Alumni
2001–2010
Class of 2010
Johanna Barr ’10 worked at the Village Voice as an editorial research assistant for political investigative reporter Wayne Barrett and at WNYC Radio as a production intern for the Leonard Lopate Show. This fall she will cover national politics for Talking Points Memo.
Raina Bretan ’10 will attend the Rutgers School of Law in Camden this fall.
Michael Goldsmith ’10 has been accepted and will be attending Charlotte School of Law in the fall.
Elana Hazghia’10: "I am currently interning at the Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding (www.outwardboundpeace.org), which applies the principles of experiential education to leadership in conflict societies. The OBCP has three pilot programs: two with Israeli and Palestinian young social entrepreneurs and young political leaders, and another one with Sri Lankan journalists. I have created several social networking pages for OBCP on Facebook, LinkedIn, and the Peace and Collaborative Development Network. I am also helping conduct conflict assessment and researching potential funders and partner organizations for our future programs. It is a great experience, but I am nonetheless still looking for long-term work. If anyone would like to learn more OBCP, they can email me at elana.hazghia@outwardboundpeace.org.
Simone Perez ’10 is working as a legislative assistant on the Subcommittee on Aviation for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in Washington D.C.
Travis Webster-Booth ’10 is working as a freelance writer. He is currently ghostwriting a full-length book on goal-setting and writing articles for a small Vermont company. He's also training for the NH marathon on October 2.
Class of 2009
Laurie Graham '09 is currently attending the University of Texas at Austin, where she is working toward a Ph.D. in government with concentrations in political philosophy and public law.
Class of 2008
Rebecca Horton’08 is currently studying at the UN Mandated University for Peace in El Rodeo, Costa Rica, working toward a master's in international peace studies. She reports that it has been an amazing experience both in and outside the classroom. There are only 150 students in the entire university, with students from countries all over the world including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Italy, Darfur, Somalia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mongolia, Croatia, and India, to name a few. The student body greatly influences the class discussions and forces students to think in a much more global perspective.
Eli Turkel '08 is a legislative assistant to the House Majority Caucus for the State of Delaware. He is responsible for the offices of two state representatives. The majority of this work consists of keeping track of the constituent services the Representatives provide, as well as their daily activities.
Class of 2007
Andrew Bernstein '07 is a journalist covering politics and government in Saratoga Springs for the Saratogian.
Geannan Camponeschi '07 was hired as a research associate at a small economic and business cycle research
firm in Manhattan. She writes, “It has been incredibly interesting that I was hired
at a forecasting firm in such tumultuous economic times. I have learned a great deal
about business cycle indicators and forecasting growth and inflation cycles, all of
which are getting a great deal of attention given the weakness of the economy.”
Lily Gedney '07 works for a management consulting firm in Saratoga called the AHC Group.
Nina Glatt '07 is teaching eighth grade writing in Glendale, Arizona, just outside of Phoenix, through
the Teach for America program.
After spending a year teaching English in China, Shubha Gokhale '07 (government and Asian studies) is enrolled at the Benjamin N. Cardozo law school. Shubha has received a Howard M. Squadron Fellowship in Law, Media, and Society that
will bring her this summer to Mumbai, where she will have an internship in media and
communications law. Her fellowship covers all transport and living expenses.
Ryan Hannon '07 earned his master's in public policy and administration at Northwestern in December
2009. His thesis focused on emergency preparedness and policy implementation.
Taylor Leake '07 is working for an earned-media issue campaign in Washington, D.C.
Sarah Palomba '07 is working as corporate manager for Chris Madden Inc., a design, publishing, and
licensing company in Westchester County, N.Y.
Katie Peterson '07 works as an HR project coordinator within the management and leadership development
sector of Fidelity Investments.
Leslie Rosenberg '07 is a staff assistant/legislative correspondent for Congressman Ron Klein (D-Fla).
Beth Schoenbach '07 lives in New Hampshire and serves as a field organizer for Democratic presidential
candidate Hillary Clinton. She oversees a group of volunteers in three districts outside
of Manchester and works to engage people in the area in the campaign as much as possible.
Ken Silverman '07 worked as a political campaign staffer for Democratic candidate John Edwards in Iowa
and Nevada.
Heather Vickery '07 is currently teaching SAT prep with Kaplan and catering at a local restaurant in
Massachusetts.
Dan Walfield '07 has been admitted into the Asian studies M.A. program at George Washington University's
Elliot School of International Affairs (with a hefty fellowship).
Zach Weisberg '07 has enrolled at Tulane Law School.
Class of 2006
Case Button '06 serves as deputy speechwriter and researcher for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
at the State Department.
Mary DeBree '06 is currently a Fulbright scholar in Vietnam as an English teacher in a university
about three hours from Hanoi in Hai Phong. She teaches English major students, mostly
focused on conversation and listening skills. In addition to her teaching, and as
a part of Fulbright, she is teaching at a nearby orphanage as well.
After working for about two years as the assistant director of scheduling for Illinois
Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Petria Fleming '06 is now working toward her Ph.D. in American politics and political philosophy at
Claremont Graduate University in California.
Eric Hyers '06 has accepted a job working as a field organizer in Iowa for Democratic presidential
candidate John Edwards. He previously worked on the successful Democratic congressional
campaign of Kirsten Gillibrand, who defeated John Sweeney and became the first Democrat
elected from the 21st District of New York since 1974.
Ben Kaufman '06 is working as a legislative correspondent for Senator Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.).
Michelle Kim '06 is working as a web producer at CBS affiliate WRGB-TV 6 in Albany, N.Y. She started working for the station in August after returning from her post-grad year in Paris teaching and traveling.
Julianna Koch '06 is working on a Ph.D. in government at Cornell University. She is studying American
politics and policy.
Michael Milazzo '06 is working as an investigator for the Department of Labor in Albany, N.Y., as part
of the Employment Standards Administration. He investigates firms to make sure they
comply with federal laws regarding the minimum wage, overtime, the Fair Labor Standards
Act, and the Family Medical Leave Act.
Kenny Olmstead '06 has accepted a position as a media analyst for the Project for Excellence in Journalism
at the PEW Research Foundation in Washington, D.C. He is studying Chinese at Georgetown
University and preparing for the GRE.
Laura Renz '06 was awarded the distinguished Bryce Harlow Foundation Scholarship to pursue a master
of public policy degree at George Mason University. The scholarship is awarded to
students recognized as high academic achievers and leaders committed to integrity
in professional advocacy. Laura is currently a legislative assistant for the Federal
Government Relations Section at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, a law firm in Washington,
D.C.
Class of 2005
Hessa Al-Thani ’05: "I am currently working in RAND, a research institution, as a research assistant. Analytical skills that I have gained from my government courses have helped improve me research analysis."
Matt Bohenek '05 serves as a legislative aide to Representative David B. Sullivan, Sixth Bristol District, at the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Michael Godlewski, '05 (double major in government and English) is presently the assistant attorney for the Town of Rotterdam, N.Y. There he provides counsel to the Town Board, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals. Michael is also an adjunct faculty member of Mildred Elley in Albany, N.Y., where he teaches in the Paralegal Studies Department. Further, he is presently gathering signatures to run for a seat on the Board of Education for the Mohonasen Central School District in the upcoming May election.
Elissa Ruse '05 is working for the Clean Air Council in Philadelphia. "I am currently working on a project to clean up the Philadelphia shipping ports. The Clean Air Council has recently received funding from the EPA to do a study measuring port emissions concerning three different areas: air pollution, water pollution, and land use. We are establishing a group of crucial port stakeholders, including operators, land owners, community members, and environmentalists to get involved in a collaborative process to develop and implement environmentally sustainable business practices. My job has been to research other ports that have already implemented energy alternatives to begin assessing the cost/benefits of each."
Class of 2004
Ben Fleisher '04 is applying to master's programs to become a high school social studies teacher.
Peter Fox '04 graduated from Columbia Law School and School of International and Public Affairs
with a dual degree JD/MPA in May of 2009, and passed the July 2009 New York State
Bar exam.
Wheatly Gulmi-Landy '04 graduated in May 2007 from Western New England College School of Law and has passed
both the New York State and Massachusetts bar exams.
Brian Harrison '04 recently completed a fellowship with Citizens Schools in Boston, where he instructed
eighth graders in a sports education program and coordinated a citywide program with
the Boston Public Library (Homework Assistance Program) for 125 high school students
to provide free homework assistance. During this time, Brian completed his master's
in education from Lesley University. He now works as a trainer for Global Kids (www.globalkids.org), where he conducts workshops related to global issues (such as human rights) and
leadership development at two city schools. He refers to this work as both challenging
and rewarding.
Janine Harrod '04 is working as a legislative analyst for the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.
Jaime Jansen '04 worked for the Office of Research for Empire State Development for the summer and is now working as a researcher in the Sage College Office of Institutional Research and will attend the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in August 2005.
Meryl Kenny '04 is currently enrolled as an MSc/Ph.D. student in politics at the University of Edinburgh, researching the political recruitment of women in Scottish political parties. She was recently hired on an EU-funded research project mapping the influence of Scottish women's groups on political decision-making.
Morgan Mandeville '04 returned from Russia this summer, where she worked as an intern in the office of the mayor of Albany's sister city, Tula. She has been hired by George Soros's Open Society Institute as a program assistant in the Central Eurasian Project, where she is working on the Caspian/Iraqi Revenue Watch program, which deals with issues of transparency and corruption in the oil sector. This is exciting news, because this is the exact topic that Morgan did her senior thesis on last year!
Scott Minkoff '04 is a graduate student and instructor at University of Colorado at Boulder. Prior to attending grad school, he worked on Capitol Hill as an aide to a U.S. senator.
Drew Murphy '04 is a high school teacher at John Adams High School in Ozone Park, Queens, teaching ninth- and tenth-grade global history in the NYC Teaching Fellows Program.
Ben Petok '04 is a senior associate at Smith Bucklin, a Washington, D.C., association management
company where he works on healthcare sector reform, international trade issues, and
government relations with professional associations. From 2004 to 2007, he was logistics
or field coordinator for Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.).
Tal Ranen '04 has been offered the position of research associate at the American Jewish Committee
in New York, where he will report, research, and write on terrorist organizations
and counterterrorism.
Ezra Selove '04 is interning for U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.).
David Thayer ’04 is working for the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City in Boston.
Jonathan Vallejo '04 joined the Peace Corps in December 2004 for a two-year contract. He lives and works in Beni Mellal, Morocco, where he teaches English at the youth center.
Class of 2003
Evelyn Brensinger '03 is enrolled in the M.A. program at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She returned in August from a year of teaching English in Turkey. At Tufts, Evelyn is studying international organization, conflict resolution theory, international crisis management, and international humanitarian policy and public health.
Tim Chase '03 is the Administrative Director of MEMusik (www.memusik.net) in Krakow, Poland. MEMusik is the first website devoted to promoting live music in Central Europe.
Micah Flynn '03: "I am currently working as program assistant for the Massachusetts Child Hunger Initiative, a statewide anti-hunger campaign run by Project Bread—The Walk for Hunger."
Douglas Humphrey '03: "I am currently getting my J.D. from Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C.
Kate Imbach '03 has worked as a government affairs associate for the Charles Group Consulting in
Boston, lobbying on an array of progressive legislation in Massachusetts and as a
campaign director for Massachusetts State Rep. Mark Falzone.
Andy Kirshenbaum '03 is currently a student at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and will be a summer
associate at the Newark office of Patton Boggs LLP.
Juan Martinez '03 graduated law school in June, took the bar in July, and started work at the State
Senate in Albany, N.Y. in September.
Rick Spies '03 is an intern at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and has been hired as an analyst by the Cuban Program at the Pan American Development Foundation, which in turn is associated with the Organization of American States.
Class of 2002
Kate Clark '02 spent two sessions as a legislative assistant with the Colorado General Assembly's
Office of Legislative Legal Services and is about to begin graduate school in public
policy.
Sam Cooper '02 is Director for Public Policy at Senator Clinton's NYC office. He is primarily involved
in work regarding the following issues: business and economic development, transportation,
environment, energy, and electoral reform.
John Iz '02 has transferred from MSNBC news to work as a desk editor for the foreign news desk at NBC News.
Kate Nedelman '02 graduated from Vermont Law School May 2005; will spend September 2005 to September 2006 as a law clerk for Connecticut Superior Courts.
Laura Schneider'02 is a Ph.D. student at Purdue University, majoring in public policy, minoring in international relations and comparative politics.
Erica Seifert '02 taught American history, women's history, and U.S. government and politics at a private secondary school and is a Ph.D. candidate in American studies and political history at Boston University.
Rachel Silberman '02 is teaching fifth grade for Teach for America in Southern Texas and is applying to
public policy graduate programs.
Greg Thall '02 has completed his law degree at Villanova and is in charge of the Rendell for Governor
campaign for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Class of 2001
Ben Clarke '01 spent four years as a senior project director and writer with the Luntz Research Companies, a Washington, D.C., based political consulting firm. He advised campaigns and congressional leadership and traveled to the former Soviet republics of Georgia and Ukraine in 2004 for parliamentary and presidential elections. He currently works as a speechwriter for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn).
Chris Constantian '01 has passed the foreign service written exam and will take his orals in December. He is expected to finish his M.Phil. in international relations at St. Andrews shortly.
Joe Callahan '01 is completing his first overseas assignment with the U.S. Foreign Service, Department of State, in Mexico City. He will return to Washington for training before taking up his second tour of duty in Baghdad in June 2006.
Kate Donovan '01 is a senior consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton in Washington, D.C. She is working on projects that include analyzing renewable energy project opportunities for the Air Force, developing environmental law trainings for EPA to pilot in Bahrain and Oman, and developing environmental baseline reports on China for the EPA.
Liz Greene '01 has passed the written foreign service exam and is now preparing for her oral exam.
Kenneth Hardy '01 was selected to give the student speech at the 2006 commencement at Boston University Law School. Ken is completing Maine and Massachusetts Bar applications and making preparations to move to Maine, where he will take the bar review course.
Daria Moy '01 is getting her M.A. in international relations at the Universiteit van Amsterdam.
Liz Moss '01 graduated in May from the College of William and Mary, where she received her master's in public policy. She is now a legislative analyst with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission in Richmond, Virginia.
Zach Pusch '01 served with the Peace Corps in Nepal and has worked on the staff of U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd. He is planning to enter graduate school in international affairs this Fall.
Matthew Topalian '01: "I have been teaching Kindergarten in Taipei, Taiwan, since graduation. I have really loved watching my kids grow up and improve in many areas!"
