AAPD Announces Its 2008 Summer Congressional Interns
College Students with Disabilities Working in Congressional Offices on Capitol Hill
Washington, DC, June 16, 2008—The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) announces that eight students are participating in the 2008 Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation–AAPD Congressional Internship Program. This program is made possible by a generous grant from the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF).
This congressional internship program, a paid summer internship program that was launched in 2002 with a grant from MEAF, was designed to provide college and university students with disabilities the opportunity to obtain first-hand knowledge of the legislative and political process, and a unique learning experience that enriches their educational endeavors and enhances their future career opportunities.
2008 Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation–AAPD Congressional Internships were awarded to the following students, who were selected on the basis of a written application and a competitive interview process:
Dana Fink, originally from Atlanta, GA is a rising junior at the University of Illinois (U of I), Urbana-Champaign. She is currently majoring in International Studies, with a dual minor in French and Mandarin Chinese. She is an athlete for the reigning national champion U of I Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team. She is also actively involved in the International Studies Student Association, Amnesty International, and Delta Sigma Omicron (the disability service fraternity on campus). Dana will be studying abroad in Beijing, China for the 2008 fall semester. She is a passionate advocate for disability rights and hopes to ultimately work for global disability awareness and change.
This summer, Dana is interning on Capitol Hill in the office of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA).
Sarah Floyd is a rising senior at Beloit College studying international relations and public health. She is originally from upstate New York. Sarah is an active member of the outdoor environmental club and the Beloit College Voter Registration Project, and she also does advocacy work on campus for responsible sexual behavior, STD prevention, use of contraceptives and sexual assault prevention. Sarah enjoys foreign languages, with her focus in Chinese, which she learned while teaching English in China. She hopes to enter the Peace Corps after graduation.
This summer, Sarah is interning on Capitol Hill in the office of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D- WI).
Kevin Fritz is a rising junior at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is majoring in Health Administration and Informatics. Kevin, who aspires to become a Hospital Administrator, hopes to derive skills through this internship that will give him a better sense of the government and learn how to implement this knowledge in his future fields of interest. As an active member of his campus community, Kevin is currently serving his second term on the Illinois Student Senate as a Senator and Vice Chairman. When he isn't drafting resolutions or advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities, Kevin can be found in his other office where he is the Director of Arts for the Illini Union Board, the universities' largest programming unit.
This summer, Kevin is interning on Capitol Hill in the office of Senator Barack Obama (D-IL).
Marneet Lewis just completed her sophomore year at Portland Community College (PCC), receiving her Associate & Oregon Transfer Degrees in Psychology. She will return to Oregon to attend a four-year University this fall. Marneet has served PCC as a Student Ambassador, Founder & President of ABLE Club for Students with Disabilities, President of United Tribes, immediate past President of the Black Student Union, and a member of the Psychology Club. Academically, she has been on the Honor’s, Dean’s, & President’s List. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society’s Beta Epsilon Gamma Chapter, and she has also served as a Member at Large Officer. She has also been named to the National Dean’s List.
This summer, Marneet is interning on Capitol Hill in the office of Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA).
Corbbmacc O'Connor is a rising junior at The George Washington University, double-majoring in Political Communication and Economics. Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Corbb came to Washington, DC for its diversity, performing arts, and—of course—politics. Next semester, Corbb will study abroad in Ireland and hopes to achieve a career in journalism or lobbying. Corbb is blind, and travels with his guide dog Phoenix, a four-year-old yellow Labrador retriever. The duo can frequently be seen walking the streets of Foggy Bottom; riding the Metro, Washington’s subway system; or cooking dinner for friends in his apartment.
This summer, Corbb is interning on Capitol Hill in the office of Senator Hilary Clinton (D–NY).
Jonathan Shectman is a rising senior at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where he is majoring in International Relations with a minor in Communications. Born in Washington, DC, and raised in Virginia, he recently returned from a semester abroad studying in Kenya and Tanzania. He has coached learning-challenged students in the Portland public schools system. He has been involved in many community service activities, ranging from the rebuilding of a public school in a small village in Costa Rica to participating in the clean-up of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. An avid rock climber, skier and hiker, Jonathan is also a certified SCUBA instructor who looks forward to teaching diving to persons with disabilities.
This summer, Jonathan is interning on Capitol Hill in the office of House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Megan Smith is a rising junior at Soka University of America, in Aliso Viejo, California where she will receive her Liberal Arts degree with a concentration in International Studies. For the past three years, Megan has volunteered abroad for periods of three months, first in Costa Rica, Peru, and most recently in Nepal, working as a teacher for orphans and the elderly. Within her university, Megan serves as Editor-in-Chief of Soka’s literary magazine, chair of an annual conference on Soka Education, and president of Soka’s student chapter of the United Nations Association, and works with various local disability rights groups. Megan hopes to earn her Masters Degree and then PhD in International Policy and/or Human Development.
This summer, Megan is interning on Capitol Hill in the office of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman William Delahunt (D-MA)
Jordan Woods is a rising senior at The University of Georgia, majoring in International Affairs with a minor in Arabic. His interest in politics and government began amid the drama of the Florida recount in the 2000 presidential election and has continued since. Jordan is an accomplished Eagle Scout who founded the Collins Hill Chapter of the Teenage Republicans, and serves as the House Manager of his fraternity, Phi Kappa Theta. In 2006, Jordan received the Georgia State Personal Achievement Award from the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Jordan hopes to one day work in the field of national security or counter-terrorism.
This summer, Jordan is interning on Capitol Hill in the offices of both Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R- WI).
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country’s largest cross-disability membership organization, organizes the disability community to be a powerful force for change – economically, politically, and socially. AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
For information regarding this program and other internship opportunities available through AAPD or to sign up to receive internship announcements, visit the AAPD website at www.aapd.com, or call AAPD 800-840-8844 (V/TTY).
American Association of People with Disabilities
1629 K Street NW, Suite 503
Washington, DC 20006
