Meet our National Security Fellows
2012
Michael Aiken
Michael Aiken, a rising junior at the College, is an Accounting and Government double major. He is currently the Vice President of Salsa Club and has been dancing salsa for 1 year. Michael plays snare drum for the W&M Pep Band; he has been playing snare with a focus in rudimental drumming for eight years and has been involved in percussion transcription and composition for five years. He has been heavily influenced by progressive metal and rock drummers, namely Neil Peart, Mike Portnoy, and Mike Mangini. Michael also has been investing in the stock market for five years; he studies William O’Neil’s growth stock investing strategy, as featured in the Investor’s Business Daily. In the summer of 2011, he conducted individual research on the stock market, funded by the W&M Charles Center. Michael is especially interested in working where national security and business overlap; he is considering a career in auditing, federal consulting, or defense intelligence.
Michael is interning with the Hudson Institute this summer.
Rachel Cohen
Rachel is a senior at the college, majoring in Government with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. She studies Arabic and Spanish, and has studied abroad in Meknes, Morocco and Seville, Spain. She enjoys teaching languages almost as much as she enjoys learning them, and while abroad in Spain worked and volunteered teaching English to Spanish children. In Williamsburg she volunteers as a teacher’s aide at Matthew Whaley Elementary School, where her favorite job is helping first graders with reading. On campus she is an active member of the Gamma Psi chapter of the honors fraternity Phi Sigma Pi, as well as the Classic Movies Club. In her free time Rachel enjoys reading, writing, and playing the piano.
Rachel is interning with the Department of Homeland Security this summer.
Will Douthitt
Will Douthitt is a senior international relations major and East Asian studies minor. While his academic focuses are on international studies, his favorite way to approach these fields is through the frames of environmental policy and sustainable development. Will is from Falls Church, VA and takes any opportunity he can to travel outside the country. Some of his most memorable international experiences have been performing service work in Vietnam and Burma; and studying abroad in Beijing, China between his junior and senior years. On campus, he sings with the W&M Choir and plays the fiddle in the Appalachian Music Ensemble. This year, he is interning with W&M’s Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations, conducting research on grant acquisition and community outreach for the college’s upcoming sustainable housing project, the Eco-Village. In the past he has worked with several non-profit groups in a variety of areas including refugee resettlement casework, youth safety education, youth volunteer coordination, fundraising, and climate policy advocacy. Following graduation, he hopes to spend several years gaining experience in international development, before pursuing a graduate degree in that field.
Will is interning with USAID this summer.
Meredith Duffy
Meredith is a rising senior at the college and a government and history double major. After graduation she intends to pursue graduate work in international relations, concentrating on international development, international security, or environmental policy. Her primary political and historical interest regions include Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She is an active member and president of the club fencing team and a brother of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity. Last summer Meredith worked as an interpretive services intern and gallery docent at Jamestown Settlement, where she is now employed as a museum historical interpreter in the Powhatan Indian Village. A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Meredith enjoys reading, writing, drinking coffee, swimming, and sailing in her spare time.
Meredith is interning with the Department of State this summer.
Jessie Dzura
Jessie Dzura is a junior, majoring in Government and minoring in Hispanic Studies. She is particularly interested in the relationship between Latin America and the United States, and hopes to be working with non-profit organizations concerning this issue, post-graduation. Jessie is actively involved at William and Mary; she is an RA for the Spotswood dorm, a Sharpe Fellow for the Ethical Fashion seminar, and the Morale Supervisor for the William and Mary Phonathon. She also led a Branch Out National Service trip to Richmond, Virginia dealing with HIV/AIDS awareness that was sponsored by Fan Free Clinic. Jessie has been abroad multiple times, and specifically studied Cultural Psychology in Goa, India. Additionally, Jessie was a research assistant for Regina Root of the Hispanic Studies department, working with Alta Gracia (a living wage apparel brand based in the Dominican Republic) and researching the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Colombia. Jessie is from Richmond, Virginia, and spends her free time running, playing with her dog, and working on her cooking abilities.
Jessie is interning with the Naitonal Defense University this summer.
Kyle Ilgenfritz
Kyle is sophomore at the College of William and Mary. Kyle plans to major in International Relations and History. He is specifically interested in national security and European history. Kyle hopes to travel abroad his junior year to France as French is his language of study. He is also an active member of Sigma Chi fraternity and One in Four. Kyle hopes through the DC Summer Institute he will become closer to becoming security analyst at an agency in Washington such as the CIA or NSA. Kyle is a Virginia native, living most of his life in Potomac Falls Virginia but also lived four years in Williamsburg. In his spare time he enjoys watching sports, reading, watching movies, working out and participating in his fraternity’s intramural sports teams.
Kyle is interning with the National Defense University this summer.
Chris Komatsu
Chris Komatsu is a rising junior at the college majoring in Chemistry and attempting to minor in Government. He has trained to shoot competitively in long distance rifle tournaments and is a member of Lafayette Gun Club just outside of Williamsburg. He has done a paid research internship with the Chemistry department in the lab of Professor Gary Defotis and plans to continue his studies in graduate school. As a matter of fact, he secured a permit from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms to operate an “Industrial Alcohol Manufacture Facility” in his home in Texas as part of an independent research project. He has also been involved with the Kappa Sigma fraternity and the College Republicans on campus. He is most interested in where the Natural Science and Security fields overlap and is interested in federal agencies such as the DEA, FBI, and Department of Energy.
Chris is interning with the National Consortium for the Stufy of Terroism and Responses to Terrorism this summer.
Colleen Leonard
Colleen Leonard is a rising senior and a government and Latin American studies double major at the College. After graduation, she intends to pursue a public sector career involving U.S.-Latin American relations and policy. In addition to major-related courses, she also enjoys taking history classes, and she has a part-time job at the W&M History Department. Colleen also has a part-time job at the Alumni House assisting with college socials, alumni functions, and public events. Aside from her part-time jobs and coursework, Colleen also copy edits for The Flat Hat newspaper, or she can be found spending time with friends. Combining her interest in Hispanic culture with her passion for travel, she has studied abroad in Spain, where she conducted individual research on representations of immigrants in Spanish short film. While in Spain, she also was able to indulge her interest in history as she toured the halls of La Alhambra, the streets of Segovia, and the caves of Gibraltar. A native of Chesterfield County, Va., Colleen spends her spare time reading historical novels and science fiction, learning random trivia, watching movies, and taking trips to the beach.
Colleen is interning at the National Archives this summer.
Catherine Lipper
Catherine is a rising senior and a double major in International Relations and French at the College. She aims to work in Washington D.C. for the foreseeable future upon graduation, specifically in the area of international security where she can use her French skills. She studied and interned abroad while refining her French this past spring in Brussels, Belgium. On campus, she is a member of and a French translator for the Virtual Library of Freedom, a student organization that aims to promote cross-cultural discussion with the Muslim world through its website and blog. Catherine is an avid fan of theater, as both an actress and an audience member. She is from New Providence, New Jersey, though spent four of her formative years living in London, England and traveling around Europe. Catherine’s time in London and visits to France sparked her respective interests in International Relations and French. She previously worked at Development Gateway, a non-profit international development organization based in Washington D.C.
Catherine is interning at the Department of Homeland Security this summer.
Jared Miller
Jared Miller is a sophomore at the College from Radford, Virginia. He is majoring in International Relations with a possible double minor in Economics and Religious Studies. His interest in international relations focuses on the theory and practice of human rights throughout the world. He hopes to one day work for a human rights NGO. On campus, he is heavily involved in the Model United Nations program, serving on the William & Mary Middle School Conference Secretariat, directing the SOCHUM committee for the William & Mary High School Conference, as well as attending college conference throughout the year. He also serves as the Director of Outreach for William & Mary’s Campus Initiative for UNICEF and is a member of Alpha Phi Omega, the service fraternity on campus. In his spare time Jared loves to hang out with friends, play intramural sports, and watch old episodes of West Wing.
Jared is interning with the Truman Project this summer.
Caroline Russell
Caroline Russell is an International Relations major and a member of the Class of 2013 at the College. Originally from Englewood, NJ, she plans to pursue a career in the Foreign Service after graduation. Caroline developed her passion for international relations through study abroad in India, where she learned about development economics, and in Morocco, where she focused on Arabic language skills. On campus Caroline is an active member of the International Relations Club, traveling to Model UN conferences in the US and Canada, her sorority Gamma Phi Beta and the PanHellenic Community, where she has held several leadership positions, and Tribe Ice Hockey. Caroline is an USA Ice Hockey official and referees youth games on weekends. In her spare time Caroline likes to hang out with her friends, watch good movies, and indulge in really good iced coffee.
Caroline is interning with the National Defense University this summer.
Amy Schafer
Amy Schafer is a rising senior and government and music double major at the college. Her focus within the government major is currently security issues and potentially terrorism and insurgency, while her music concentration is vocal performance. She is a new member of Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society and is highly involved in the Accidentals all female a cappella, for whom she serves as treasurer. Amy also enjoys working with children in the Williamsburg community through teaching every Sunday morning. Coming from an Air Force family, Amy has lived in many different places but currently calls Fairfax, VA home. In her spare time, Amy loves to sing, read a good book, and spend time with her family and friends.
Amy is interning at the Pentagon this summer.
Kylie Thorpe
Kylie Thorpe is a sophomore international relations major at the College. Growing up in Charlottesville, Virginia, she developed a passion for foreign affairs through involvement with Somali, Sudanese and Latino communities. Kylie has since furthered her interests in sub-‐Saharan Africa and Latin America through her studies and internship at AidData. She was blessed with the opportunity to spend her past summer teaching English in the Maasai Mara and living in Basque Country as an au pair. Outside of class, Kylie enjoys playing classical guitar, backpacking with her family and taking afternoon siestas. She is thrilled to intern in Washington, D.C. this summer and looks forward discovering all that the city has to offer.
Kylie is interning with the Department of Justice this summer.
Alex Villanueva
Alex Villanueva is a junior at the College and a native of Washington, DC. Growing up with a family steeped in international experience, she latched on to the International Relations major with extreme relish. A 2009-2010 Sharpe Community Scholar who has previously interned at the Department of Homeland Security, she is a participant in the William and Mary Young Democrats and the International Relations Club, and has staffed the annual William & Mary High School Model UN conference twice. She is also active in NaNoWriMo Club, and writes a 50,000-word novel every year. In her spare time, which is growing increasingly spare, she enjoys writing stories, lurking around the Capitol, drinking tea, making atrocious puns, and watching far too much British television.
Alex is interning with the Department of Homeland Security this summer.
