a strong foundation for academic achievement. Jennifer is excited to live and work in Washington DC this summer because she is confident that the experience will deeply enhance her knowledge of the processes that encompass day-to-day business operations. She cannot wait to explore all of the opportunities that Washington DC has to offer, as well as to be a part of the bustling city.

Reagan Downey '26

Reagan Downey is a sophomore from Birmingham, AL double majoring in linguistics and marketing. On campus she works for the Writing and Communication Center where she works to help foster confidence in students with writing assignments and as a Teaching Assistant for the Linguistics Program. She is primarily interested in community education, museum studies, and connecting people to resources.

Anna Fleischauer '25

Anna Fleischauer is a rising senior from Nokesville, Virginia. She is a proud transfer student majoring in history with hopes to attend law school after graduation. On campus, Anna is the honor chair of her social sorority, an enthusiastic tour guide and Griffin Ambassador, and a member of Vox: Planned Parenthood Generation Action. She also works at the front desk of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and enjoys connecting with potential students every day. This summer, Anna is interning at Lawfty Law, an injury law firm based in D.C. She is excited to gain invaluable personal and professional development this summer through the Authentic Leadership program and her internship.

Max Gunderson '26

Max Gunderson is a sophomore at William and Mary from Charlottesville, Virginia. He is a Computer Science major with a minor in Public Health. These two fields allow him to combine his deep interests in technology and software development with the economic, political, and cultural forces that shape community health. Max is a past participant in the William and Mary Bhutan study abroad program hosted by the Royal University of Bhutan. There he studied the country’s distinctive model of sustainable development, “Gross National Happiness,” and Himalayan Buddhism. Max is a member of the First-Year National Honor Society, Alpha Lambda Delta, and has been recognized on the Dean’s List for 2022-2023. On campus, Max has served the Community Council for his residence hall, and he is a player and Executive Member of William & Mary Men’s Club Lacrosse Team.

Kate Haiman '26

Kate Haiman '26

Giorgianna Heiko '25

Giorgianna Heiko, class of 2025, is an English Major from Morgantown, West Virginia. Outside of the classroom, Giorgianna is very involved in theater, playing the role of Juliet in W&M’s mainstage production of Romeo & Juliet in the fall of 2023. And in the spring of 2023, she played the role of Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She also co-founded and is the current Vice President of the Liberal Students League, a debate and discussion club intended for left-wing and liberal people. During the summer, Giorgianna enjoys interning for the government in various fields. She has interned for Senator Manchin on the Hill and for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. This summer, she will intern at the National Labor Relations Board. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, grabbing coffee with friends, going to museums, learning, and meeting new people.

Elle Kim '25

Elle Kim is a history major, Oral History Intern with the Bray School Lab, and a student assistant at the Special Collections Research Center. When she's not facilitating historical and archival research, she's assisting W&M's Peer Advising Program as its Training Chair. In her free time, she birds and searches for opportunities that will help her become a paralegal after graduating next year. This summer, Elle will intern with the National Archives at College Park.

Maya Mitchell '26

Maya is a rising junior from Stafford, Virginia majoring in government with a minor in biology on the pre-law track. She is excited to foster insights in the Authentic Leadership Institute Program and expand her professional skill set. As a Public Relations Fellow at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, she is seeking to expand proficiency in data analytics tools to innovate effective campaigns. On campus, she holds executive positions as Campaign Coordinator and Secretary of the Young Democrats Club. Through this organization, she has served as State Senate Campaign Chair to create social media campaigns, and implement student voting registration initiatives. She successfully developed political messaging based on community concerns, driving her passion for nonprofit philanthropy efforts. During her summer in Washington D.C., Maya is eager to gain knowledge and establish a broad network with alum about the interdisciplinary fields of government, science, politics and law for future internship and career opportunities.

Amelia Patterson '26

Amelia Patterson is a rising junior at William & Mary from Charlotte, NC. She is majoring in finance and public policy. She enjoys the different but complementary focuses of finance and public policy and hopes to use both in her career after graduation. This summer, she is interning at Byond, a boutique growth consulting firm and in the fall she will be participating in Cornell University’s Women in Investing Stock Pitch in NYC. Outside of the classroom, Amelia is the Vice President of Operations for her social sorority and an active member of Women in Business, Smart Women Securities, and the Finance Academy. She is very excited to be in DC this summer and take advantage of all the city has to offer!

Emily Radick '26

Emily Radick is a rising junior from Mountainside, New Jersey studying Public Policy and Sociology. On campus, she works with Undergraduate Admissions as a Tour Guide and Griffin Ambassador, and was a Day for Admitted Students intern this past Spring. She is also an Orientation Aide, a member of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, and is in one of W&M’s A Cappella groups, The Intonations! Last Summer, she completed a project working with seniors in her hometown to address issues such as food insecurity and isolation in the community. Emily is excited to expand on the lessons she learned from this experience through her internship with the Data, Research, and Evaluation team at United Way of the National Capital Area. This upcoming Fall, Emily will be a part of the William & Mary Social Justice Policy Initiative as a Community Fellow. She has learned so much already and can’t wait for what the rest of the Summer has in store!

Mark Strand '26

Mark is a sophomore who intends to pursue dual majors in public policy and music. Hailing from Vienna, VA, Mark is involved in Greek life on campus and a dedicated member of the W&M Men's Ultimate Frisbee team. He is particularly interested in environmental policy due to his love for the outdoors. Mark spent some of his winter at the Washington Center and is excited to be back in the nation's capital.

Hannah Svirsky '26

Hannah Svirsky is a rising junior from Boca Raton, FL. She is majoring in government with a minor in economics. On campus, Hannah is an executive member of the Public Policy Club, where she collaborates with fellow members to develop and implement policy projects. She is also an active member of the Club Tennis A-Team and Alpha Phi Omega, the community service fraternity. Hannah is looking forward to gaining valuable knowledge from participating in the Authentic Leadership Institute this summer and is excited to get firsthand experience working in Washington, D.C.

Julia Swearer '26

Julia Swearer is a rising senior at William & Mary majoring in International Relations and minoring in Economics. On campus, she has participated in the Student Environmental Action Club, Reves Microstory Workshop, and is a new Griffin Ambassador. Julia is excited to be interning this summer at SelectUSA within the Global Markets division at the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. She is interested in international politics and economics, trade policy, human rights, and immigration.

Allison Wilson '26

Allison Wilson is a member of the class of 2026 double majoring in English and Government on the Pre-law Track. She is a W&M Scholar. Originally from Portsmouth, Virginia she is aspiring to attend law school after undergrad. Her goal is to become a prosecutor and work with survivors of sexual violence. Her campus involvements include: William and Mary Scholar Undergraduate Research Experience (WMSURE) Fellow, Brown Table Talk Facilitator, Preparing for Life as a University Student Counselor, Center for Student Diversity Student Worker, Secretary of the Nu Chi chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, Tour Guide for the Office of Undergraduate Admission, member of the black student organization. She also spent last summer working on a research project studying the effectiveness of the progressive prosecutor movement as a recipient of the Charles Center Summer Research Grant. In her free time she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her friends and family.