The Archer Fellow Alumni Association was founded in the spring of 2003 by former participants of the Archer Fellow program to provide a structure by which alumni can come together for social opportunities and to support the ongoing efforts of the Archer Center. The Archer Fellow Alumni Association has been instrumental in continued marketing of the program during recruitment season as well as in fundraising efforts. The Archer Fellow Alumni Association hosted its first fundraising event on October 2, 2003 in Austin. About 75 people attended including Larry Faulkner, former president of The University of Texas at Austin, Charly Walker, alumnus of The University of Texas and former deputy secretary of the Treasury, and Bill Archer, former Congressman and Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee and namesake of the program. The 2005 Archer Fellow Alumni Scholarship Fundraiser held in the UT System Office of Federal Relations allowed for the start of an endowed scholarship for a deserving Archer Fellow each semester. The endowment continues to grow each year through the generosity of our Alumni, Advisory Board and support from foundations.
All former participants of the Bill Archer Fellowship Program are automatically deemed members of the AFAA. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the social and networking events as well as in recruiting and fundraising efforts. Since 2003, regular AFAA events occur in both Washington, D.C. and in Texas to encourage continued friendship among alumni. To learn more about how you can help out, please contact your class representative or any member of the Alumni Leadership Board.
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President - Anneliese Bustillo (Fall 2008)
anneliesebustillo@gmail.com
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Vice President - Jarrett Hill (Spring 2008)
jarretthill@gmail.com |
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Public Relations Co-Chair (External Communications) - Dan Susong (Fall 2005)
dsusong@gmail.com
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Public Relations Co-Chair (Internal Relations) - Frank Carni (Fall 2009)
frank.carni@gmail.com
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Fundraising Committee Chair - Todd Hill (Spring 2010)
yohi52@yahoo.com |
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Fundraising Committee Member - Bryan Clegg (Fall 2008)
clegg.bryan@gmail.com |
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Fundraising Committee Member - Nick Moore (Fall 2009)
nickmoore.utexas@gmail.com |
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Fundraising Committee Member - Teo Garcia (Spring 2010)
tgarcia2@miners.utep.edu |
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Fundraising Committee Member - Amanda Aguirre (Spring 2010)
amaguirre10@gmail.com |
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Austin Chapter Social Co-Chair & Fall 2001 Class Representative - Andrea Guidry (Fall 2001)
andguid@gmail.com |
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Austin Chapter Social Co-Chair & Spring 2010 Class Representative - Shannon Beckwith (Spring 2010)
shannon.beckwith@bba06.mccombs.utexas.edu |
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Dallas Chapter Social Co-Chair - Geoff Barry (Spring 2005)
geoff.barry@gmail.com |
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Dallas Chapter Social Co-Chair & Fall 2001 Class Representative- Christine Powers (Fall 2001)
christinepowers@alumni.utexas.net |
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D.C. Chapter Social Co-Chair - Rachel Almaraz (Spring 2009)
rachel.almaraz@gmail.com |
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D.C. Chapter Social Co-Chair - Laura Pereyra (Spring 2010)
lpereyra@americanprogress.org |
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El Paso Chapter Social Chair - Erin Coulehan (Fall 2010)
elcoulehan@gmail.com |
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Houston Chapter Social Co-Chair - TC Turner (Spring 2002)
thomascturner@yahoo.com |
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Houston Chapter Social Co-Chair - Pegah Javidpour (Spring 2007)
pegah.javidpour@gmail.com |
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San Francisco Chapter Social Chair - Vanessa Bilanceri (Spring 2002)
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Scholarship Chair - Robert Collier (Spring 2009)
robert.james.collier@gmail.com
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Spring 2001 - Jacob Holder
jacob_holder@hotmail.com
Following graduation from the Archer Program, Jacob spent approximately ten
years gaining marketing communications experience across three continents
and four countries, driving strategy and consulting for high-profile
clients and lead agencies, including Altitude Software, Cohn & Wolfe, Dell,
Jason's Deli, IGLTA, Microsoft and the Texas Department of Transportation.
Jacob currently serves as a full-time consultant to the United Nations
World Food Programme. He is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese and
Italian and resides in Rome, Italy. |
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Spring 2002 - Marisela Salayandia
salayandia.marisela@gmail.com
Marisela Salayandia was an Archer Fellow in Spring 2002. She was born and raised in El Paso Texas and graduated in 2002 from The University of Texas at Austin. Presently, she is a Legislative Assistant for the Democratic House Committee on Homeland Security. |
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Fall 2002 - Jennifer Mock
jmock25@gmail.com
Jennifer Mock worked at Congressional Quarterly during her time in Washington covering the 2002 elections. Following her graduation for UT-Austin in May 2003 with a degree in journalism, Jennifer went to work for The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City. She was only there six months before CQ brought her back to D.C. to cover the 2004 elections. She covered the House, Senate, gubernatorial and presidential elections in 13 states, including Texas. Following the elections, she returned to The Oklahoman Capitol bureau, where she currently covers the state House of Representatives. She is also the head of the Oklahoma City chapter of the Texas Exes. |
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Spring 2003 – Erin Dougherty
erin.dougherty@utdallas.edu
Erin Dougherty is currently the Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving for UT Dallas. After completing the Archer program, she spent a semester in Boston working as a MassCorps volunteer for Massachusetts Community Water Watch, and then returned to UT Dallas to complete her Master’s degree in Public Affairs. She and her husband, Ray, live in Wylie, TX. |
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Fall 2003 – DeLisa Lay
delisa.lay@gmail.com
DeLisa Lay interned at the United Nations Information Centre during her semester in Washington in the fall of 2003. She currently works as a research analyst for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and plans to attend law school next fall. |
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Spring 2004 - April Adams
aprilaadams@hotmail.com
April A. Adams (any resemblance to the Archer Alumni Association is mere coincidence, we are of no relation) came to DC as an Archer Fellow in the spring of 2004. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, she moved to Washington and has remained very active with the Archer Center. She currently works at Denny Miller Associates and resides in Alexandria, Virginia. |
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Fall 2004 – Katie Short
katieshort@mac.com
Katie, a Fall 2004 Archer Fellow, graduated from UT Austin in May 2006 with a BA in Government and Anthropology. She moved to Washington, DC and began working for America Votes tracking legislation. She has since left America Votes for a position at the Brookings Institution where she works today. |
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Spring 2005 - Carl Holshouser
carl_holshouser@hutchison.senate.gov
Carl has a BA in Government with Liberal Arts Honors from UT Austin. In May of 2006 he was named Special Assistant and Personal Aide to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with former Archer Center Assistant Director April Adams. |
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Fall 2005 – Daniel Noll
daniel.noll@mail.utexas.edu
As a member of the Fall 2005 class Daniel interned with the Center for International Policy’s National Security Department. Currently, Daniel is finishing his BA in Government with Liberal Arts Honors while working for the UT System Administration as an assistant web developer/graphic designer. After graduation, he intends to pursue a graduate degree in U.S. foreign policy and to travel overseas to continue studying Arabic. |
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Spring 2006 – Crystal (Longoria) Villarreal
crystal.longoria@gmail.com
Crystal was a Communications and Marketing Intern for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in Spring of 2006. She will graduate with Honors in May 2007 from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, she hopes to attend an accredited law school. |
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Fall 2006 - Yvette Owo
yvette.owo@gmail.com
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Fall 2006 - Dmitri Shneider
dmitri.shneider@gmail.com
Dmitri Shneider graduated The University of Texas at Dallas with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Economics. At UTD, he served in the Student Government, as Vice-President of the Financial Management Association and as captain of the chess team. He is an International Chess Master, a two-time Pan-American Gold medalist and the recipient of the Samford Fellowship (2003). Dmitri founded BGS Chess, an organization that provides chess educational services to children in the North Texas area, and served as President from 2005-2007. During his time as an Archer Fellow, Dmitri interned at CNFA, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the standard of living in rural areas in the less developed parts of the world. Currently, Dmitri is an analyst in the Private Bank at J.P. Morgan in New York City. |
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Spring 2007 – Pamela (Palagonia) Hughes
pamelahughes08@gmail.com
During the spring 2007 semester, Pamela interned at the White House in the Office of Media Affairs. Upon receiving her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas in May 2007, she returned to the office as the Executive Assistant. She has since departed the White House and currently works as an Account Executive at Powell Tate, the DC-based office of Weber Shandwick PR. |
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Fall 2007 – Katie Naranjo
katie.naranjo@gmail.com
In the fall of 2007 Katie Naranjo interned for Congressman Lloyd Doggett and the Democratic National Committee. A life long Democrat, Katie was recently elected the President of College Democrats of America. As a senior at UT, Katie will spend her year completing her PR/Government double major and working for success for the Democratic Party in November. |
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Fall 2007 – Allison Tisdale
allisontisdale@gmail.com
Allison was an Archer Fellow in the Fall class of 2007. As an Archer she worked with former Congressman Tom Loeffler at his lobbying firm, The Loeffler Group. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Government and Ethical Leadership, Allison was eager to get back to DC. She is currently pursuing her law degree at George Mason. |
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Fall 2008 - Manfred Mecoy
mmecoy@gmail.com
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Spring 2008 - Dareth Finn
DarethF@gmail.com
Dareth currently works as the Recruitment and Alumni Coordinator at The Archer Center. Dareth graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2009. While at the University, Dareth was an active leader on the University Panhellenic Council and was highly involved with the Archer Center’s recruiting efforts on campus. As an Archer Fellow in the spring of 2008, she interned in the press office of Senator Joseph Lieberman. Dareth is thrilled to give back to an organization that has meant so much to her. |
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Spring 2009 – Kimberly Miller
KimberlyMiller06@gmail.com
During the spring 2009 semester Kimberly interned with former Congressman Tom Loeffler of The Loeffler Group, a bi-partisan government affairs firm. Currently Kimberly is finishing her BA from the University of Texas at Dallas majoring in Political Science. After graduation Kimberly plans to attend law school. She is a currently interning in Dallas at WFAA-Channel 8 News where she is pursuing her interest in political broadcasting. |
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Fall 2009 – Lorena Garza
lorenagarza90@gmail.com
Lorena was an Archer Fellow druing the Fall of 2009. While in DC she interned for the Department of Labor Office of Small Business Programs. Currently, Lorena is back at the University of Texas-Pan American finishing her double major in Political Science and Philosophy. After graduating with her Bachelor’s, she plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin to begin studying for her Master’s in Public Policy followed by Law School. |
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Fall 2009 –Cait McCann
caitmccann@gmail.com
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Fall 2009 – Maricruz Molina
maricruzmolina.v@gmail.com
Maricruz was born in Brownsville, Texas. She is a third year student at the University of Texas at Austin working on her Bachelors in Government and minor in Latin American Studies. While at UT, she has been involved with student organizations and worked at the State Capitol during the 81st Legislative Session. Currently she is a member of the Liberal Arts Council and sits on the Student Affairs Committee. She is also a scholarship recipient of the Rapoport Scholars, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and Texas Exes. In the Fall 2009, she interned for a non-profit, Public Education Network PEN) in DC. After graduating in May 2011, she would like to attend law school or graduate school and focus on international law and studies. She is interested in studying US policy in Latin American and other parts of the world. Her ultimate goal is to work with State Department or Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington, DC. |
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Spring 2010 – Leah Holder
leah_holder@mail.utexas.edu
Leah Holder was an Archer Fellow in the spring of 2010. During her fellowship, she interned with the NAACP Washington Bureau. She greatly enjoyed her experiences as an Archer Fellow; she especially enjoyed meeting President Obama. Leah is now a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Plan II Honors/Pre-Law with a minor in Business Foundations. In addition to her academic responsibilities, she is a member of Alpha Lambda Omega Sorority, she works alongside UT President William Powers in a Signature Course, and she is composing an undergraduate thesis (the topic is related to the research project she completed for her internship in D.C.). After graduating, she intends to pursue a Juris Doctorate (concentrating on Education Law) and possibly a Master of Public Policy. |
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Spring 2010 – Keshav Rajagopalan
rajagopalan.keshav@gmail.com
Keshav Rajagopalan graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in May 2010 with a BA in Plan II Honors and a BS in Political Communication. During his time at UT, in addition to being a Spring 2010 Archer Fellow, Keshav was a member of the Texas Cowboys and Friar Society and served as the 2008-2009 student body president. He now resides in Chicago, IL with his fiance, Chelsea Fosse, and works for the management consulting company McKinsey & Company. Chelsea and Keshav are to be married in November 2010. |
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Summer 2010 – Meghan Vail
meghan.vail@gmail.com
Meg is a Summer 2010 Archer Graduate Fellow who is currently finishing her third and final year of graduate school at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at UT-Austin. A Pennsylvania native, Meg is interested in U.S. foreign policy, immigration, and government budgeting at the federal level. She specializes in U.S-Cuban relations and is writing a professional report on post-Revolutionary Cuban migration to the U.S. and the influence of the Cuban vote on the electoral process in Florida. Currently, Meg is working as an intern at the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in Austin. |
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Summer 2010 – David Wogan
david.wogan@me.com
David Wogan is a graduate student at UT Austin pursuing masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Public Affairs. David chose the dual edge program because he believes many challenges our society faces are multidisciplinary in nature and we must improve communication between the technical and policymaking communities. David researches energy, technology, and policy issues with the Webber Energy Group at UT. David is originally from Austin and received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UT Austin before working at National Instruments. David is a former intern for the White House Council on Environmental Quality's Energy & Climate Change team. In his free time, David enjoys jogging and volunteering at local parks and schools. |
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Fall 2010 - Priscilla Cortez
priscilla_hr@hotmail.com
Priscilla Cortez is a senior, double majoring in Government and Social Work. As an Archer Fellow, she interned with the Domestic Policy Council at the White House. While at UT she has developed an interest in policy reform as it affects the welfare system in America, and the access to resources Women have in obtaining such services. She was the President of Minority Women Pursuing Law, a pre-law organization on campus that looks to connect young women at UT with professionals and law schools throughout the region. Through the Social Work department, she has had opportunities to volunteer with a variety of social service agencies, including Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, and has an interest in one day working with social workers internationally. |
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Fall 2010 –Natasha Escobar
natasha.escobar@gmail.com
Natasha attends the University of Texas at Brownsville, where she is majoring in History. She is a lifetime member of Phi Alpha Theta, an academic honor society for historians, and has served as the Vice-President of her university's chapter. In January 2010, Natasha presented her own research at the Phi Alpha Theta National Conference. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she has worked on campus as a writing and history tutor and as an archival assistant in the John Hunter Room. Natasha is an active member of her community, volunteering with the United Way to promote “Success by Six” (a campaign that promotes early literacy among children). During her time at the University of Texas at Brownsville, Natasha has developed a passion for both international relations and the history of Latin America. After graduating, Natasha plans to work as a teacher in the Rio Grande Valley before pursuing a master's degree in Latin American Studies. Natasha interned as a research assistant at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars while she was a Bill Archer Fellow. |
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Fall 2010 –Jimmy Olivas
jimmy.olivas@gmail.com
A senior at the University of Texas at Dallas, Jimmy Olivas is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. At UTD, Jimmy is part of the John Marshall Pre-law Society, and plans to attend law school. Jimmy is a Navy Veteran where he proudly served aboard one of the finest warships in the U.S. fleet, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). Originally from Odessa, Texas, he has made Irving, Texas his home for the past three years. During his time in Irving he worked at Best Buy and for over two years, he was a member then Chairman of the North Irving Best Buy Viewpoint Committee. This committee is responsible for community involvement as well as employee satisfaction and wellbeing. While heading this committee he coordinated and volunteered for several non-profit organizations including the American Red Cross, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the American Cancer Society and Keep Irving Beautiful. As a Fall 2010 Archer Fellow, Jimmy interned with the senior Senator from the state of Washington, Senator Patty Murray. |
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Spring 2011 - Omar Ellaboudy
ellaboudy192@hotmail.com
Omar Ellaboudy majored in Government and Middle Eastern studies while pursing a certificate in the Business Foundations Program at UT Austin. He has lived abroad on stints in Cairo, Egypt and more recently Jubail, Saudi Arabia where he interned during the summer of 2009 with Jubail Zen Tech, a trading company involved in the sale of petro chemicals. Omar was an integral part of a senatorial campaign as a fellow for former Texas Comptroller John Sharp while also working with Stanley-Garrison & Associates, a political consulting firm based in Austin. Omar also spent a month in Beijing, China studying the dynamic nature of Sino-American relations. During his time at UT, he was active on campus and in the community as a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, a national political science honors fraternity, and Gamma Beta Phi, a national honor and service organization. His interests lie in the field of foreign policy as it pertains to the geo-political nature of the Middle East and he interned at the United Nations Information Center during his Archer semester. |
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Spring 2011 - Melissa Macaya
meli_macaya@hotmail.com
Melissa Macaya is at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Latin American Studies Honors and Multimedia Journalism with a minor in Government and working towards a BDP in International Studies. After moving from Venezuela to the United States in 2004 due to the political turmoil, she discovered her passion for journalism and Latin American affairs. At UT, Melissa serves as the Spanish editor of the Student Journal of Latin American Studies and has interned at the Teresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies and at two online publications one of which included the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas. She has taken active leadership roles on campus spearheading volunteer activities for the Latino community as Vice-President of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), organizing a mentorship program as Vice-President of the UT National Association of Hispanic Journalists Chapter and coordinating cultural programs as a Student Associate at the International Office with more than 800 members from around the world. After graduation, Melissa plans on attending graduate school in Washington D.C., and pursuing a career that mixes her love for journalism and Latin American affairs. While in D.C., Melissa interned at the Washington Office on Latin Affairs (WOLA) and CNN Espanol. |
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Summer 2011 - Manny Gonzalez
manuel.gonzalez@utexas.edu
Manny is a 4th year graduate student pursuing his PhD in Higher Education Administration at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to attending UT Austin, Manny earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Trinity University (San Antonio, TX). Manny's research interests include legislative issues in higher education, equity and access to higher education, and the vanishing Latino male in higher education. Outside of class, Manny works at UT Austin's College of Undergraduate Studies as a Graduate Research Assistant for the Texas Success Initiative on College Readiness. Additionally, Manny is currently serving his 2nd term as Graduate Student Assembly President, representing and advocating on behalf of the 13,000 graduate and professional students at UT Austin. Manny is looking interned at The White House Domestic Policy Council as an Archer Graduate Fellow. |
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Summer 2011 - Courtney Tyne
courtney.tyne@gmail.com
Courtney is a PhD candidate in Health Policy at the University of Texas Health Science Center’s School of Public Health in Houston. She obtained her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Iowa, and an MPH in Health Policy from UTHSC. Courtney is particularly interested in the field of health policy reform and for-profit health care. Courtney has worked with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston as a program manager, and has significant experience in grants management and clinical research, and has worked in hospitals, assisted living facilities, and home health care agencies. Courtney interned in the office of Congressman John Culberson. |
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Fall 2011 - Jesus Ortiz
jaortiz10@miners.utep.edu
Jesus Ortiz is a senior at the University of Texas at El Paso majoring in political science and and minoring in intelligence and national security studies. Jesus is multilingual with 3 years of studies in French and 18 months of studies in Arabic. Jesus hopes that the experiences he acquires as an Archer Fellow will help him become a greater part of the intelligence community in the future. As a member of the intelligence community scholars program in his university and a past participant of the Walt Disney World Internship program, Jesus has learned to adapt to any environment, help his fellow peers, work hard, and appreciate every opportunity that he gets. Jesus interned at the Financial Services Roundtable. |
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Fall 2011 - Daniel Vasquez
d.jerome.vasquez@gmail.com
Daniel Vasquez is a senior at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing a degree in government with a minor in history. Daniel has volunteered for various Houston and Austin City Council Campaigns. He interned at MacIntyre and McCulloch, a probate law firm in Houston, and clerked for Rudy G. Vasquez, Attorney at Law. During the 82nd Legislative Session, Daniel was selected as a 2011 Senator Gregory Luna Legislative Scholar, where he interned for State Senator Leticia Van de Putte. Through this position, he had the unique opportunity to learn the legislative process and earn full responsibilities as a legislative staffer. During his time in D.C., Daniel interned at the U.S. Department of Education. |
