Eight outstanding LGBTQ undergraduates have been selected for this summer’s Victory Congressional Internship, which places LGBTQ young people in the offices of LGBTQ Equality Caucus members. On Capitol Hill, the interns will attend hearings and briefings, and gain hands-on experience with the legislative process. Victory Congressional Interns will also participate in a leadership development program, where they will fine tune the skills they need to become our next generation of LGBTQ leaders.
The summer 2016 Victory Congressional Interns are:
Carina Arellano
U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney
Carina is a rising senior at Duke University. She plans to graduate with a major in women’s studies with minors in global health and philosophy. She was the co-director of educational workshops for Duke’s LGBTQ+ organization in the Spring of 2016 which focused on cultivating intergenerational relationships between queer-identified undergraduates, pre-professionals and professionals. She will be director of conferences for the same organization in the fall of 2016 which will focus on managing the logistics for the IvyQ and Creating Change conferences during the academic year, and will spearhead a new conference in North Carolina.
Tayler Butler
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Born and raised in New Orleans, Tayler is a student at Bard College. For two years, she has served as a leader of Building Up Hudson, a community engagement project in Hudson, New York. She also leads an on-campus student group, Colored Womyn United. Tayler is a regular contributor to her college’s newspaper, Free Press, where she writes about issues on campus that affect students and faculty of color. Last summer she started Colored Chronicles, a blog offering academic, intellectual and personal insight on the Black experience.
Joshua Farris
U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva
Joshua is a student at the University of Virginia, where he’s involved in activist campaigns that promote minority rights and education – specifically for low-income, LGBTQ and Hispanic/Latino youth. Josh is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in commerce with a concentration in management as well as a minor in social entrepreneurship.
Charlotte Gliserman
U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal
Charlotte is a junior at the University of Vermont, where she studies political science and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies. She is a Dean’s List and Presidential Scholarship awardee, and a member of the University of Vermont Honors College and the Alpha Delta Chapter of Triota. On campus, Charlotte works as an alumni engagement assistant at the LGBTQA Center, serves as a Student Government Association senator and competes as a varsity member of the internationally-recognized Lawrence Debate Union. This past season, Charlotte debated in five countries and won several tournaments, including the Northeast Regional Championship at Swarthmore College. Charlotte also volunteers her time as an assistant instructor at the SPEAK Vermont Prison Debate Initiative, an organization that provides debate and public speaking training to students at correctional facilities and juvenile rehabilitation centers across Vermont.
Brandon Studler
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray
Brandon is currently a sociology major and gender and sexuality studies minor at St. Lawrence University. During his time at St. Lawrence, he has engaged in trainings as both a presenter and participant, written and given lectures on Trans 101 and worked with the Faculty and Staff Ally Group on campus to create St. Lawrence’s first-ever Pride Week in the Spring of 2015. In February 2016 Brandon completed training to become a Certified Rape Crisis Counselor and he’s now certified in New York. At St. Lawrence University he is the vice president of the student-run Advocates Program aimed to raise awareness and education around sexual assault as well as provide one-on-one care and support for survivors. Thus far in 2016 Brandon has co-presented with Woodhull Freedom Foundation at Creating Change 2016 at their first ever Family Matters day-long Institute.
Michael Woodson
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego
Michael is a junior at the University of Arizona, majoring in law and political science with a minor in music. Michael is a resident assistant and desk assistant on campus, as well as an active member of Amplified A Cappella. Previously, Michael served as a site leader for Alternative Breaks service trips focusing on environmental protection and global healthcare. Michael is also a Baird scholar and an active member of the University of Arizona Honors College.
Matthew Yeung
U.S. Rep. Mike Honda
Matthew is a student at Diablo Valley College, where they study history. On campus, they are a member of the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society. Matthew also serves on the Governance Committee and Strategic Planning Task Force for the Genders & Sexualities Alliance Board of Directors, and is a member on the Trevor Project Youth Advisory Council. Previously, Matthew interned at the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center (LYRIC). Matthew is transferring to UCLA to continue their studies this upcoming school year.
Sam Yu
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan
Sam is a junior at the College William & Mary, majoring in history with a minor in sociology. On campus, he is involved in initiatives for diversity and inclusion, the queer community and reproductive justice. Sam is the undersecretary of LGBTIA* affairs within his college’s Student Assembly Department of Diversity. With the position, he has helped bring back his college’s annual “Queer Night of Expression,” an event dedicated to celebrating the queer identity through artistic performance. Sam has served as a subcommittee member for his college’s LGBTQ 2016 Working Issues Group where he worked to alleviate problems affecting William & Mary’s queer community. Sam has also worked as an undergraduate researcher in the William & Mary: Mattachine Project which strove to uncover Virginia’s LGBTIA* history. Sam is also the Publicity Chair for his college’s pro-choice, feminist group V.O.X. (Voices for Planned Parenthood) and works as a confidential advocate for The Haven, a space devoted to providing support for individuals affected by sexual assault and relationship abuse.
