Summer 2021 LEAD Fellows
We are thrilled to announce the LEAD Fellows for summer 2021. Fellows will be working at a variety of organizations involved in pro-democracy and voter access work.
Amanda McBain is a junior majoring in Politics and minoring in History at the College of Arts & Science. Amanda currently serves as an Executive Editor at the Undergraduate Law Review at NYU, a student-led journal centered on legal-related scholarship. In addition, she contributes to improving voter education and voting rights as a leadership team member at GenVote @ NYU, a student-led voting rights organization, and a digital poll monitor with Common Cause NY. She has previously interned at the Office of Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. Upon graduation, Amanda plans to attend law school and contribute further to voting reform.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Amanda will be working with Headcount.
Alexa Berry is an MPA-PNP candidate specializing in Advocacy and Political Action at NYU Wagner. Prior to Wagner, she created and managed events for international students at an international education nonprofit.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Alexa will be working with the American Association of People with Disabilities.
Ama Sarpomaa is a rising junior at Gallatin studying politics and media with a focus on migration, displacement and African Development with a minor in Peace and conflict studies. Previously, she worked as a campaign fellow in a New York City council race, where she served as an advocate for the community. Her passion for the implementation of just immigration policies has inspired her work at African Communities Together as a Gallatin Global Fellow in Urban Practice.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Ama will be working with the Detroit Action.
Coryn Grange graduated this spring with an MPA-PNP from NYU Wagner, specializing in Public Policy Analysis. She is passionate about issues concerning equity, justice, and education. Previously, Coryn has worked as a Development Associate for an international education nonprofit. She has also worked as a Research Assistant on projects that focus on statutory language in education policy and diversity in higher education. She holds a BA in Political Science from CUNY Hunter College.
As a Parke Summer Fellow, Coryn will be working with the Brennan Center for Justice.
Sophie Kies is a recent graduate of New York University’s School of Global Liberal Studies with a major in Politics, Rights, and Development, and minors in Public Policy, History, and Politics. Her senior thesis,“Suppressing the Vote, Finding Solutions: How Milwaukee Disenfranchises the Black Community,” focused on examining and combating the issues surrounding voting rights that plague her hometown. She has interned with organizations such as Democrats for Education Reform and the Office of Governor Tony Evers, State of Wisconsin.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Sophie will be working with March on Harrisburg.
Julia Konrad is a MPA candidate at NYU Wagner, specializing in policy analysis. Before Wagner, she taught 11th grade U.S. history at a Brooklyn public school. She is interested in studying policies that aim to disrupt neighborhood inequality, and particularly those that relate to voting, education, and housing. She earned an AB in social studies from Harvard College and an M.Ed from Vanderbilt University.
As a Parke Summer Fellow, Julia will be working with the Brennan Center for Justice.
Eliza McCurdy is a 2nd year MPA student at Wagner with an Advocacy specialization. Her big passion is criminal justice reform, a field in which she have been working for the past five years. In college, she interned with JustLeadershipUSA on the #CLOSERikers campaign and with The Sentencing Project in Washington, D.C. to address life without parole policies in the US. For the last three years, she has been working full time on Rikers Island with the Osborne Association providing reentry services and life skills classes to the men incarcerated there.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Eliza will be working with the Bronx Defenders.
Matt Minner is a MPA-PNP student at NYU Wagner specializing in Public Policy Analysis and completing the Quantitative Analysis certification. Prior to attending NYU, Matt worked in operations at Amazon and was involved with their sustainability initiatives. Matt believes that improving election laws and removing barriers to democratic participation will help ensure that policies at the local, state, and federal level align with the best interests of the communities they serve.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Matt will be working with March on Harrisburg.
Antara Nader is an MPA candidate NYU Wagner, specializing in Public Policy. She has worked for many years in criminal justice advocacy, most recently at the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund and Center for Court Innovation, and has been a longtime volunteer with the Parole Preparation Project. She received her BA from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN and is originally from Massachusetts. Antara lives in Brooklyn and will be working remotely this summer.
As a Parke Summer Fellow, Antara will be working with the Brennan Center for Justice.
Rachel Carter is a senior at NYU, studying Politics with a minor in Economics. She is passionate about women’s rights, voting rights, and affordable housing. She has previously worked for the Democratic National Committee and The Blue Lab, developing expertise in digital organizing and campaigns.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Rachel will be working with the Mi Familia Vota.
Aaron Posner is an MPA-PNP candidate specializing in Advocacy and Political Action. He is a passionate advocate in issues around incarceration and immigration, and is a strong proponent of the power of organizing. Among other community organizing efforts, Aaron is the Direct Action Chair of Wagner's Students for Criminal Justice Reform. He holds a BA in English, specifically Contemporary Jewish Literature, from Reed College.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Aaron will be working with Headcount.
Rebecca Barilla is an MPA-PNP candidate at NYU Wagner, specializing in Advocacy and Political Action. She previously helped prepare community health assessments for hospitals along the West Coast. Prior to attending Wagner, she worked for a nonprofit science publisher in San Francisco that focused on open access research. Rebecca is passionate about the intersection of policy, accessible research, and community engagement.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Rebecca will be working with the Center for Popular Democracy.
Caitlin Garbo is a full-time MPA-PNP candidate with a focus on Advocacy and Political Action. Before starting at NYU Wagner, Caitlin completed a service year fellowship with Repair the World, leading volunteer and social justice efforts with several non-profit organizations in Brooklyn. This summer, she hopes to have an impact on decriminalizing mental illness in New York City while working on reform with NAMI-NYC. Caitlin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development from Cornell University.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Caitlin will be working with the National Alliance on Mental Illness of NYC.
Lydia Stockslader is a 2nd year MPA-Health Policy and Management student at Wagner specializing in International Health. She is an activist and a Returned Peace Corps Malawi volunteer. Outside of school Lydia likes to watch true crime tv shows, hang out with her dog Gus, who she brought back with her from Malawi, and explore Upstate New York.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Rebecca will be working with the United Nations Democracy Fund.
Moosa Muzaffar Waraich is a rising senior at the NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study. He is currently concentrating in a mixture of social and cultural analysis, public policy, and history. Outside of the classroom, he is currently serving as the President of the Pakistani Students Association at NYU and is passionate about racial justice, community relations, and voting rights. He is also a part of the BA-MPA track at Gallatin and intends to pursue the degree upon graduation.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Moosa will be working with Freedom House.
Amanda Drucker just completed her first-year at NYU Wagner where she is a MPA-PNP Policy specialization candidate. She has worked as a research assistant for three years and is now working as an assistant to the President at Tri State Maxed-Out Womens PAC. Tri State Maxed-Out Womens is a Democratic Political Action Committee that funds viable, Democratic women candidates for Senate and Congressional positions. Amanda will be attending and organizing fundraising events for candidates, researching viable candidates for the PAC to support, and assisting with Presidential affairs. Amanda will be working remotely out of her apartment in Manhattan.
As a LEAD Summer Fellow, Amanda will be working with Tri-State Maxed Out Women's Pac.