Maria Antonio is serving as a Segal Fellow Summer Intern with the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program (HIRC), focused on support asylum applications and other forms of immigration relief and benefits, such as visa applications and employment authorization documents. 

Within the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic, Maria will be assisting with legal case preparation, research, and community engagement, ensuring that individuals navigating complex immigration systems have access to compassionate representation. This work will not only have a direct impact on individual clients and their families, but will also contribute to upholding human rights and strengthening immigrant communities.

With a background in international studies, economics, and community leadership—including past internships at JVS Boston and Ernst & Young—Maria is excited to explore the intersections of resilience and immigrant advocacy as she prepares for a future career in law.

Learn more about Maria

Ragini Kannan is serving as a Segal Fellow Summer Intern with the Bureau of Community Health and Prevention (BCHAP) at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), focused on data analysis.

In connection with Department's Strategic Plan to Advance Racial Equity, Ragini is supporting the Vendor Engagement and Community Voice Integration Action Teams by conducting a data review of current DPH procurement practices and policies to understand opportunities to increase access to DPH procurement opportunities and also helping infuse community input in program design and procurement evaluation processes.

As a Brandeis junior majoring in HSSP and Computer Science, Ragini is excited to explore how public health policies can address systemic inequities and improve healthcare access for all.

Learn more about Ragini

Nikhat Meman is serving as a Segal Summer Intern with The Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE), a unit within the Mount Sinai Health System’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

The majority of her time will be in clinical shadowing in fields like cardiology, ophthalmology, and emergency medicine, learning about patient care, clinical teams, and their multidisciplinary approach to patient treatment. Nikhat, a CEYE Alum, will also support CEYE summer programming, including a high school student Social Determinants of Health Seminar and alumni engagement planning.

As a Brandeis junior, Nikhat is excited to explore new avenues in health advocacy and deepen her understanding of how to create more equitable healthcare systems locally and globally. 

Learn more about Nikhat

DieuYen "Yen" Nguyen is serving as a Segal Fellow Summer Intern with the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (HILSC), where she will discover the immigration ecosystem in Greater Houston and develop resources to support immigration service.

In addition to supporting HILSC’s hotline, Yen will participate in at least one community outreach and/or networking event and one field trip to immigration court in Houston. She will also complete a comprehensive research project on the Texas legislative process.

As a Brandeis sophomore, Yen is eager to dive deeper into the legal field and champion justice for under-resourced communities—bringing her values, experience, and first-gen perspective to every step of the journey.

Learn more about Yen

Zaire Simmonds is serving as a Segal Fellow Summer Intern with the DREAM Charter School.

There, Zaire is bringing his passion for equity, teacher preparation, and inclusive education to co-teaching morning classes with a certified DREAM teacher and lead an afternoon club based on student interest. He will also help prepare training materials for staff, support student check-ins, assist with assessments and surveys, and contribute to end-of-summer wrap-up tasks like data review and gathering student and family feedback.

As a Brandeis junior with years of experience in NYC public schools and a vision to transform education systems, Zaire is excited to dive deeper into classroom teaching and education policy as he continues working toward a more just and diverse future in education.

Learn more about Zaire