Fall 2018 Archer Fellows
Majeda Abu-Alghanam | UT Permian Basin
Marathon Petroleum Corporation Majeda Abu-Alghanam is pursuing bachelor's degrees in marketing and communications, with an energy business certificate at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. On campus, she served as president of Marketing Experiences, an organization that helps students develop marketable skills, and as parliamentarian of the Student Senate, where she advocated for student concerns. After spending summers in Jordan, Abu-Alghanam recognized a need for international development and human rights advocacy. During an internship at an oil company, she became interested in the intersection of energy business and public policy. Upon graduation, she plans to complete her M.B.A. before attending law school. 
Romic Aevaz | UT Austin
The Brookings Institution, Metropolitan Policy Program Romic Aevaz is a student at The University of Texas at Austin studying government and city planning through UT Austin's humanities program. He has served as the co-director of UT Austin Student Government's City Relations Agency and previously interned for Austin Mayor Steve Adler and the City of Sugar Land Planning Department. After graduation, Aevaz plans to pursue a master's degree in urban planning and public policy. 
Lila Al-Kassem | UT Austin
Akin, Gump. Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP Lila Al-Kassem is an international relations and global studies student at The University of Texas at Austin. Growing up in Amman, Jordan inspired Al-Kassem to learn more about international development in the Middle East through her academic studies. She previously interned with Berkeley Research Group, United States Agency for International Development, and UniHouse in Amman. On campus, she was a research affiliate with Innovations for Peace and Development assisting with corruption research in Honduras and a Brumley Next Generation Scholar. She is also involved with Humanity First-TX and Texas Orange Jackets. Upon graduation, Al-Kassem hopes to pursue a career in either consulting or data analysis in policy research. 
Maria Victoria Alonso | UT San Antonio
United States Supreme Court Maria Victoria Alonso, born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, is an honors student at The University of Texas at San Antonio studying politics and law. Her brother Andy, who has autism, ignited her initiative to find justice and become an advocate on behalf of others. Her passion to serve others has led her to propose the first gated and supervised skateboard park in the San Antonio 2017 bond, host human trafficking awareness events, and work at the office of Councilman Greg Brockhouse’s (TXSA-6) to assist constituents. She plans to be a civil and human rights attorney. At UTSA, her favorite involvements are UTSA Ambassadors and Chi Alpha Christian Ministry. 
Blair Altman | UT Austin
Sabin Vaccine Institute Blair Altman is pursuing a bachelor's degree in public health from The University of Texas at Austin and is expected to graduate in May 2019. She has strong interests in aging policy, health equity, and microbiology. After graduation, she plans to continue her academic career by earning a law degree and a master's degree in public health. 
Allana Arroyo Amaro | UT San Antonio
U.S. Department of State, Foreign Service Institute Allana Arroyo Amaro is a senior majoring in international business management and minoring in global affairs at The University of Texas at San Antonio. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, the Rio Grande native spent much of her childhood crossing the cultural and linguistic boundaries of Unites States and Puerto Rico until she moved to Texas to finish high school and enter university. She found a passion in learning about cross-cultural experiences and became determined to work in diplomacy. In order to grasp the complexity of foreign politics, she sought opportunities to understand local politics through internships with her local city offices and community outreach. It has been her goal to help the economic development and political stability of countries while seeking the best interest of a globalized world. When she experienced what her parents gave up because of the global effects of a financial crisis and its negative repercussions, she realized the importance of global economic flows. Amaro wants to further her education in international relations, and learn more on how economics and politics correlate. 
Fabiola Baretto | UT Austin
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Fabiola Barreto is a Gates Millennium Scholar studying government at The University of Texas at Austin. On campus, Barreto served as a liberal arts representative on the UT Austin Student Government Assembly and as a professional development lead within Women of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting. She has worked as a better builder intern at Workers Defense Project and as a legislative intern at the Office of State Representative Eddie Rodriguez (TX-51). 
Kayla Bright | UT Tyler
Women's Foreign Policy Group Kayla Bright is a political science and public relations double-major at The University of Texas at Tyler. She is active in several community organizations including the Smith County League of Women Voters and Tyler Art of Peace. Bright is passionate about the intersection of race, gender, and public policy, and plans to pursue a career which will allow her to improve the socioeconomic realities of women around the world. 
Hayley Call | UT Austin
U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans Hayley Call is a senior at The University of Texas at Austin studying computer science and government, while pursuing certificates in global studies, and information security. Her focuses include cyber security, foreign affairs, and international security. She is attending UT Austin on a full scholarship. The past three summers, she has interned at Microsoft as a software engineer. Call studied abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland and performed independent research last semester on the link between terrorism and foreign aid. She hopes to pursue a career in security related public policy, specifically focusing on cyber initiatives and human development projects. 
Sofia Carrillo | UT Austin
Office of U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-35) Sofia Carrillo is a civil engineering student, with a focus in environmental and water resources engineering, at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the small rural town of Kingsville, Texas, she was raised with a love for the environment. This led her to become interested in both environmental engineering and environmental policy. Additionally, Carrillo has a passion for public service and looks for every opportunity to combine all her interests. In June 2018, she visited a village in rural Thailand as a part of UT Austin’s Projects with Underserved Communities and implemented a hygiene station and greywater reuse system for an elementary school, after one year of engineering design and planning. She plans on attending law school after working as an engineer to strengthen her technical skills. 
A. Gaige Davila | UT San Antonio
U.S. Library of Congress Gaige Davila is a senior at The University of Texas at San Antonio, majoring in english and political science. He is currently a staff writer at The Paisano, where he served as co-news editor of The Paisano, the independent student newspaper for the UTSA community. He is pursuing a career in investigative journalism and university teaching. 
Fizza Davwa | UT Austin
American Bar Association Fizza Davwa is a senior majoring in sociology and government and pursuing a certificate in human rights and social justice at The University of Texas at Austin. Previously, she has worked at the Texas Capitol, Texas Civil Rights Project, and the State Government of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Additionally, she has served as a mentor for adolescent girls at a juvenile detention facility in Austin, TX. In the future, she hopes to attend law school and work within the system to fight human rights injustices that occur in the nation. 
Carlos Dinkel | UT Austin
European Union Delegation to the United States Carlos Dinkel is pursuing a dual degree in international relations and global studies, and government, at The University of Texas at Austin. His studies have been deeply influenced by his upbringing in the U.S.-Mexico border, sparking his interest in international relations and the inadvertent impacts that the policies of one country can have on another. Since a young age, Dinkel has believed how important it is to preserve and further expand relations between these two countries. Passionate about foreign affairs, he hopes to work focusing on foreign policy, ultimately implementing policy that is more inclusive and will better relations with our allies to create a more stable world order. 
Adrienne Epstein | UT Austin
The Brookings Institution, Ambassador Norman Eisen Adrienne Epstein is a Liberal Arts Honors Program student at The University of Texas at Austin studying government and sociology honors with minors in business and women and gender studies. She has served as the administrative director of UT Austin’s Senate of College Councils and a research fellow specializing in mitigating circumstances in federal death penalty cases. Adrienne previously interned at Annie’s List and with U.S. Congressman Ted Lieu (CA-33). She is passionate about death penalty reform and women’s rights, and plans to pursue a career in criminal justice policy. 
Ariela Gomez | UT El Paso
U.S. Library of Congress Ariela Gomez is a senior majoring in psychology with minors in chemistry and honors at The University of Texas at El Paso. She previously interned at State Senator José Rodríguez's (TX-29) district office and worked two years as an AVID tutor at Indian Ridge Middle School. On campus, she has been involved with the Student Government Association and the Medical Professions Organization. She is a member of UTEP's Liberal Arts Honors Program and her research experience includes two research assistantships with UTEP's Social Neuroscience Lab and the Systems Neuroscience Lab. Lastly, she volunteers biweekly at the El Paso Baptist Clinic – a clinic that provides free medical services to individuals without health insurance. Upon graduation, she plans to attend medical school and remain involved with policy. 
Tristan Grecu | UT Arlington
Office of U.S. Representative Marc Veasey (TX-33) Tristan Grecu attends The University of Texas at Arlington. He is a psychology major with intentions to work in public policy after graduation. Outside of school, Grecu enjoys volunteering as a youth leader at his church, working as a barista at a local coffee bar, and playing with his dog, Shiloh. 
Giovanni Gutierrez| UT Austin
American Enterprise Institute Giovanni Gutierrez was born and raised in Dallas, TX. He is a fourth-year public relations major, pursuing a minor in business, from the University of Texas at Austin. After graduation, he looks forward to attending law school with a focus on civil rights or corporate law. Aside from law and politics, Gutierrez has a passion for investing, sports, working on start-ups, and writing music. 
Kendall Hagman | UT Austin
Office of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN) Kendall Hagman is a third year undergraduate at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology, with a certificate in evidence and inquiry. She is a member of the Polymathic Scholars Honors Program within the College of Natural Sciences, for which she will write a thesis currently entitled “Science in Political Agendas.” Hagman is also the founder of the UT Austin chapter of the pro-STEM political action committee, 314 Action, through which she seeks to heighten civic engagement among fellow science and engineering undergraduates. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in science policy analysis. 
V. Gwyn Hartung | UT San Antonio
U.S. Library of Congress Gwyn Hartung is currently a junior in the Honors College at The University of Texas at San Antonio. She is double majoring in anthropology and classical studies and minoring in museum studies. Hartung has held two officer positions in the UTSA organization Students United for Planned Parenthood and has lobbied for Planned Parenthood in Austin, Texas. She plans to go to graduate school after graduating from UTSA and hopes to find a career in the museum world. 
James Jackson | UT Tyler
K&L Gates LLP James Jackson is a student at The University of Texas at Tyler. He is currently pursuing a degree in political science. Jackson is an active member of the Honors Program at UT Tyler, in which he volunteers as a peer mentor to assist incoming Honors Program freshman in acclimating to their new college lifestyle, academically and socially. In addition to his campus engagement, Jackson's passion for law and politics led him to intern and work for the Smith County District Attorney Office and Dobbs and Tittle P.C., where he participated and engaged in the local legal and political process. 
M. Broderick Johnson | UT Dallas
United States Supreme Court Broderick Johnson is a junior at The University of Texas at Dallas pursuing a bachelor of science degree in mathematics. He is involved on campus as a Terry Scholar, peer adviser, and a member of the basketball team. After graduation, Broderick plans on attending law school with an interest is civil rights. 
Abigail Kellstedt | UT Austin
U.S. Senate Committee on Rules & Administration Abigail Kellstedt is a senior at The University of Texas at Austin studying government and latin american studies, with a minor in spanish. On campus, Kellstedt is a member of Texas Spirits, director for both Central Texas and Houston Model United Nations, and editor for the Texas Undergraduate Law Review. Kellstedt has previously worked for Locke Lord LLP and interned for Texas State Representative Ryan Guillen (TX-31). After graduation she hopes to continue working for Locke Lord LLP and begin law school with a focus on international arbitration law between the United States and Latin America. |
Sahara Khan | UT Austin
Environmental Law Institute Sahara Khan is a senior at The University of Texas at Austin majoring in Iberian/ Latin American languages & cultures. She completing interdisciplinary certificates in public policy and food & society while participating in the Jefferson Scholars' Core Texts and Ideas program. Competing and researching as a member of the UT Austin Debate Team has not only inspired several of her independent research projects and academic publications, but also her plan to enroll in a dual degree program to study law and food policy after gaining experience in a law firm upon graduation. 
Kira Kirby | UT Austin
U.S. Global Leadership Collation Kira Kirby is a Plan II Honors student at the University of Texas at Austin. She completed her first professional internship during her junior year of high school, when she interned for U.S. Congresswoman Krysten Sinema (AZ-9) in her Washington, D.C. office. Kirby developed a passion for international relations and true appreciation for diverse cultures during her service work in Peru, travels in Morocco, and international business coursework in Barcelona. As a resident of two border states, Arizona and Texas, Kirby has developed a personal interest in the success of the NAFTA and international trade in general. She interned this past summer at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, where she assisted with the Chamber’s launch of a new statewide business communication platform and conducted research on business and trade issues, including the status of NAFTA renegotiations and current tariff impacts on the Arizona economy. Upon graduation, Kirby plans to pursue degrees in international business and law. 
Anushka Limaye | UT Dallas
The Brookings Institution - Lawfare Anushka Limaye is a junior at the University of Texas at Dallas majoring in supply chain management and minoring in political science and international political economy. Limaye is interested in law and international trade - interests that she has pursued on campus through Moot Court, Mediation, Model UN, and a research position studying the politics of multilateral Islamic finance. Additional skills have been gained via internships at the Hawkins Law Firm, the Center for American and International Law, and Experian. In her spare time, Limaye enjoys learning and performing Kathak (a form of Indian classical dance), learning about different parts of the world, and drawing. 
Kacey Manlove | UT Dallas
Council of Economic Advisers Kacey Manlove is a student of international political economy at the University of Texas at Dallas. She has worked in economic development at the City of Corpus Christi, Texas. Manlove hopes to pursue a career in international development, inspired by her time studying abroad in Spain. 
Shadhi Mansoori | UT Austin
U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Shadhi Mansoori is pursuing a bachelor's degree in neuroscience honors and a minor in public policy from The University of Texas at Austin. As a Polymathic Scholar, Mansoori designed a certificate exploring eldercare issues and health disparities impacting U.S. Latinos. She was a Clements Center Undergraduate Fellow, which taught her the value of studying statecraft and history, and an Austin City Hall Fellow, which introduced her to urban development work and community engagement. She is editor-in-chief of the Texas Undergraduate Research Journal and plans on pursuing M.D.-M.P.P dual degrees to one day expand health resource access for all Americans. 
Myat May | UT San Antonio
The White House Myat May is a fourth-year student at The University of Texas at San Antonio majoring in medical humanities and minoring in biology. She previously served as an administrative intern at PT Siloam International Hospitals System and strategic planning & business development intern at Wut Hmone Trading. May enjoys volunteering as an interpreter at the Refugee Health Clinic in San Antonio. Upon graduation, she intends to pursue degrees in health policy and management. 
Cameron Amir Meshki | UT Dallas
Office of U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (TX-20) Cameron Amir Meshki is a junior at The University of Texas at Dallas where he is majoring in finance and minoring in political science. He is a member of the Davidson Management Honors Program and serves as a head on their advisory council. Meshki has previously worked at the International Rescue Committee as a development intern and currently serves as the Texas State President of DECA. On campus, he established UT Dallas’s first John Quincy Adam’s Society Chapter which focuses on foreign policy and economics. Upon graduation, Meshki plans on obtaining a J.D./M.B.A. and working in the business policy sector. 
Edith Muleiro| UT Austin
Refugees International Edith Muleiro is a third-year undergraduate at The University of Texas at Austin majoring in Plan II Honors and government, she also studies in the Arabic Flagship Program. Her campus leadership includes the Plan II Student Advisory Council and Absolute Texas, a UT Austin spirit group. In 2016, Muleiro began collaborating with immigrant communities as a refugee camp volunteer in Greece. She continues this work in Austin with the Liberal Arts Refugee Alliance, a student-run service organization. Muleiro grew up in Spain and Connecticut and is a bilingual Spanish/English speaker. After graduation, she intends to study law and work with Middle Eastern immigrants. 
Arturo Olivarez | UT Rio Grande Valley
Bank Policy Institute Arturo C. Olivarez is a senior at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley majoring in accounting with a minor in political science. Prior to the Archer Fellowship, Olivarez interned with several financial institutions, including PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Dallas this past summer. His fascination with finance and law stems from the complex socioeconomic status of his home, the Rio Grande Valley. Olivarez hopes to attend law school upon graduation and specialize in corporate law. 
Dalton Owens | UT Dallas
Human Rights Campaign Dalton Owens is a senior studying accounting and minoring in political science at The University of Texas at Dallas. He has been a part of many organizations, from being president in UT Dallas Dean's Council to vice president in Interfraternity to being a senator in the UT Dallas Student Government. Owens is interested in pursuing a career in politics, specifically towards helping with poverty and LGBT issues. 
Jacob Pena | UT Austin
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - State Strategies Jacob Pena is a senior at The University of Texas Austin studying government, he is interested in government accountability and urban policy. His interests are spurred by his work in grassroots and non-profit organizations like League of United Latin American Citizens and Texas Organizing Project, and in the Texas Senate through the Luna Scholars and Fellows Program. He transferred to UT Austin from Collin College and spent summer 2017 at the University of Michigan through the Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA). He hopes to stay in Washington D.C. to gain more experience working in policy before he pursues a master of public policy. 
Sai Nikitha Prattipati | UT Dallas
Center for American Progress Nikki Prattipati is a student at The University of Texas at Dallas and is majoring in psychology. She is a member of the 2016 McDermott Scholars Class. Prattipati served as the Academic Affairs Chair on UT Dallas Student Government. She also represents the UT Dallas as a student ambassador. Prattipati has a strong interest in health policy and hopes to attend medical school after graduation. 
Devaki Radkar | UT Austin
Office of U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (CA) Devaki Radkar is a senior majoring in government at The University of Texas at Austin. She has interned for Senator Judith Zaffirini (TX-21), the Texas Democratic Party, and International Policy Group, a consulting firm in Barcelona, Spain. More recently, she interned for Verizon’s public policy office in Washington D.C. In her spare time, Radkar enjoys volunteering with Latinitas, a non-profit organization that empowers young girls through the use of media and technology. After graduation, Radkar plans on pursuing a dual master's degree in business and public policy. 
Sierra Sees | UT Dallas
U.S. House Judiciary Committee Sierra Sees is a double degree student at The University of Texas at Dallas, studying psychology and criminology with a political science minor. She is a member of the Collegium V Honors Program. She stays busy by serving on the leadership committee of different volunteer and honors organizations on campus, including Alpha Phi Sigma, as well as serving as a victim advocate through the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center. This year, she has worked with the Collin County District Attorney’s Office and select judicial offices. Upon graduation, Sees plans to pursue a law degree, with an emphasis in forensic psychology. 
Areeb Siddiqui | UT Dallas
The Brookings Institution - The Hamilton Project Areeb Siddiqui is a Eugene McDermott Scholar majoring in political science and economics at The University of Texas at Dallas. On campus, Siddiqui has served as the secretary of Student Government and the president of No Labels. he has previously interned for WiNGS, a women’s ministries non-profit in Dallas, and for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas as a community development intern. A competitor on UT Dallas’s Mediation and Moot Court Teams, Siddiqui hopes to attend law school and form a career serving as an advocate for those who have been victimized by discriminatory urban policies and industrial practices. 
T. Cade Stone| UT Austin
The Max Kampelman Policy Fellowship at the Helsinki Commission Cade Stone is a fourth year Plan II Honors and government student as well as an Undergraduate Fellow at The Clements Center, where he engages with pressing issues facing American national security and the experts addressing them. He has recently finished biking from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska with Texas 4000 to raise funds for cancer research. Stone has enjoyed the opportunity to research civic health advocacy with the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life as well as see Texas’ civic life in action as an intern in the Texas House of Representatives with Speaker Joe Straus’ Office (TX-121). Off-campus, he enjoys playing spikeball on assorted lawns and exploring Austin’s many taco vendors. 
Makenzie Stuard | UT Austin
U.S. Department of Justice - Civil Rights Division Makenzie Stuard is a senior at The University of Texas at Austin graduating in December with a degree in government and a certificate in business foundations. This past year, she served as deputy chief of staff of service of the UT Austin Student Government and vice president of GirlAdvocates. Stuard has worked as a fellow for both the Office of the Texas Governor and Bank of America, both of which only encouraged her career goal. In addition, she has worked with two United States representatives and Judge Wade Birdwell of the 342nd District Court. After graduating, Stuard intends to pursue a law degree with a focus on public service and pro bono legal aid. 
Christina Sundar Singh | UT Dallas
U.S. Department of Justice - Civil Rights Division Christina Sundar Singh is a junior at The University of Texas at Dallas majoring in finance and political science. Sundar Singh has interned with the United States Bankruptcy Court of the Northern District of Texas, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, and Experian to further explore her long held interest in criminal justice and corporate law. She has also been involved on campus with UT Dallas's Innocence Project and Mock Trial team. Following graduation, Sundar Singh hopes to attend law school and work as a corporate attorney and then criminal defense attorney. 
Alex Walheim | UT Austin
Office of U.S. Senator Mark Warner (VA) Alex Walheim is an undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin studying government, and he expects to graduate in December 2018. His policy interests include civil rights and social justice. After completing his undergraduate education, Walheim hopes to attend the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs to pursue a master's degree in public affairs. When he is home for school breaks, he works for Space Center Houston, the visitor center for Johnson Space Center. 
Aryn Walker | UT Tyler
Democratic National Committee Aryn Walker is a senior at The University of Texas at Tyler majoring in political science and minoring in sociology. On campus, Walker serves as president of UT Tyler’s nationally-ranked debate team. During the summer of 2017, she spent six weeks studying abroad in Vietnam and Cambodia as a part of the Global Awareness Through Education Program. As a legal intern at a local law office, Walker has a passion for the law, the legal system, and its intersections with the social imagery. Upon graduation, she plans to attend law school to pursue a degree specialized in appellate law. 
Jaycee Weber | UT Arlington
Office of U.S. Representative Marc Veasey (TX-33) Jaycee Weber is a first-generation honors college student at The University of Texas at Arlington, majoring in public relations and minoring in political science. On campus, Weber reestablished the UT Arlington Chapter of University Democrats, serving as the organization's president, and wrote opinion columns for the school newspaper. She also served as director of programming for the Texas College Democrats, a statewide organization encouraging political participation among college students. In addition, she worked for her hometown as a communications intern. Her interests include social and digital media, politics, and the intersections between them. She hopes to work in political communication, hopefully on Capitol Hill. 
Sarah Whipple | UT Dallas
Capital Area Immigrant's Rights Coalition - Detained Adult Program Sarah Whipple majors in international political economy at The University of Texas at Dallas. She is a World Federation of United Nations Associations Human Rights Scholar and a Young People for Fellow. She is an officer for UT Dallas Model United Nations, a case reviewer for the Texas Innocence Project, an editor of the Eugene McDermott Scholars Program Blog, and interns at the International Rescue Committee and the City of Dallas. Sarah has completed two intensive State Department Arabic programs in Oman and Morocco, and hopes to use the Arabic language in a career in immigration law. 
Brooklyn Whitmire | UT San Antonio
U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans Brooklyn Whitmire found her interest in national security as a former cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy. She has completed two study-abroad trips, a research practicum, an honors thesis, and several other programs (e.g. SCONA at Texas A&M and the Texas Intelligence Academy in DC.) She has worked on a mayoral campaign and served as vice president of the Political Science Association. Upon returning to Texas, she will be graduating with honors and distinction from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Following graduation, Whitmire would like to work in the intelligence community. 
Carol-Armelle Ze-Noah| UT Austin
NARAL - Pro Choice America Carol-Armelle Ze-Noah is a sophomore at The University of Texas at Austin majoring in government and women and gender studies with a minor in Russian and a certificate in public policy. Originally from Cameroon, Ze-Noah is fascinated with American politics. She is an ardent advocate of intersectional health policies that are representative of the U.S.' ever-growing citizenry. She serves as a representative on the Capital Metro Shuttle Bus Committee and has worked as a legislative policy intern at Texas Star Alliance. On campus, she has devoted her time to expanding her university's conception of diversity through its student body and curricula. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a dual degree in law and public policy. |
