American Politics Fellows

Sophie is a junior from Blacksburg, Virginia double majoring in government and psychology. She is excited to examine the intersection between her areas of study in Washington, D.C. this summer! On-campus Sophie works in a research lab focused on child development and the legal system and spent the summer examining how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted family visitation policies in state and federal prisons. In her free time, Sophie serves as an orientation aide for new students and volunteers with the Office of Admissions. She is also a literacy tutor for the Arc of Greater Williamsburg and is in an improv group, “Trippin’ on Brix!” Sophie is interested in studying how the science of the mind and behavior affect our political institutions and hopes to pursue a career in political psychology or criminal law after graduation.

Julian is currently a sophomore at William & Mary from Mamaroneck, New York pursuing a career in the law. At William & Mary, he is majoring in Government and History. On campus, he is an active member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Society, and is a current President's Aide to university president Katherine Rowe. He also works as a research assistant at AidData TDF. He is very excited to be a part of the DC Summer Institute and looks forward to the invaluable experience that the program offers.

Kenna Campfield is a junior at William & Mary from Oakton, Virginia. She is a Government and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies double major. Kenna is the Vice President of Someone You Know, W&M’s sexual violence advocacy club. She is also involved in APO, the school’s service fraternity, and Club Softball. In her free time, Kenna likes to play with her pitbull puppy, listen to music, and watch the Washington Nationals!

Katie Carita is a sophomore from Fairfax, Virginia. She is majoring in International Relations and minoring in French. Katie is interested in the affects of foreign and domestic policies on national security issues. On campus, Katie is a member of the Delta Gamma sorority, where she serves as Vice President-Panhellenic, and she is a captain of the women’s club lacrosse team. Through the American Politics Institute Katie hopes to enhance her leadership skills and experience the policy making process firsthand.

Raphael Chambers is a sophomore from Fairfax, Virginia who intends to double major in government and history. Passionate parents, teachers, and friends have fostered a deep caring for domestic and international issues in him. He's been able to pursue his interests in politics and government through internships and clubs during high school and college around the D.C. area. Gaining French proficiency at Governor's Foreign Language Academies and learning Spanish has given him a more global view of history and international relations. Raphael is excited have the opportunity to apply his knowledge and learn much more through the DC Summer Institute. He looks forward to experiencing the practical side of government outside of the classroom. He hopes to develop and express his many passions and put them to work with conviction. In his free time, he likes to feed his curiosity by reading, watching shows and movies, talking to his friends, and meeting new people.

Caroline is a sophomore at W&M from Leesburg, Virginia, who is studying International Relations and French. On campus, she is a Resident Assistant for the Botetourt complex, Liturgy chair for the Catholic Campus Ministry, and a member of the female a cappella group the Intonations, where she also serves as their website chair. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, guitar, and knitting hats for her friends. Caroline is particularly passionate about exploring and learning from different groups and cultures, and bipartisanship advocacy. She is so thrilled to be a part of such a passionate team, and can not wait to discuss the roots of polarization within nations and to connect with D.C. through an internship.

Orley Estrada is a sophomore at the College of William & Mary majoring in government and minoring in history. He is from Chesterfield, Virginia, but his family is originally from Guatemala. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the Advocacy Committee for a student organization called First-Generation, Low-Income (FGLI) students at William & Mary. As a first-generation college student, Orley cares about building an inclusive community that recognizes and provides resources to FGLI students at William & Mary. Orley also serves as a Presidential Aid for President Rowe and is a member of the Admission Policy Advisory Committee. Through the American Politics Institute, Orley hopes to gain professional experience and insight into how congressional operations work on a daily basis. Aside from the professional experience, Orley also seeks to experience urban life in Washington DC, an opportunity he hasn’t had in rural Chesterfield, VA. Orley is excited to meet new people and make connections in Washington DC in general.

Anna Glass is a freshman at William & Mary from Yorktown, Virginia. She is a prospective International Relations and Data Science double major with interests in Spanish, French, and Economics. Upon entering William & Mary, she was honored to be named the Powell Leadership Scholar for incoming freshmen. On campus, she is involved in the International Relations Club, her hall’s Community Council, and the Courageous Leadership Institute, where she leads discussions with high school students about leadership and authentic excellence. Anna is currently serving as a Research Assistant for the Global Research Institute’s Global Cities and Digital Democracy project, using data to evaluate government responsiveness in Mumbai, India. Outside of academics, Anna enjoys painting, kayaking, and spending time with her dog, Sofie. Anna is eager to engage with others and become a better advocate for bipartisanship and human development through the American Politics Institute.

Maddy Hoffman is a sophomore and Government major from Seattle, Washington. At William & Mary she is on the executive board of Griffin School Partnerships, an organization that pairs William & Mary students with tutoring and mentorship opportunities in local public schools. In addition, she is a Tribe Ambassador for the William & Mary Undergraduate Admission Office, answering prospective student questions and representing the William & Mary community to new families of the university. Off campus, she is an English reading and Spanish language tutor, and enjoys creative writing. Her interest in government began in high school, when she founded her school's debate team as a chance to engage with new perspectives about critical global issues. This summer, she is looking forward to interning in DC and meeting others who are interested in political science.

Sam is a freshman from Seattle, Washington who plans to major in Government on the pre-law track. He is interested in careers involving international relations, national security, social justice, and political campaigning.

At William & Mary, Sam is involved in the Young Democrats, the university's undergraduate international relations journal The Monitor, and the International Relations Club. He serves as Charge D'Affaires on the secretariat team that plans &MUN, a collegiate level Model United Nations conference. He also hopes to participate in research in the near future.

Sam is very excited to utilize the American Politics Summer Institute program to expand his knowledge about domestic politics and gain unique hands on experience. He hopes to use this learning to become a better citizen and to push for positive societal change.

Alayna Knapp is a freshman from Yorktown, Virginia. She intends to double major in government and history. Growing up, she lived in 9 different communities, two of them international, which sparked her vivid interest in examining the interactions between people of different backgrounds. Her participation on the debate team at her high school inspired her interest in politics, and she is excited to combine these two concepts through an internship in Washington, D.C. In the past two years, she had the opportunity to intern at the York County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and the Virginia War Museum, helping her gain professional experience that she hopes to develop further at her internship this coming summer. On campus, she is a member of Mock Trial and the Debate Society where she discusses and analyzes political issues and continues to hone her public speaking abilities. Outside of her studies, she loves to learn about obscure elements of history, complete puzzles, and go on hikes. She is looking forward to participating in the American Politics Institute this summer to relate real-world political issues to her studies.

As a government and psychology double major, Caitlin Noe is interested in the interplay between behavioral psychology, messaging, public opinion, and political engagement. On campus, she writes opinion columns and creates digital content for The Flat Hat newspaper. Caitlin’s passion for experiential learning started in high school, when she was selected for the AMP Global Scholars youth advocacy leadership program in Washington, D.C., and served as a delegate to the United Nations/Friendship Ambassadors Foundation Youth Assembly. She also studied international relations at a high school summer abroad program at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. One of Caitlin’s most rewarding experiences before W&M was volunteering at a cooperative living program in Granada, Spain, designed to help refugees and abuse victims become self-sufficient. She continues to study Spanish language and culture at W&M. This summer, Caitlin looks forward to further exploring the challenges facing our nation and world – and building new skills to help make a meaningful difference in advancing public policy.

Lauren Peterson is a Freshman from Bismarck, North Dakota. She plans on double majoring in Government and Sociology with a concentration in Social Problems, Policy, and Justice. On Campus she serves as both her Pledge Class’ president and Assistant VP Development for her sorority, Phi Mu. She also serves as the current historian for Club Ballroom dance, is an Interviewee of an Oral historian’s grant project on entering college during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and a member of WM Fire. In her free-time she enjoys playing tennis, watching TedTalks, ice cream, hammocking, and exploring Williamsburg. Lauren is passionate about issues relating to criminal, labor, and immigrant justice reform. Lauren is looking forward to all she will learn and experience through the D.C. Summer Institute!

Daniel Posthumus is a first-year student at William & Mary. A prospective Public Policy major, he also pursues interests in history, Hispanic studies, human rights, and international relations. Daniel spent his childhood moving around the world as his parents are civilian employees of the US Department of Defense. He and his family have settled at the Naval Installation at Yokosuka, Japan for the past seven years. At the university, he is a Research Fellow at the International Justice Lab, conducting research on sub-national truth and reconciliation processes and truth commissions in the United States. He is also member of the campus Young Democrats. Daniel enjoys playing tennis, hiking, cooking, and playing the piano for fun. As someone enamored with politics, Daniel hopes to glean everything he can from directly experiencing Washington, DC’s political processes while learning what it takes to be a successful leader and people’s advocate through the DC Summer Institute’s American Politics program.

Matt Prespare is a junior living in Aldie, Virginia, majoring in economics and planning to declare a second major in history. Growing up as a dependent of a Department of State Foreign Service diplomat taught him to be adaptable and appreciate the power of understanding the perspectives of others. Living in nations like Germany, South Korea, and the Philippines fostered in him an interest in how building on different perspectives can shape more effective government policy. The American Politics Institute, with its pairing of academic learning with real-world experience, provides Matt an invaluable building block in his pursuit of a career in government.

Eamon is a sophomore from Reston, Virginia. As a child, he would often take trips with his family into DC, where he stood in awe of the great monuments and government buildings. Ever since, he's been interested in studying government. In response to the 2016 election, he has become politically active, participating in phonebanks for the Virginia Democrats and protests in Washington, D.C. The administration also inspired him to give back to his own community through service. Outside of politics, he has an extensive background in video production and theatre arts; as a kid, he dreamed of being a filmmaker or an actor. He's written and directed several short films over the years, and hopes to continue doing so in the near future. Through the course and the internship, he hopes to study media's role in political polarization, and its role in de-polarization. Besides schoolwork, Eamon is active in the Sinfonicron Light Opera Company on campus, and is a DJ for WCWM. He writes articles and reviews for the radio and TV club magazines as well. He loves watching new movies, creative writing, and spending quality time with his friends and family.

Brigid is a freshman from Vienna, Virginia who plans to major in International Relations with a possible minor in French. As both a D.C. native and an Irish-American dual citizen, she is interested in careers involving politics either in Washington or abroad.

During her time at William & Mary, Brigid is involved in the International Relations Club, Lambda Alliance, Young Democrats, and hopes to participate in research this coming spring. In the past, Brigid has interned both on local political campaigns and in the United States Senate. She is looking forward to interning and learning all that she can while participating in the American Politics Institute this summer.

Ned Storer is currently a sophomore at William & Mary from Kensington, Maryland. From a young age, Ned has been interested in the procedure of American politics, and as a Public Policy major, is excited to continue expanding his knowledge in academics. Hoping to pursue career opportunities in DC politics, Ned is enthusiastic about the invaluable experience that this program has to offer. Elsewhere on campus, Ned is a member of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity where he serves as social chair.

Alison Trahan is a freshman at William & Mary where she plans on double majoring in Government and Economics or Public Policy. In the past, she has advocated for an LGBTQ protection bill on the county level, co-ran her high school’s equality club, and was a leader in her Model UN club where she helped plan meetings, fundraisers, and a county-wide conference. On campus, she is a member of the Outer Limits Community Council, fulfilling the elected position of Secretary. This council is responsible for planning community events and addressing community concerns. She is individually responsible for keeping meeting minutes, sending out community emails, and maintains attendance. She hopes to expand upon her passion for domestic and international politics and activism over this summer while also learning valuable workplace skills.

Kami is a freshman at William & Mary from Fredericksburg. She is passionate about international and domestic human rights work with dreams of going Pre-Law. In learning about the world around her, Kami has always felt drawn to opportunities in DC. As a freshman, Kami set her own goals for her time her at the university, including participating in the enriching program that is the DC Summer Institute. As a first-time voter, Kami has watched first hand how her voice affects the world around and hopes to learn more with this course!