Federal Service Student Ambassadors
Class of 2009-2010

Sarah Adams
Sarah Adams was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is currently a senior at Washington University in St. Louis pursuing a double major in International Studies and International Business. During the summer of 2009 she worked as an intern in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. In this capacity she worked within the International Programs Division, helping to analyze and report information from officers abroad to the Assistant Secretary of State. As a Student Ambassador she hopes to be a resource for students seeking jobs and internships and to increase knowledge of exciting and unusual opportunities for Washington University Students.

Katie Arnold
Katie grew up all around the world as a military dependent. After graduating high school in Stuttgart, Germany she began studying at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama where she is now a senior majoring in Public Administration. This summer Katie served as an intern in the U.S. Department of State at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). Within FSI she worked in the Leadership and Management School directly assisting the Executive Development Division. During the summer Katie helped to make three Ambassadorial seminars and two Deputy Chief of Mission Seminars a success. She prepared briefing materials and handouts for the participants. She researched mission specific strategies and pulled together data for each post to be provided to each Ambassador designate. The internship allowed her to use communication, presentation, research, writing, and networking skills. This internship helped her to see the importance of public service not only on a domestic level but also abroad. As an Ambassador Katie hopes to make known the wonderful opportunities there are working in public service.

David Attarzadeh
David Attarzadeh was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and is currently a senior at Johns Hopkins University double majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics/Statistics. During summer 2009, he spent two months interning with the Board on Population Health at the Institute of Medicine in Washington D.C. analyzing vaccine litigation and judicial interpretation of biological causation. He spent the final month of his summer interning at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood institute of the National Institutes of Health working on a project relating to Robotic-assisted MRI during heart valve replacement. David enjoyed these opportunities to learn from scientists and analysts from across the United States and looks forward to serving as a Federal Service Student Ambassador. He is excited to expand his knowledge of federal opportunities and share his experiences with students passionate about brining about societal change and aid them in their quest to find federal government jobs and internships.

David Bice
David Bice attends Kennesaw State University where he studies International Affairs. He works at the Department of Homeland Security where he is involved in many projects, from public relations to security. As a Federal Service Student Ambassador, David hopes to give students opportunities to obtain federal positions that they might not have otherwise had.

Jeff Bizinkauskas
Jeff Bizinkauskas is currently a senior Government major at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut and is interested in advocating for careers that provide net positives for society. As a student fellow at the Government Accountability Office during the summer of 2009, Jeff served as an intern analyst within the Homeland Security and Justice Divisions, contributing research and analysis to engagement teams investigating U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement resource allocation prioritization and the challenges facing the proposed E-Verify EEVS system. Understanding that young Americans are capable and eager to revitalize our national promises, Jeff is excited about the opportunity to connect talented undergraduates with the information they need to decide for themselves how best they may contribute to a new era of responsibility and leadership.

Igor Bogorad
Igor Bogorad is from California. He is finishing his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles in Biochemistry. This summer he was an intern at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the Department of Energy, researching new enzymes to degrade lignocellulosic biomass to produce biofuel. As a co-founder of an energy club at UCLA, he hopes to inspire students to work for the Department of Energy and the green sector. The Department of Energy Student Ambassadors Program will allow Igor to attract students to enter this important field.

Leland Cheung
Leland Cheung is part of the 2009-2010 class of Department of Energy Ambassadors charged with connecting future civil service leaders with exciting career opportunities at the DOE.
Leland is currently an MBA / MPA Candidate at MIT Sloan and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Leland interned at the Department of Energy's new Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy. Modeled after DARPA, ARPA-E is focused on transformational energy technology development with the promise of having significant impact against America's current energy challenges.

Prior to returning to graduate school, Leland was a Senior Associate with the venture capital firm Masthead Venture Partners (located in Cambridge, MA) focused on Digital Media, Mobile, Infrastructure, and Cleantech investments. While at Masthead, Leland founded Clean Perspectives, a Boston/Cambridge area forum bringing together energy entrepreneurs, elected officials, and veture capitalists in an informal community setting. Prior to Masthead Venture Partners, Leland served as the Chief Information Officer for Space Adventures, a VA-based start up most famous for sending private citizens to the International Space Station. Leland holds three degrees from Stanford University: a Masters in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, a Bachelors in Physics, and a Bachelors in Economics. Leland lives in Cambridge, enjoys rock climbing and snowboarding, mentoring through Big Brother, and commuting to school on a hand-made electric scooter.

Zanethia Choice
Zanethia Choice is a senior Agricultural Economics major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She is from Estill, South Carolina, a small rural town. Her love of service made her want to share her experiences with others and help them have some of the same opportunities she has had. This summer she interned at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Agency Economic Research Service. She researched the policies and changes that need to be made to improve food safety. As an Ambassador, she would like to inform her peers of all the opportunities available in the federal government. Because a large number of her peers are not exposed to this information, she wants to give them new options and help them find internships and jobs and network with government employees.

Chiara Essig
Born in New York and raised in London, Tokyo, and Honolulu, Chiara Essig is a sophomore at Stanford University. She is majoring in Atmosphere and Energy and individually designed a major in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a strong focus on climate change and energy issues. This past summer, she worked at the Energy Information Administration in the U.S. Department of Energy researching unconventional shale gas development in the United States. She is looking forward to getting her fellow students excited about working in the public sector.

Elise Hanks
Elise Hanks is currently in her third year at Middlebury College where she is majoring in Literary Studies. She spent the summer of 2009 working for the Department of Education in their Office of Communications and Outreach. Over the course of the summer she wrote numerous article for the Department publications, conducted various interviews, helped with the Education Policy Briefing series and Events, and helped to revamp the internship program. She loved the autonomy of shaping her own writing assignments and that se was given substantive work that impacted programs sat the Department of Education. She is looking forward to promoting federal service among young professionals and encouraging America's youth to be the change they want to see.

Katherine Harkins
Born and raised outside New York City, Katherine Harkins received her Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University with a double major in History and Classical Civilization. She is currently working on her Masters in Healthcare Administration in the Department of Health Policy and Management a t the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This summer, she interned at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, via a placement through the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Junior Commissioned Officer Training and Externship Program. Her work involved various projects in federal public health emergency preparedness planning. As an Ambassador, Katherine hopes to help UNC students with a wide range of backgrounds and interests find federal opportunities that can help them achieve their goals and reach their full potentials.

Daniel Herbst
Daniel Herbst is an Applied Mathematics-Economics and Public Policy major at Brown University. he worked as a research intern at the Federal Reserve Board during the summer of 2009. There he learned about the intricacies involved with macroeconomic management and the Fed's unique relationship with he federal government. He hopes that his role as a student ambassador will help encourage other students to have similarly rewarding experiences in public service.

Jennifer Kisty
Jennifer Kisty is currently a junior at Pennsylvania State University where she is studying Marketing with a minor in Labor and Employment Relations. She interned at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Headquarters in Washington, D.C. this past summer. Specifically, Jennifer worked in the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances. Environmental Assistance Division. As an intern in their Outreach Branch, she worked on publications that informed the public about the missions and accomplishments of the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances. Jennifer is looking forward to serving as a Federal Service Student Ambassador. After working for the government, she has learned a lot about the tremendous opportunities and room for growth in federal jobs and is excited to inform her peers about all the advantages.

Jeff Latov
Originally from New York, Jeff Latov is a senior at the University of Richmond where he is majoring in political science and international studies. Last summer he interned at the Environmental Protection Agency, specifically within the eRulemaking office. As an intern, Jeff was tasked with moderating Regulations.gov Exchange, a website that asked for feedback on improving public participation in rulemaking process. He was also responsible for writing communication material and managing the eRulemaking's web 2.0 capabilities including a twitter-feed. As the first federal service ambassador at Richmond, Jeff hopes to educate his peers about public service opportunities and demonstrate the advantages of working in the public sector.

McKenzie Lawyer Davies
A native of Northern Virginia, McKenzie Lawyer Davies has a vast interest in government. In 2005 she worked with the Loundoun County Office of Comptroller and Assessor’s Office and in 2007 interned with the Senate Rules Committee under Ranking Member Senator Robert F. Bennett. In 2008, McKenzie graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s in Spanish and Political Science. Currently, she is pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis in Federal Government and Finance through the Marriott School of Management at BYU. During the summer of 2009, McKenzie interned at the Government Accountability Office in Washington, D.C. where she researched, wrote, and presented on GAO’s review of the United Nations Office for Project Services. She was thrilled to be a vital member of her team and enjoyed learning more about the GAO, the federal government, and the Washington scene. As a Federal Service Student Ambassador, McKenzie hopes to integrate federal government service into her master’s program as well as throughout her campus. She seeks to provide others with important knowledge on federal government service and aims to help place at least twenty students in federal internships and jobs in the next year.

Marco Marrazza
Marco Marrazza grew up in Bethesda, Maryland and is now a sophomore at Tufts University where he is studying International Relations and Economics. Over the summer, Marco interned with the Department of Defense doing cost analysis for aircraft programs and working on an economic study to encourage the production of the next generation of fighter planes. He wants to share his great experiences with students interested in the federal government and help those students to pursue their interests.

Kathryn McGinn
Kathryn McGinn is a rising senior at the University of South Carolina. She is majoring in Accounting and minoring in Psychology. On her campus, Kathryn is also affiliated with the Club Field Hockey Team and the University 101 Peer Leader Program. This summer she has been working for the Office of Accountability and Internal Control at the Department of the Treasury. She hopes that through her work as an Ambassador she will be able to promote federal service to her peers and encourage a new generation to work for the government.

Mohammed S. "Tonu" Nauague
Mohammed is entering his final year at the College of William & Mary. He is double majoring in Economics and Government. He is interning at the Office of Special Investigation at the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. He is helping a Senior Historian with research on human rights violations in Bangladesh and East Pakistan in 1971. He interned the previous summer at the International Postal Service at the U.S. Postal Service’s Global Business Division. He would like to expand awareness about federal public service and help his fellow peers learn to navigate the process of applying to federal positions.

Ajay Palaparty
Ajay Palaparty is from Westlake, Ohio. He is studying Political Science at New York University with a minor in Economics. At school, Ajay is involved in tutoring through the NYU Civic Team and is the conference coordinator for the South Asian Studies Program Initiative. He is also a member of the NYU Sport Taekwondo Team. This summer, Ajay was an intern at the United States Agency for International Development. Within the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs, Ajay attended and reported on Congressional hearings, worked with the USAID Speaker's Bureau and Hometown Diplomats Program, and wrote articles and conducted interviews for FrontLines, USAID's official publication. Ajay hopes to inform students of the benefits of working for the federal government and help them to successfully apply for exciting job and internship positions.

Renee Michelle Ragin
A native of New York City, Renee is a senior at Harvard University with a concentration in History and Literature. She spent this summer in Washington, D.C., at the Department of State as the acting desk officer for four Caribbean countries. Renee has developed a profound appreciation for the variety of career opportunities the State Department offers, both domestically and internationally. As a Federal Service Student Ambassador, Renee seeks to inspire her peers to find and pursue similar opportunities in the federal government.

Chris Ramos
Chris Ramos attends Virginia Tech, where he majors in Business Information Technology. This summer he interned at the National Nuclear Security Administration. During his internship, he worked on revamping the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Intranet Web site and creating an electronic reference library consisting of laws, acts, and guidelines regarding IT and Cyber Security policy. He wanted to be an Ambassador because he wanted to give back the same opportunity that he had to his fellow peers. Some of the things he hopes to accomplish as an Ambassador are to increase the number of qualified minority applicants and help the students on his campus find summer jobs.

Arrin Richards
Arrin K. Richards is a rising senior Business Administration major with a concentration in Accounting at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Arrin spent the summers of 2007 and 2008 interning with the National Disaster Medical Systems, a section of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He is currently interning with the Federal Reserve Board, where he works within the Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation. Arrin has become an Ambassador with the aspiration that he can further educate his college community about professional opportunities within the federal government. He hopes that he can act as a trusted liaison between the students on his campus and the federal government.

Courtney Robinson
Courtney Robinson was born and raised in the northern Virginia area and has always appreciated the opportunities within the federal government. Courtney obtained a Bachelor's of Science degree in Public Policy and Administration from James Madison University and is working there to obtain her Master's of Public Administration. Courtney has been an intern for the Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT Program on school breaks since the summer of 2008. Her tasks have included drafting internal and external reports, data entry and planning the October 2009 Privacy Awareness Campaign that the US-VISIT Program holds in its office. As an Ambassador, Courtney hopes to help the students on her campus know of the endless opportunities available to them within the federal government. She hopes to inspire students to pursue federal internships and careers and know that they have the opportunity to truly make a difference though such a position.

Kyle Robisch
Raised across the country in Detroit, Orlando, and Kansas City, Kyle Robisch has long known that he wants to be a federal employee. An economics and political science junior at the University of Florida, Kyle has completed two federal internships. The first was at the Region 7 Headquarters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and his most recent one was in Washington, D.C. as an intern for Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where he worked in the Office of International Affairs. His work involved Significant Public Benefit Paroles which are used to bring otherwise excludable foreign nationals into America for a variety of law enforcement and justice purposes. As an Ambassador, Kyle hopes to bring students from his generation into careers in federal service.

Michael Stallone
Raised in New Jersey, Michael is a junior at The College of New Jersey majoring in political Science, with a concentration in Law and Society and minors in Economics and Spanish. Michael interned at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs this summer. As part of the South American team, Michael drafted correspondence pertaining to mutual legal assistance treaties between South American Justice Ministries and U.S. Attorney’s Office across the country in concert with the Department of State, FBI, Interpol, and the U.S. Marshals and assisted in the execution of international extradition cases. Michael is looking forward to serving as a Federal Service Student Ambassador in order to help students obtain rewarding positions in the federal government.

Robert Tomaro
Robert Tomaro is a student at Pennsylvania State University. He studies Security and Risk Analysis and Information Sciences and Technology. This summer he worked in the federal government as a Network Engineer. He wanted to be a Federal Service Student Ambassador so that he can inform his fellow students who might not know about the endless opportunities working for the federal government provides.

Jordan Valdes
Jordan Valdes is a first-generation Cuban-American from Tampa, Florida. She is a graduate from the University of Miami in 2005 and is currently a master's candidate at the John's Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where she is co-president of the Energy Club. After college, Jordan spent three years working in the Arab Gulf, where she worked in media and as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Bahrain. This summer, she worked at the Department of Energy in its Office of Policy and International Affairs, Africa and Middle East Division. In this capacity, Jordan helped shape American Energy Policy with respect to the African and Middle East regions. Jordan is a fan of languages (she speaks Spanish, French, and some Arabic!) and hopes to help her peers learn to speak the language of the Federal Government before they reenter the professional world this spring.

George Waddington
George Waddington is entering his second year of law school at the University of Maryland. He is currently interning at the Office of Hearings at the Department of Transportation, where he acts as an apprentice attorney advisor to the Chief Administrative Judge. “The Chief” keeps him extremely busy drafting orders, researching legal questions, and summarizing agency and attorney briefs. As an Ambassador, he hopes to encourage his fellow law students to embark on careers in public service by making the application process as transparent as possible and emphasizing the diverse roles that lawyers assume within the federal government.

Melanie Wong
Melanie is a junior at the University of Maryland majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus on the environment and water resources. In summer 2009, she interned with the Energy Information Administration in the U.S. Department of Energy. Melanie was on a research team with seven other undergraduate and graduate students from around the country. They built a web resource of shale natural gas information for industry, policy makers, and the general public. As an Ambassador, Melanie is looking forward to sharing her internship experience with others and encouraging them to pursue public service as a career. She is also planning to head events for schools in the D.C. area.

D'Angelo Woods
Born in Detroit, Michigan, D'Angelo comes from a family of military veterans and health care advocates. It is this familial influence that has sparked within him a desire to publicly serve through the federal government. This summer he was given that opportunity when he was selected to serve an internship with the Department of Energy within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Federal Management Program (FEMP). Within FEMP he was able to contact several national laboratories and put together a guidebook of DOE sites' utility usage. He was also involved in implementing spectrally-enhanced lighting technology within a conference room at DOE headquarters, an experiment that may influence how federal buildings save on energy costs. As an Ambassador, he hopes to share this internship experience with his fellow Howard Bison and inspire them to pursue similar opportunities within the federal government. D'Angelo is currently a senior and an electrical engineering major at Howard University in Washington, DC.