American Politics Fellows

Tamanna is an excited transfer Junior at the William & Mary, majoring in International Relations and minoring in Economics. Tamanna moved from Bangladesh on January 2017 and has been living in Northern Virginia since. She enjoys the simple things during her free time; reading, watching shows or movies, chatting with friends, and getting to know people, spark joy and curiosity in her mind. She has enthusiastically taken on leadership roles in activities such as the Model United Nations and went to the United Nations to represent her previous college. Through Spring and Summer of 2019, she has carried out policy and advocacy internships with National Council of Jewish Women, and Interfaith Alliance which allowed her to actively engage in the world of policymaking in DC. Tamanna volunteers for the National Sexual Assault Hotline and has an internship at Aid Data on campus. She hopes to pursue a position in the Project on International Peace and Security program for her senior year. Her experiences through college and internships has solidified her plans to focus on policy work and advocacy now and in the future. She is very passionate about learning, and applying her knowledge in the real world, and looks forward to doing so in the DC Summer Institutes.

William Berger is a freshman at William & Mary where he intends to major in Government and minor in Economics or Business Management. Will is originally from Waccabuc, New York, however, moving to Arlington, Virginia and spending time in Washington D.C. has enabled his long-standing interest in politics to become a more prominent part of his life, interning in the past for Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Congressman Dan Meuser (R-PA-09) as well as doing research for the American Foreign Policy Council. 

On campus, Will is on the ice hockey team, a member of Delta Phi Fraternity and is involved with the Alexander Hamilton Society and the Student Veterans of W&M. After college, he hopes to attend graduate school for a degree in Public Policy and eventually work with a government agency, and hold public office one day. Will is looking forward to interning on Capitol Hill this coming summer, and is hoping to secure an internship with a Congressman, a Senator or a Government Relations consulting firm. 

Isaac Poritzky is a sophomore at William & Mary and will be a government major with a minor in Religious studies. He is originally from Massachusetts, but I moved to Salem, New Hampshire last summer. His favorite hobbies are playing soccer, cooking, and talking politics. He fell in love with politics after spending two weeks in Israel and seeing everything I have learned about in action. He is very excited to live in Washington, DC and see what life is like in the political center of the United States!

Caroline Prout is a sophomore who is double majoring in government and history. A native of Atlanta, Caroline was a founding member of Mt. Bethel Christian Academy where she graduated as co-salutatorian. On campus, she is a member of Alpha Chi Omega, writes for the William & Mary blog, is on the Admission Policy Advisory Board, and is involved in Canterbury, the Episcopal Church at William & Mary. This past summer, Caroline worked as a file clerk for Gower, Wooten & Darneille LLC, one of Atlanta’s up and coming law firms. This opportunity continued to foster her interest in law and in helping other people. Always wanting to live and work in Washington D.C., Caroline is excited to have the opportunities provided through the DC Summer Institute where she can continue to develop her passions. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching historical TV shows, and traveling.

Zach Roberts is a sophomore from Ruther Glen, Virginia who plans to double major in Government and Environmental Policy. On campus, he is a member and former social chair of the fencing team, as well as a member of Shakespeare in the Dark and the Sinfonicron Light Opera Company. In his free time he enjoys acting, painting, and hiking, with the last of these spurred on by a lifelong passion for nature and the environment. He hopes to use this passion in conjunction with a vested interest in both domestic and international politics to help enact positive transformation in the fight against climate change and in the fight for environmental justice. He is excited to have the opportunity to put this conviction to work in DC this summer while also learning valuable knowledge and skills for the future

Amelia Sandhovel is a sophomore from Midlothian, VA, a suburb of Richmond, majoring in Government with a minor in Sociology. Ironically, she fell in love with government and politics through watching and following the news as a child. On campus, she works as an intern at William & Mary’s Global Research Institute, as well as serving as Business Manager for the school paper, the Flat Hat, and as a Tribe Ambassador and Tour Guide for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. She is also interested in sociology and geospatial analysis, which she loves to integrate into her study of government and politics. Outside of academics, she is passionate about coffee, cooking, and loves taking road trips with friends. Amelia is very excited about the opportunity to study American Government and Politics in D.C. this summer and looks forward to applying her studies to real-world experiences in her internship.