Meet Our ’21 USF in DC Fellows

We are proud to introduce this semester’s USF in DC cohort! USF in DC is a semester-long program in Washington, D.C. that integrates a full-time internship with relevant coursework taught by USF faculty and University of California Washington Program (UC DC) faculty.

Meet our Fellows, and wish them congrats and good luck!

Ethan Tan – Politics ’21
Office of the Secretary of Defense

Ethan is interning this semester at the Office of the Secretary of Defense on the Legislative Affairs team as a Strategic Communications intern. He is excited to learn more about national security and defense issues, understand how the legislative and executive branch advances policy priorities, and the Department of Defense’s mission for civilians and military personnel. At the Pentagon, Ethan hopes to apply his research, memo writing, and policy analysis skills in support of the Department’s leadership and broaden his policy experience portfolio. Furthermore, Ethan hopes to build connections throughout the federal government to allow him to stay in public service upon his graduation in December.

Metyia Phillips – Politics ‘23
The Urban Libraries Council

Metyia will be interning for The Urban Libraries Council. She is excited to learn more about bridging the digital and educational equity gap. Metyia hopes to refine her research and advocacy skills while interning at ULC. Furthermore, she is excited to work on projects within ULC’s Strategic Focus Areas: Education, Digital Equity, & Healthy, Sustainable Communities. Metyia is also looking forward to living and working in DC, to make meaningful connections that will help her further her education and career in public service. After this semester, Metyia plans to study abroad in London while taking Politics classes and interning for a British political entity.

Izzie Hallock – Politics ‘22
Office of Congressman Jared Huffman

Izzie will be interning for Congressman Jared Huffman representing California’s 2nd district. She is excited to research, analyze, and engage in environmental policy, among other topic areas through an equitable lens. While interning with the Congressman’s DC office, she is looking forward to understanding how policy is advocated for and enacted at the federal level to ensure all Americans have a voice and seat at the table. She is eager and ready to rebuild this nation with 21st-century solutions through transformative policy that reflects the needs of all with Congressman Jared Huffman’s office.

Emily Chang – International Studies and Asian Studies ‘22
Office of Senator Cortez Masto

Emily is going into her fourth year at USF as an International Studies and Asian Studies double major with a minor in Chinese Studies. She hopes to learn more about advocacy through policy and increase her knowledge on foreign relations, specifically between the U.S. and Asia. Emily is excited to apply and develop her strong research and outreach skills as an intern at the Office of Senator Cortez Masto. Additionally, she is looking forward to making new experiences in DC, to step foot into the workforce, allowing her to apply her academic and past internship experiences in her future career. Emily is excited to start this new chapter in her life and take on opportunities that will allow her to gain more skills and knowledge within international affairs and public policy.

Aaron Fontan – Politics ‘23

Aaron is a Politics major and Public Service and Community Engagement minor. He is excited about his upcoming experience in Washington, D.C., networking and meeting similarly minded civic leaders who are interested in addressing equity at the public policy level. Aaron inspires to use the skills and knowledge obtained from these internship experiences to help uplift marginalized communities.

Julian Sorapuru –  Media Studies ‘22
POLITICO

Julian is interning at POLITICO as part of their policy reporting team. He is passionate about showing how policy decisions made on the Hill impact the lives of everyday Americans. Julian believes reporting for POLITICO will allow him to keep people up to date about what’s going on in the nation’s capital so they can make more informed political decisions, which he sees as vital in this era of rampant fake news and information silos.

Learn more about our USF in DC program here.