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Foreign Economic Policy: Theory Meets Practice

 Chenglin Gong
Chenglin Gong
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Chenglin Gong

Chenglin Gong is an international student from China, pursuing a double major in Government and Mathematics with a concentration in Statistics.
 Brandon Buchanan
Brandon Buchanan
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Brandon Buchanan

Brandon is a sophomore from Fairfax, Virginia. He is double majoring in Government and Economics. Since coming to William & Mary, he has been very involved with the International Relations Club, the Filipino-American Student Association, the Asian American Student Initiative, and the Radio Club. He loves to write for his blog and read philosophy, and you can often catch him at a café doing both!
 Paul Kelemen
Paul Kelemen
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Paul Kelemen

Paul is a junior studying physics and mathematics with the career goal of becoming a microelectronics engineer. He is an executive member of the robotics club and is involved in research at Small Hall. This winter, Paul hopes to study foreign economics in D.C. to resolve questions he has about national technological dependence on Taiwan. He is also excited to travel through D.C., meet field experts, and learn more about the nation's capital. On his free weekend during this trip, Paul plans to visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Gallaudet University.
 Selah Watkins
Selah Watkins
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Selah Watkins

 Alisa Yang
Alisa Yang
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Alisa Yang

Alisa is a senior at College of William and Mary, double majoring in Data Science and Business Analytics with concentration in Artificial Intelligence and Finance.

Her academic journey has equipped her with a robust foundation in business data analysis, machine learning, and financial modeling, complemented by research experience in AI/ML and hands-on projects in data management, processing, and visualization.

Her professional experience spans across various roles, including Co-Author, Market Strategy Analyst, Deep Learning Researcher, AI Product Strategy Intern, and Market Data Analyst. She has successfully led initiatives that developed hurricane damage detection models using deep learning, and crafted data-driven marketing strategies that achieved significant revenue growth.

Beyond her technical and analytical skills, and academics, she is also a photographer. She loves the nature and photographs many things: from forest, ocean, to even hummingbirds. She is patient and detail oriented, to the extent that she can even count the feathers. She is an artist, not just traditional art, but also digital art. She is not confined to the classic, but she also explores emerging digital media. She is an outdoor enthusiast: from roller blading, running, to biking. She constantly seeks challenges, to go beyond her boundaries, to become faster, and stronger.

She, is many things. She is a self-explorer, challenge-seeker, curious to learn, and she believes that her diverse perspectives will lead her to even greater opportunities in the future.

 Nicholas Valyayev
Nicholas Valyayev
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Nicholas Valyayev

Nicholas is a sophomore studying Government and History. Originally from Connecticut, he moved to New York just before his first year at W&M. He has been to D.C. many times before, and is excited to return as a student and experience daily life in the capital. On campus, he helps staff MUN competitions for the International Relations Club, fences sabre for Club Fencing, participates in Greek life, and works as an administrative assistant for the Government Department. When not studying or working, he likes biking across campus looking for a spot to read, catching up on current events, and has recently started fishing. He plans to attend law school after college, though this could change depending on what opportunities he encounters next.
 Kairavi Vajja
Kairavi Vajja
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Kairavi Vajja

Kairavi Vajja is a junior at the College of William & Mary pursuing a government degree with a data science minor. She is in ROTC and will be commissioned into the Army upon graduation. Prior to her joining the College, she lived in Northern Virginia where she completed her schooling from James Madison High School. Kairavi was a varsity athlete in High School and worked numerous jobs for Fairfax County Park Authority Rec Centers including being a lifeguard and swimming instructor. She loves to hike and rock climb. 
 Eliot Ploog
Eliot Ploog
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Eliot Ploog

 Katherine Whittle
Katherine Whittle
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Katherine Whittle

Katherine is double-majoring in Economics and Biology at William & Mary. She intends to contribute to blue/green economy initiatives through biomechanics research and think tank policy analysis. On campus, Katherine is a Research Associate for the WMGIC international sustainable development flagship competition. She enjoys working with applied projects at the intersection of social and scientific issues, and education. This past summer, Katherine ran a bay scallop histology lab and taught several two week programs of her design.
 James Mathus
James Mathus
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James Mathus

James is a junior from Connecticut majoring in economics at William & Mary. He is originally from New York City and then 7 years ago moved out to CT. James went to high school at a boarding school in upstate Connecticut called Salisbury School. He has a younger brother as well as a huge yellow lab. James is a huge basketball and golf fan as well as player, an avid music listener and deeply enjoys traveling. He has also had a life long interest in the market and is furthering his interest in the financial world through his major. James has really enjoyed studying at W&M and hopes that feeling will only grow after this program. He is really excited about this program for many reasons but especially being able to build out his network as well as simply being able to live in a city again, even if it's just for ten days.
 Jackson Kramer
Jackson Kramer
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Jackson Kramer

 John Russell Glasow
John Russell Glasow
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John Russell Glasow

John Glasow is a sophomore at William and Mary from Alexandria, VA, and is currently pursuing a major in economics or finance. He is involved in many different clubs around campus, like the Mason Investment Club, where I am an analyst and work with others to increase our portfolio. John interned this past summer doing finance at Novartis International AG in Basel, Switzerland. Additionally, John holds leadership positions in Delta Chi Fraternity, where he has led recruitment along with others. Outside of academics, he is an accomplished pianist and a member of the William and Mary Tribe Ice Hockey Team. John is continually working on building a solid foundation in both economics and financial analysis and hopes to work internationally and go to law school after his undergraduate.
 Kaden Hadeed
Kaden Hadeed
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Kaden Hadeed

Kaden is a current Econ major and Finance minor graduating in May of 2025. He loves the mountains, dogs, and traveling. His favorite places are the Amalfi Coast and Mykonos. Being from Northern Virginia, D.C. has always been his home. His studies in both economic and financial theory at W&M the past 4 years has been extremely interesting, and is very excited to see some of these studies in a practical application in the real world!
 Rachel Carter
Rachel Carter
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Rachel Carter

Rachel is a senior majoring in economics and a first-generation student. She's from Winchester, Virginia participating in the D.C. winter seminars. She participates in various clubs including the botany and economics club. Rachel likes to volunteer for community and campus events because it makes her feel connected to the people. She listens to all kinds of music from Arctic Monkeys to Sabrina Carpenter. She loves hanging out in colonial Williamsburg but can't wait to change the scenery and see what D.C. offers.  
 Noah Mojda
Noah Mojda
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Noah Mojda

Noah Mojda is a sophomore at William & Mary, studying government and finance. Noah’s ultimate goal is to work for a transnational organization and collaborate with economic leaders on the global stage, aiming for positions at institutions such as the United States Department of State or the World Bank. He is eager to join this program because it aligns with his career aspirations, offering opportunities for professional growth, international collaboration, and a deeper understanding of global economic policies. A unique fact about Noah is that he has been playing the accordion since he was 7 years old. Through this program, he hopes to expand his knowledge, build valuable connections, and develop the skills needed to drive positive change on an international scale.
 Gwyneth McGrath
Gwyneth McGrath
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Gwyneth McGrath

Gwyneth McGrath is a senior at William & Mary from Lovettsville, Virginia. She is studying business analytics and data science with a concentration in marketing. Professionally, she is dedicated to learning more about topics such as sustainability, product design, and the circular economy. Specifically focusing on how data analysis can use these concepts to navigate the modern business landscape. On campus Gwyneth is a dedicated member of Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity, where she has served as their Vice President of Community Outreach for the past two years. In this position she is able to foster a positive environment for her passion for community service. She helps organizations such as local animal shelters, food banks and multiple Williamsburg charities through her initiatives. Outside of school she loves to run and is training for a half marathon. She also has a passion for watercolor painting and makes greeting cards in her spare time.
 Erik Mauro
Erik Mauro
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Erik Mauro

Erik is a senior at William and Mary currently studying economics with a minor in accounting. He is from Yardley, Pennsylvania and loves to travel. Some of his favorite destinations are Italy, Bermuda, and Greece. He is an avid soccer fan and loves to fish as well.

 Jack Reuter
Jack Reuter
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Jack Reuter

 Alisa Yang
Alisa Yang
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Alisa Yang

Alisa is a junior at College of William and Mary, majoring in Business Analytics with Data Science Emphasis and Concentration in Marketing, and minoring in Studio Art. She also plans to double major in Data Science.

Beyond academics, she is a photographer. She loves the nature and photographs many things: from forest, ocean, to even hummingbirds. She is patient and detail oriented, to the extent that she can even count the feathers.

She is an artist, not just traditional art, but also digital art. She is not confined to the classic, but she also explores emerging media.

She is an outdoor enthusiast: from roller blading, running, to biking. She constantly seeks challenges, to go beyond her boundaries, to become faster, and stronger.

She is many things. She is a self-explorer, challenge-seeker, curious to learn, creative to create, and passionate to persist, and she believes that her diverse perspectives will lead her to even greater opportunities in the future.
 Caitlin Smith
Caitlin Smith
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Caitlin Smith

Caitlin Smith is a sophomore student-athlete on the women’s soccer team at William & Mary. She was a 2023-24 Provost Award Winner, and was named to the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll, High Honors with Distinction. Caitlin is from Wilmington, Delaware, where she graduated from Tower Hill School as a global scholar. She particularly enjoyed her global scholar experience of learning from and helping others. Caitlin’s passion for community service has taken her from Costa Rica, where she supported environmental conservation efforts, to tutoring Mandarin-speaking students in China in conversational English. She intends to apply to the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary. Her interests include woodworking, yoga, and travel, and she brings a commitment to fostering growth and inclusion in every environment she joins. She is excited for the collaborative and experimental nature of the DC winter seminar.
 Dennis Collins
Dennis Collins
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Dennis Collins

Denny is a Senior at the College of William & Mary, studying Government and History, expecting to graduate in the Spring. This semester, he has been conducting research on the topic of "Inequity in the Selective Service System," in the course, Innovation for Defense (I4D). This will be his second time partaking in a course offered by the W&M Washington Center, having already been a Summer 2023 Fellow, in the research-driven course, Representation in American Democracy. While there, he was part of the first summer cohort of interns for the Office of Congressman Kean Jr. (NJ-07). On campus, Denny is a member of the social fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega, and an active member of the running club, Club Blitz. Denny aspires to enter law school after earning his Bachelor's Degree.
 Adonay Enrique Uzcategui Torres
Adonay Enrique Uzcategui Torres
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Adonay Enrique Uzcategui Torres

Adonay Uzcategui is a junior majoring in physics and minoring in chemistry at William and Mary. He is a Venezuelan migrant with a great interest in problem-solving and economic policy. 
 Ally Caudill
Ally Caudill
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Ally Caudill

 Eesha Kulkarni
Eesha Kulkarni
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Eesha Kulkarni

Eesha Kulkarni is a sophomore at William & Mary, studying Economics with a minor in Data Science. She is interested in the intersection between economics and the government, and after graduating, she hopes to work in economic policy. In her free time, Eesha likes to watch TV and dance. 
 Charles Sclater-Booth
Charles Sclater-Booth
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Charles Sclater-Booth