2023 Brandeis Segal Fellow Jovita Bell will be interning at Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA) through her Health Career Connections internship. This summer, Jovita will actively participate in prioritizing behavioral health initiatives and support educational efforts by conducting policy research and attending stakeholder meetings, state agency meetings and legislative hearings. Jovita hopes the work she's doing impacts the health and wellness of those disproportionately impacted from a scarcity of health resources and to bridge the gap to more accessible and equitable healthcare. She hopes to strengthen her research and data analysis skills and gain more exposure on the policy side of public health.

2023 Heller MPP Segal Fellow Saynab Maalin will be interning with MassINC this summer. There, she will focus on supporting the development of a comprehensive housing strategy for the city of New Bedford. Saynab will assist with data collection and analysis, as well as policy research, examining housing programs and regulations in New Bedford as well as best practices in peer cities. She hopes to continue to develop her skills in research and public speaking, and have more practice writing research projects.

2023 Heller MPP Segal Fellow Katherine Nace, will be interning with Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts (PLSMA) this summer. There, she will serve as their policy and communications fellow focusing on the intersection of policy making, public education, and communications. Her work includes, but limited to, items such as drafting and collaborating with community partners and clients on testimony for bills, working towards effective media strategies and planning for hearings and briefings, meetings with key legislators, and creating content for public outreach to support our legislative priorities.

Katherine hopes to to center voices of incarcerated individuals, continuing to challenging the current narratives and approaches to our legal system. She looks forward to (1) learning more about the processes for hearings, testimonies and briefings while (2) connecting with both those most impacted and Massachusetts legislators to learn about how PLS can better advocate for policy change. 

2023 Brandeis Segal Fellow Anthony Ruiz will intern in Atlanta, GA this summer with the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN). GAIN exists to provide quality pro-bono representation to asylum-seekers seeking refuge in the U.S, and was created in response to a critical lack of representation for asylum-seekers within one of the toughest immigration courts in the nation in 2005 as a part of the Atlanta Asylum Bar Project. Anthony, as an intern on the GAIN legal team, will work directly with staff attorneys to support asylum applications. Through the GAIN internship program, Anthony plans to develop skills in the areas of legal research, multimedia resource development, and client communication, along with many others.

2023 Brandeis Segal Fellow Amelia Trahan will intern this summer with The International Institute of New England's (IINE) English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program, which serves clients ages 18+ through student-centered and experiential techniques. As an intern, Amelia will support ESOL classes and serve as a coach to help clients gain beginning English skills that will allow them to secure jobs, advance in their careers, enter training programs, or further their education. Amelia will develop and implement lesson plans, conduct workshops, tutor students, and take on other special projects to support ESOL programming and learners at IINE.