Meet Our Community Engagement Fellows
2012
Ishan Bardhan
A junior at the College of William and Mary, Ishan is double majoring in government and economics. Born in India, he moved to Northern Virginia eighteen years ago and was raised a few short miles from the nation’s capital. In his time at William & Mary, Ishan has become involved in a number of student organizations. In addition to partaking in numerous clubs, he is the Executive President of the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Vice President of Kappa Alpha Order and an active member of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity. In his “free” time, Ishan helps customers shop at J.Crew, where he is somehow still employed even after electrocuting his boss. Upon finishing his undergraduate degree, Ishan hopes to pursue a career that allows him to make a positive difference in his community. When not working or studying, he enjoys drinking tea, reading historical fiction, playing sports and talking to his dog.
Ishan is interning with the Boys and Girls Club this summer.
Zack Brown
Originally from just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Zack Brown is currently a sophomore at the College, and is working toward a B.A. in Government with a minor in Economics. Zack is particularly interested in public policy – specifically health care reform – and foreign policy with a focus on Chinese political relations and economic development. He is aggressively pursuing fluency in Mandarin Chinese, and is steadily advancing through language classes at the College with plans to study abroad in Beijing within the next year. On campus, Zack is actively involved in the Undergraduate Honor Council, the fraternity of Beta Theta Pi, the Development Ambassadors Program, and the Branch Out National Site Leader Program, the Student Leadership Foundation, and the sexual assault awareness group 1 in 4. In his free time, Zack loves to exercise with friends, catch up on his reading, and video chat with his friends and family back home.
Zack is interning with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace this summer.
T.D. Crowley
Thomas Crowley is a Public Policy major and a junior at the College. Through the course of his studies, Thomas has developed an interest in government at the state and local level and in the impact of social policy of communities. In particular, Thomas is particularly interested in urban planning and of the benefits and consequences of development and land-use decisions. Thomas is considering enrolling in a Master’s-level urban planning or urban development program after graduating from William & Mary. In his free time, Thomas enjoys playing guitar and performing with friends, and is an omnivorous consumer of music. He currently serves as Production Director at WCWM and Facilities Manager at the student-run Meridian Coffeehouse. He is employed by the College as an AV Tech at the Sadler Center.
TD is interning with Downtown DC BID this summer.
Sarah Rose Dorton
Sarah-Rose is a Junior here at the College, but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has been an active member of the College’s Sailing Club since freshman year. Sarah-Rose works for the Development office as a Student caller at Phonathon. She is double majoring in Religious Studies and Global Studies with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies. Sarah-Rose is in her third year of Arabic and plans to study abroad in Amman, Jordan in the spring semester. She is very interested in religious ethics and how it relates to human rights, specifically as it pertains to religious freedom and tolerance in the United States. Sarah-Rose is looking forward to the experience of working with a non-profit this summer because she hopes to work for a Human Rights Organization after college. Her favorite place to go and visit is the beach, and in her free time she enjoys sailing on the James River, spending time with her friends, eating, and finding dogs to pet in Colonial Williamsburg.
Sarah Rose is interning with the Interfaith Alliance this summer.
Liese Foust
Anneliese Foust is a double major in Religious Studies and Anthropology. She is highly fascinated by different cultures, their religions, and the people who live within them. Ever since traveling abroad at a young age, she has been interested in how different communities and societies interact. Due to her interest in different cultures and the people living in them, she has a passion to travel the world and experience and learn from different viewpoints. Her interest in the world and cultures has led her to study Arabic and plan to study abroad in Jordan this coming semester. Her plans for study after undergraduate is to go onto graduate school for Peace and Conflict Resolution/Management either on a local community level or on an international scale. However, before graduate school she has thoughts of joining the Peace Corps for a two-year commitment. Besides traveling she enjoys singing, playing tennis, and reading on her spare time.
Liese is interning with Save the Children this summer.
Ashby Gaines
Ashby is a junior Government major and Russian and Post Soviet Studies minor at the College. She is interested in community development and international relations. Ashby studied abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia where she spent her time studying and filming a documentary based on a St. Petersburg sight of memory. She served as the Ambassador to Russia for the International Film Festival for the Charles Center during her time abroad. On campus she is actively involved with the College's sailing team, Student's for Belize Education, and College Partnership for Kids. In addition, Ashby has volunteered with AmeriCorps and served as an Orientation Assistant for Freshmen at the College. Ashby is from Nokesville, Virginia and enjoys spending her free time running, reading, and napping with her dog.
Ashby is intering with the National Conference on Citizenship this summer.
Adriana Green
Adriana Green was born in Heidelberg, Germany and has had an international bug ever since. Since her first semester at William and Mary she’s been interested in, and involved with, diverse populations and promotes diversity around and within her own life.
Summer 2009 saw her travelling across time zones and continents to study the language and culture in Beijing, China and her Junior year, 2010-2011, was spent living and learning at both Nottingham and Oxford Universities in the UK. Through various programs on campus and her own creative spark, she’s been engaging with others to encourage exploration and tolerance in all areas of life.
Adriana is interning with DC Central Kitchen this summer.
Ellie Kaufman
Ellie Kaufman is a junior at the College of William and Mary. She is an English major and a Hispanic Studies minor. Ellie works for the Flat Hat, the student newspaper, and is currently serving as the Chief Staff Writer. Ellie has served as a staff writer and Variety Editor in the past. Ellie is currently a part of the Leadership and Community Engagement program on campus, and she began her journey with service last spring when she did her first alternative spring break with Branch Out. She is working for Global Playground as a news reporter intern, and hopes to break into the non-profit sector after graduation. She studies abroad in Cadiz, Spain, this past summer and hopes to return to Europe for a semester abroad or just for more travel post-grad.
Ellie is interning with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting this summer.
Steph Kumah
Stephanie Kumah is a senior at The College of William and Mary with a double major in government and French. Currently, she currently lives with her family in Fairfax, Virginia. However, she grew up in a small boarding school in Oxford, England.
At William and Mary, she is involved with the African Cultural Society, Buddy Baseball, the Undergraduate Admissions Office, and Reformed University Fellowship. Steph is pre-law and hopes to one day pursue a career in domestic and international human rights.
Steph is interning with the Department of Justice this summer.
Mimi Laycock
Mary Louise Laycock is a sophomore at the College. Known around campus as Mimi, she hopes to major in both Kinesiology and Sociology.
Mimi has lived in Williamsburg her whole life. She graduated from Jamestown High School in 2010, where she found her niche in both athletics and service. Focusing much of her attention on Cross Country and Basketball, Mimi also found a love for volunteering in her community and serving her school. Before attending public high school, Mimi went to a Catholic school for K-8th grade. Her Catholic faith maintains its importance in her life today.
Coming to William and Mary in the fall of 2010, Mimi joined a social sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and began accepting leadership roles as the freshman representative on the standards committee and the assistant to membership. She began volunteering at a local Head Start program with Child Development Resources (CDR) and is now the co-leader for the program. In the summer of 2011, Mimi volunteered as an Orientation Aid. She is now an Orientation Director for the upcoming spring and fall orientations.
Outside of William and Mary, Mimi is active in the community. By babysitting for several families in Williamsburg and working for This Century Art Gallery, she stays connected to her hometown.
You can find Mimi pacing the sidelines of every football game, on a run through Colonial Williamsburg with her best friend, or hanging out with her grandmother every Wednesday.
Things that make Mimi happy include vacationing in Vermont, being a Godmother, watching her younger brother play basketball, and the idea that she may one day be able to change the world.
Mimi is interning with DC Public Schools this summer.
David Lee
David Lee, a native of Chicago suburbs, is a freshman and a prospective International Relations and English double major at the College of William and Mary. He is interested in international diplomacy, law, and non-governmental organizations in both domestic and international communities. On campus, David is involved in the Sharpe Scholar Program, debate team, UNICEF, Symphonic Orchestra, Reformed University Fellowship, and Intervarsity. Off campus, he volunteers at the Matthew Whaley Elementary School, served as a teacher at a local summer school, and has went on mission trips with his church to Paraguay and a Native American reservation in northern Minnesota for the past four years. Apart from academics and community services, David likes to play soccer, run, read theological and philosophical books, meet new people, and listen to or practice music. As a participant in the DC Summer Institute’s Community Engagement Program, David desires to learn more about the infrastructures of the non-governmental organizations, the leadership within the organizations, and their influences and significance in the community. After graduation, David plans to attend graduate school, in pursuit of a PhD degree, and study international politics and economic sustainability in developing countries.
David is interning with the U.S. Department of Education this summer.
William Ozbun
William Ozbun is a Junior at the College of William and Mary. Born in a small town near Venice, Italy, William is a dual American and Italian citizen with a passion for international travel and eating good food. A Government and Environmental Policy double Major, William tries to combine his interests for international affairs, the environment and food sustainability by being active and involved in several campus organizations. William is a brother of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity a member of the International Relations Club and the Botany Club, and works as a student assistant for both Swem Library and the College’s Herbarium. In addition, William has served as co-chair of the food group program, a branch of the College’s Committee on Sustainability (COS) and as an Eco-Ambassador has worked on a nontraditional recycling program through the Athletics department. In his free time, William enjoys enthusiastically sharing his love for Italian culture and language through his position as a teacher assistant in the Modern Languages Department. Upon graduation William plans to enter a career in sustainable development, a job which will enable him to make a difference in the lives of many, and simultaneously help preserve the world’s natural environments.
Will is interning with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace this summer.
Ashley Pettway
Ashley Pettway is a rising senior, Literary and Cultural Studies major and Community Studies minor hailing from Woodbridge, VA. She plans to pursue a Master’s degree in higher education upon graduation and become a dean of admission with an emphasis on multicultural recruitment. She fostered this interest as a multicultural recruitment intern at the office of undergraduate admissions, where she has planned events to showcase the diversity of experiences at the College. When not working Ashley serves as the public relations chair of the Black Student Organization, parliamentarian of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and is active in several OCES service trips. Ashley’s hobbies include: color guard, reading, and watching or listening to anything from the 90s.
Ashley is interning with DC Public Libraries this summer.
Serena Saffarini
Serena is a freshman at the College planning to pursue a double major in Accounting and Public Policy. She is actively involved in several student organizations, including the International Relations Club as a member of the leadership team organizing the annual High School Model UN Conference, and the Public Policy Club as the Community Engagement Officer.
Serena also serves as a teachers’ assistant in a third grade class at Matthew Whaley Elementary School. Upon graduating, she hopes to earn her Master’s Degree in public policy and manage a non-profit organization for social development.
Serena is interning with the Center for American Progress this summer.
Hannah Scruggs
Hannah Scruggs is a junior at the College. She is a history major and involved in Reformed University Fellowship, Appalachian Music Ensemble, and works part-time at an on-campus coffee shop. Hannah grew up in a small town outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. Both of her parents are teachers, which has influenced her passion for equal education.
After graduation, Hannah hopes to be an Americorps or Peace Corps volunteer before heading to graduate school. In her spare time, Hannah enjoys playing music, running, and spending time with her friends.
Hannah is interning with DC Public Schools this summer.
Michelle Selim
Michelle Selim is a Junior here at the College with a double major in Economics and Government. She was born in Williamsburg, but grew up in nearby Newport News, Virginia. She has a passion for international development which is illustrated through her work on campus at AidData at the Institute for the Theory and Practice of International Relations. She is particularly interested in issues concerning the effectiveness, transparency, and sustainability of foreign aid and development. She is also involved in the Community Partnership for Adult Learners, Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, and Branch Out alternative break program. After graduation, she hopes to go to graduate school for public policy and pursue a career in international development to make a difference in the global community. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, watching movies, and strolling in Colonial Williamsburg.
Michelle is intering with the Center for Strategic and International Studies this summer.
Taylor Stephens
Taylor Stephens is a sophomore at The College of William & Mary. He is currently considering majors in History and American Studies, and ultimately hopes to attend law school. Taylor is actively involved in his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, the College’s Croquet team and the William & Mary Haiti Compact. He is looking forward to traveling to Haiti in January with the Haiti Compact, where he will lead an effort to create a business plan for a small hot chocolate operation hoping to become certified by Fair Trade USA. Taylor spent a majority of his time last summer working in legislative affairs at the state politics level in his home state of Pennsylvania. He is looking forward to spending this summer working for a Public Policy Institute or Non-Profit Organization in Washington, D.C. Through these experiences he hopes to gain a greater understanding of the interaction between the government and the ability evoke changes in society.
Taylor is interning with Civic Enterprises this summer.
