Meet Our ’21 McCarthy SF Fellows!

This year’s cohort of McCarthy Fellows in San Francisco have begun their semester-long  internship with the City & County of San Francisco alongside a rigorous academic Urban Policy seminar course. This semester, our fellows have the unique opportunity to study political economy and culture with a local government agency according to their interest area. Read on to meet our 2021 cohort and learn their placements.

 

Miguel Arcayena ‘22
Politics major, Journalism minor
Office of Policy – SF Department of Human Resources

Miguel is excited to help curate equity-based policy, gain knowledge of bureaucratic processes, and expand his policy-research skills that will have an impact in the city, particularly for underserved communities.

 

Natalya Bomani ‘22
Politics major, Sociology minor
Office of the Assessor Recorder

Natalya is thrilled to help the public affairs team create a Family Wealth Resource guide, a fact sheet for below market rate homeowners, and analyze racial covenants in recorded documents to promulgate the office’s Family Wealth series. She hopes to lower barriers and connect all San Franciscans, regardless of household income, with the education and resources they need to achieve financial security so as to bring forth more equity in the city.

 

Dallas Williams ‘23
Politics Major, Legal Studies Minor
Supervisor Shamann Walton

Dallas hopes to gain more experience working with constituents and promoting equity across District 10 as well as the city, develop a deeper understanding of San Francisco policy work, work hands-on with the community at events and in education hubs, and gain knowledge on the financial and budget process in city government.

 

Isabel Tayag ’21
Sociology Major with an Emphasis in Criminology, Law and Society
San Francisco Public Defender’s Office

Isabel is excited to work on criminal justice reform policies at the local and state level including projects on ending pretextual stops, restitution reform, gang enhancement reform and piloting a parole attorney program here in San Francisco. She hopes to learn the ins and outs of the legislative processes of San Francisco and California as well as develop her skills in policy writing, research, and campaigning.

 

Ethan Lee-Bellows ‘23
Psychology Major, English in Writing Minor
Supervisor Dean Preston

Ethan is excited to work on the Government Audit and Oversight committee to help ensure accountability and effective functioning of the different departments, agencies, and persons within the San Francisco city government. He hopes to develop his communication and policy research skills and develop a better understanding of the legislative process.

 

Sofia Sanchez ‘22
Politics Major, Legal Studies Minor
Department of Public Works

Sofia is excited to get firsthand experience working in the field and expand upon her skills in communications. She hopes to learn from the Policy and Communications team and take on a more challenging and professional role within the team. She hopes to gain more insight on policy writing and the racial inequities that many black and brown workers face within the City of San Francisco.

 

Lovepreet Dhinsa ‘22
Politics Major, Legal Studies Minor
San Francisco City Administrator’s Office

Lovepreet is excited to bring her own experiences to the forefront of her work, learn more about racial equity, and how it can be applied in local policy. Lovepreet is currently working on implementing the Mayor’s Racial Equity Plan in the HR department within the office. She aspires to create more equitable policies and processes for the city, and, in the process, refine her advocacy skills in representing under-resourced communities.

 

Kimberly Galindo ’23
Politics Major and Legal Studies Minor
San Francisco Fire Department

Kimberly is currently working on data aggregation and identifying gaps, barriers and challenges that prevent minorities from joining the Fire Department through the Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP). Kimberly hopes to refine her policy writing and research skills as well as her advocacy skills to represent minorities and the underrepresented.

 

Margaux Farmer ‘23
International Studies major, Environmental Studies minor, Latin American Studies minor
SF Department of the Environment

Margaux is supporting the Toxics Reduction team on a variety of projects centered around urban biodiversity, such as analyses on street trees in San Francisco. Margaux hopes to expand her knowledge on biodiversity and toxicology and refine her skills in data analysis and research.

 

Marjory Castillo ‘22
Nursing major
SF Parks and Recreation 

Marjory will help author a workplace analytics report that will identify and analyze the department’s least diverse layers in its hierarchy and employment classifications. This project is part of SFRPD’s Racial Equity Action Plan. She looks forward to improving her professional writing skills, as well as learning more about data analysis.

 

Tiffany Holmes
Sociology major, Environmental Studies and African American Studies minor
SF Department of the Environment

Serving on the Policy and Public Affairs team, Tiffany will assist the development of local policy, from working with external and internal stakeholders and technical experts to drafting policy briefings for the Director. She hopes to expand her knowledge and appreciation for local policy while working towards a more sustainable San Francisco.

 

Yasmeen Khan
Politics major, Peace and Justice Studies and Legal Studies minor
San Francisco Public Defender’s Office

Yasmeen Khan is working on projects holding the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) accountable for their mishandling of COVID-19, habeas petitions, and ensuring that incarcerated individuals are receiving resources and support during the pandemic. She hopes to further learn how to best support incarcerated individuals and become more adept with the legislative processes to pass criminal justice reforms bills.

 

Louise de Oliveira ‘23
Sociology major, Fine Arts minor, Public Service and Community Engagement minor
SF Youth Commission

Louise is working with the Commission as a liaison between young San Franciscans and city government. She will work to do this by facilitating community engagement events, doing legislative research, and supporting the youth in their three committees: Housing and Land Use, Transformative Justice, and Civic Engagement.

 

Karisa Cortez
Politics Major, History Minor, Media Studies Minor
San Francisco Public Library

Karisa is working with the communications department on community outreach to help people take advantage of all the services and programs the library has to offer. She hopes to learn how to best serve the community by working with them and learning what issues are most important to them so she can carry it forward to a future career in public service.

 

Elliana Butler ‘22
Sociology Major, Politics Minor
Supervisor Matt Haney

Elliana is acting as a community liaison by being the first point of contact for constituents, city departments, government agencies, public and private organizations, and local businesses regarding equitable public policy based on the needs of the people. She hopes to learn how to navigate being a community-engaged public servant within a local government setting and apply the skills she acquires through this in-depth, hands-on program to a career in public service in the future.

 

Read more blogs from McCarthy Fellows here.