2019 Summer Interns

Meet AAPD’s 2019 Summer Interns! The AAPD Summer Internship Program develops the next generation of leaders with disabilities and offers host employers access to a talented, diverse workforce. Each summer, AAPD places college students, graduate students, law students, and recent graduates with all types of disabilities in summer internships with Congressional offices, federal agencies, non-profits, and for-profit organizations in the Washington, DC area.

Nina Erbes

Year: Rising Senior
Major: Anthropology
College/University: Mount Holyoke College
Placement: Association of University Centers on Disabilities

Nina Erbes is a senior at Mount Holyoke College working towards a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, with a specific interest in medical anthropology. Through her coursework at Mount Holyoke, she became interested in the intersection of anthropology and health, particularly the critical analysis of medicine and exploring medical traditions around the world. While at Mount Holyoke, Nina has served as an AccessAbility Services Fellow, working as a mentor for underclassmen with disabilities. Nina’s extracurricular interests revolve around music: she plays in the Mount Holyoke English Handbell Ensemble and hosts a radio show devoted to synthpop and New Wave music on the college’s radio station, WMHC. After she graduates, Nina plans to earn a Master of Public Health degree with the goal of designing public health initiatives to bring healthcare access to marginalized groups. She is especially interested in exploring initiatives aimed at disabled and LGBTQ+ populations.

Luwei Quan

Year: Rising Senior
Major: Cognitive Neuroscience and English
College/University: Brown University
Placement: Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Luwei Quan is a third year premedical student at Brown University double majoring in Cognitive Neuroscience and English. She currently volunteers and interns at several different disability-centered organizations and projects both on Brown’s campus and throughout Rhode Island. Luwei organized an inaugural panel on health inequity within intellectual/disability communities through PAL (Partnership for Adult Learning), serves as Logistics Coordinator and Peer Mental Health Advocate with LETS (Let’s Erase the Stigma), and conducts research concerning virtual reality in adolescent situational management.

Evita Nwosu-Sylvester

Year: Law Student
Major: Law
College/University: Cornell University
Placement: Centene Corporation

Evita Nwosu-Sylvester is a rising third- year law student at Cornell Law School, where she is working to accomplish her dream of becoming a lawyer and advocate for people with disabilities. No matter where her career takes her, she hopes that she can provide a voice, and continue to be an example of what individuals with disabilities can achieve. Last summer, she had the honor of interning for the Honorable Justice Barry T. Albin. of the New Jersey Supreme Court. The previous year, she interned at Pfizer Consumer Healthcare where she had the honor of being featured in the 2017 Pfizer Disability Journal. In addition to her studies, she is the former president of the Christian Legal Society and the former career services liaison for the Black Law Students Association. Also, she is currently working on efforts to increase accessibility and raise disability awareness at her institution. In her spare time, she enjoys singing. Evita’s career goals are to pursue either corporate or government work related to disability.

Gabriela Rossner

Year: Rising Senior
Major: Environmental Studies, Minors in Biology and Public Health
College/University: The George Washington University
Placement: Center for American Progress Disability Justice Initiative

Gabriela Rossner is a rising senior at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. Hailing from the California Bay area, her passion for nature led her to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies, with minors in Biology and Public Health. Since discovering her enthusiasm for the outdoors as a teacher for a scientific camp, Gabriela has dedicated her academic and professional pursuits to the environment. She hopes to merge her passions of environmental justice and disability justice in order to prioritize those who are most highly impacted by climate change. Previously, Gabriela worked at the Western Energy Project, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and the American Water Works Association. At school, she is involved with the Disabled Students Collective, as well as with being a teaching assistant for Biology. In her spare time, she loves going to art museums, reading, and being outside.

Ashley Heuser

Year: Rising Senior
Major: History and Government
College/University: University of Virginia
Placement: DC Office of Disability Rights

Ashley Heuser is a rising fourth year at the University of Virginia studying History and Government. As part of her university’s Distinguished Major’s Program, Ashley’s senior thesis will be Changes in Student Perceptions of Disability: A Micro-History of UVA. As a history scholar, Ashley is passionate about contributing to the literature of disability historiography. Ashley was one of the founding members of the club Chronically Ill and Disabled Cavaliers and is currently serving as its vice president. Involvement in the disability community is important to Ashley and she is a student member in the Disability Advocacy and Action Committee. As a student member, Ashley serves as a liaison between the student body and the DAAC. She has raised the visibility of disabled students on her campus by casting disabled actors to play disabled characters in a show that all freshmen have to see. Ashley has worked with other organizations to make her school more accepting of the disability community by creating a guide for accessibility within student organizations and by helping to plan a university-wide Disability Awareness Week. After graduation, Ashley hopes to be employed as an ADA coordinator since she wants to act as a mediator between the disability community and the able-bodied world. Afterwards, Ashley wants to return to academia and become a professor of disability history. When not advocating for the disability community, Ashley is usually knitting a sweater or playing with her dog.

Cassaddee Sicherer

Year: Rising Senior
Major: Visual Arts, Minor in Political Science
College/University: Rutgers University
Placement: Democracy Initiative/Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

Cass Sicherer is a rising senior at Rutgers University earning a BFA in digital media and a double minor in political science and art history. Cass was born and raised in New Jersey and found her love for disability justice when she was a child in the resource room at her elementary school. She recalls how empowering it felt to speak to future teachers about her experiences with her disability and fell in love with making a positive impact on others by being vulnerable and sharing her story and needs as a student with a disability. As she grew older, Cass got involved with LGBTQ+ activism and lobbied for equal marriage rights prior to the 2015 marriage decision and created LGBTQ+ Jewish teen programs at the Keshet LGBTQ+ teen Shabbaton. In high school, Cass became involved in congressional and city council campaigns as a design intern and petitioned in the Upper West Side to get an out-LGBTQ politician on the city council ballot. This past year she was a Grace Paley Organizing Fellow with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice and served as the president of her Universities’ Queer Caucus where she helped pass legislation that funded easier access to bathrooms for Trans and gender non-conforming Rutgers students. Cass also has a soft spot for educating and working with kids and has spent many summers teaching crafts and sewing at a day camp in New Jersey. As a visual arts student at Rutgers, Cass has been awarded the visual arts award at the Mason Gross Undergraduate Annual and spends her time making video and print-based art installations.

Danny Thomas Vang

Year: Recent Graduate
Major: Social Work, Labor Studies
College/University: San Francisco State University
Placement: Information Technology Industry Council

Danny Thomas Vang is a blind student from San Francisco State who wishes to combine the disciplines of social work and labor studies to conduct policy analysis and program evaluation in municipal government. He plans to translate his knowledge of social justice oriented theoretical frameworks to explore issues relevant to participatory budgeting, pedestrian safety, and gainful employment. Danny has analyzed legislative ordinances and has evaluated employee-to-customer interactions as an intern for the Office of Supervisor Norman Yee, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, and the Wells Fargo Customer Care and Recovery Group. At the Longmore Institute, he has also conducted qualitative interviews about disability employment culture in the tech sector and has strategized with the San Francisco Department of Adult and Aging Services about the development of the first disability cultural center in the nation with municipal sponsorship. On his spare time, he socializes with friends, exercises at the gym, watches Japanese anime, and cooks for fun.

Emely Recinos

Year: Rising Senior
Major: International Relations
College/University: New York University
Placement: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Emely Recinos is a junior at New York University where she is majoring in International Relations with a concentration in Latin America, as well as pursuing a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies. Since her parents are from El Salvador, and because of her own visual impairment, she is aware of the challenges individuals with disabilities face when trying to access education and assistive technology in this part of the world. During her study abroad experience in Argentina in the fall of 2018, she was able to further develop her understanding of what services and accommodations are still missing for this community within the country, and how to discuss the issue professionally in Spanish. Based on the information she gathered there, along with other research she is doing in regards to the lack of assistance provided to this community throughout the region, she hopes to one day fund a non-profit organization of her own to further assist these individuals. Additionally, when volunteering at the Afghanistan Foundation for the Blind in New York City she was inspired by the organization’s mission of helping provide health care and education to individuals living with visual impairments or blindness in Afghanistan. There she saw what difference she could make in another part of the world by purchasing adaptive equipment, sending it over to those who need it, and then providing the adequate training to use it in their everyday lives. As for how she spends her spare time, Emely enjoys listening and playing music, and exploring new restaurants in New York City.

Kenia Flores

Year: Rising Senior
Major: Politics and International Affairs
College/University: Furman University
Placement: National Council on Independent Living/Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC)

Kenia Flores is pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Affairs at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She is a member of the Richard W. Riley Institute Advance Team, Pre-Law Society, and the Lambda Nu chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha. She has interned at the National Federation of the Blind, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Office of Senator Thom Tillis. Her passion for disability rights advocacy has been fostered by her involvement on the local and national levels of the National Federation of the Blind.

Jordyn Zimmerman

Year: Rising Senior
Major: Education Policy
College/University: Ohio University
Placement: National Disability Rights Network

Jordyn Zimmerman is a rising senior at Ohio University. She is currently studying education policy with a minor in communication studies, as well as pursuing a certificate in law, justice, and culture. As a non-speaking, autistic student, Jordyn is passionate about making critical questions around disability, justice, and education, essential aspects of daily life. Jordyn currently co-chairs the Hillel International Student Cabinet and is a member of Ohio University Student Senate. She has presented to thousands of professionals and multiple organizations on a number of topics related to autism, inclusion, and technology. On campus, Jordyn founded the Ohio University Sparkle Effect team; the seventh inclusive cheer team at the collegiate level and an organization that promotes school spirit and inclusion across the community.

Sabrina Epstein

Year: Rising Junior
Major: Public Health Studies Major, Minors in Spanish and Art
College/University: Johns Hopkins University
Placement: National Endowment for the Arts

Sabrina Epstein is a student at Johns Hopkins University, where she studies Public Health, Visual Arts, and Spanish. Passionate about disability rights, she hopes to pursue a career making the world more accessible. She is especially interested in healthcare policy and the role of disability in the arts. Sabrina serves as the Communications Director for the College Democrats of America Disability Caucus and the Vice President of Advocates for Disability Awareness at Johns Hopkins.

Hamza Kaakarli

Year: Rising Senior
Major: Neuroscience
College/University: Michigan State University
Placement: Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)

My passion for science and policy are two of my most defining characteristics. As a sophomore in college, I am studying Neuroscience, with a minor in Global Public Health and Epidemiology. Along with my research, in epidemiology and biostatistics, I am continually looking to expand my horizons and prepare myself for a future career in the healthcare field.

Faith Akinbohun

Year: Graduate Student
Major: Master of Social Work
College/University: University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work
Placement: Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Faith Akinbohun received her BS in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Faith is a budding disability advocate. She was able to get a career resource guide created for disabled students while she attended law school. Faith also spearheaded a book drive for a local detention center with the goal of improving the mental health of residents. She plans to pursue a Masters in Social Work in the future with the goal of of opening her own private counseling practice.

Stephen Strouse

Year: Rising Senior
Major: Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law/Music
College/University: Bowling Green State University
Placement: Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)

Stephen Strouse is student at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He is pursuing a double major in Music and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law (PPEL). Stephen enjoys volunteering as an advocate with the U.S. Pain foundation. Because of his experience living with chronic pain and a disability, Stephen is especially passionate about advancing policies to support people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. He has met with State and federal legislators to advocate for a variety of issues, including healthcare, disability rights, LGBT+ rights, education, and sexual assault prevention. Stephen strives to promote policies that ensure equal treatment and opportunities under the law, regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, health status, or disability. Stephen has won the Donna Nelson-Beene Excellence in Research Writing Award at Bowling Green State University, and his research paper “New Music: The Value of Creativity” was published in WRIT: GSW Journal of First-Year Writing. He is lead trumpet in Jazz Lab II, and he plays in Concert Band as well. Stephen is also involved in a variety of organizations on campus. He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, PPEL club, and serves as secretary for Disability, Rights, Education, Awareness, and Mentoring (D.R.E.A.M.).

Alexandra Kilgore

Year: Rising Junior
Major: Politics and Philosophy Pre-Law
College/University: The Catholic University of America
Placement: Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

Originally from Kent Island, Maryland, Alexandra is a rising junior at The Catholic University of America, where she is a pursuing a major in Philosophy Pre-Law and a minor in Politics as a member of the University Honors Program. Her areas of interest include Thomism and theories of jurisprudence, and she hopes to pursue a joint JD/PhD upon graduation. She holds several leadership positions on campus, including serving as member of the executive board of the Pre-Law Society and secretary for the Philosophy Club, of which she was a founder. She also recently participated in the University’s re-accreditation process through the North Atlantic Middle States Commission by serving as a student member of the Ethics and Integrity Working Group. A two-term senator for the Class of 2021, she has authored multiple pieces of legislation which serve to further accessibility on campus, for which she was named the 2017 Zach S. Bilotte Memorial Award Recipient. Alexandra is a proud alumna of the Project ASCEND Scholarship program (‘17) and of American Legion Auxiliary Maryland Girls State and Girls Nation (‘16). An involved participant in campus ministry, Alexandra is passionate about service and the intersection of faith and politics. She is a corps member of Jumpstart, an AmeriCorps program which places volunteers in underserved preschool classrooms to facilitate early childhood literacy skills and social-emotional development, and spent her spring break in Bend, Oregon, serving with Habitat for Humanity. In her free time, Alexandra loves to hike, attend concerts, and read anything she can get her hands on. She will be studying abroad in Rome, Italy, in the fall of 2019.

Kristen Cox

Year: Rising Senior
Major: Theatre Design and Technology
College/University: Northern Illinois University
Placement: Smithsonian Institution

Kristen comes from a technical theatre background and currently is attending Northern Illinois University in the greater Chicago area, working toward earning a B.A. in Theatre Studies with Honors. Kristen also graduated from the International Baccalaureate Programme. Kristen has previously been involved at internships with the Charlottesville Opera and the Pittsburgh Festival Opera, and currently works for the School of Theatre and Dance’s costume shop and for Northern Illinois University’s Housing department as a Community Advisor. Kristen is excited to see what happens behind the scenes with federal agencies in D.C and hopes to work with the network that will be developed during the summer.

Katherine Herbert

Year: Rising Senior
Major: Political Science, Concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies
College/University: Grinnell College
Placement: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Katie Herbert is a rising fourth year at Grinnell College. Originally raised in Washington DC, Katie from a young age has been enthusiastic about the American political system. This led to her seeking a degree in Political Science with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies. She has spent her time at Grinnell College working on the rights of students with disabilities by becoming an Access Leader whose job it is to audit spaces around campus and give suggestions as to how to make these spaces more accessible to all students, faculty, and staff. Katie has also been a Fellow for NextGen America for two of her semesters at Grinnell. Her job as a Fellow was to increase the youth vote on her campus. She did this by creating a community around political activism with a club she founded and was president of called NextGen Grinnell. Katie also spent her fall semester this year as an elected Senator in Grinnell’s Student Government. During her time as Senator, she brought concerns of fellow students before the Grinnell Student Senate and worked on a variety of committees as a representative of the Student Government. During the spring semester of this year, Katie will be spending her time abroad, studying in the Czech Republic. She will be studying the political history of Eastern and Central Europe and is also hoping to gain an intermediate knowledge of Czech on the way. Katie Herbert hopes to spend the following months after her graduation in May of 2020 putting her electoral work in Iowa to the test by devoting all of her time to the Democratic presidential campaign.

Serena Jaros

Year: Recent Graduate
Major: English
College/University: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Placement: United Spinal Association

I recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with an English degree and a concentration in rhetoric. For the last several months I’ve worked as a freelance editor for a publishing company near Chicago. My interest in politics and issues goes back before high school where I’d bore anyone who would listen with all the news of the day. I have volunteered for local political candidates and am excited to dig deeper into specific issues. My interests like in voting rights, international affairs, and community development. Obviously, these last few years have been turbulent for this country. I look forward to meeting my fellow interns and learning how I can contribute to making a positive difference. In my free I love to read and go to concerts.

Zahara Spilka

Year: Rising Junior
Major: Computer Science Major, Art (Studio Emphasis) and Psychology Minors
College/University: Macalester College
Placement: US Department of Energy

Zahara Spilka is an undergraduate student at Macalester College, where Zahara develops her skills in computer science, art, and psychology by building of programs such as touch recognition software, collaborating on personal art pieces and class assignments, and assisting the former chair of Macalester’s Psychology Department with her researcher on the friendships between deaf and hearing children. Zahara has attended the 2018 Grace Hopper Celebration in Huston, Texas. Zahara also earned an Honorable Mention from Scholastic Art & Writing Award for one of her digital art pieces in addition to having it published in Celebrating Art’s Spring 2017 book. Zahara is an animal rights activist and digital artist from Maine.

Thank you to the Presenting Sponsor of the Disability Advocacy Certificate Program:

Support for the 2019 Summer Internship Program is provided by:

Aid Association for the Blind of the District of Columbia