WASHINGTON – The Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute named Von Dickens Ulsa to the summer class of Victory Congressional Interns. This competitive program places LGBTQ college students in a semester long internship with an LGBTQ or LGBTQ friendly member of Congress in their Washington, D.C. office. Ulsa was one of eight individuals selected, from a pool of over 100 applicants. During the internship Ulsa will be working in Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono’s office as part of the 2015 class of Victory Congressional Interns.
“Victory congratulates this year’s class of exceptional young LGBTQ leaders,” said Aisha Moodie-Mills, president and CEO of the Victory Fund and Institute. “The Victory Congressional Internship is a crucial part of the Victory Institute’s mission – to build and support a network of LGBTQ leaders. I look forward to the role that these eight young people will play in expanding LGBTQ representation.”
Ulsa is a junior at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he studies American Studies, English, and History and is minoring in Filipino. On campus, Ulsa serves as a peer mentor through the GEAR UP Hawaii Undergraduate Initiative and is the Editor-in-Chief of Kalayaan Literary Circle. He is a Chancellor Scholar and an Inouye Legacy Scholar, selected for promoting research ethics in museum studies. Previously, Ulsa worked at the Honolulu Academy of Art and the New York Historical Society.
Each semester, the Victory Congressional Internship develops the next generation of out public leaders by bringing outstanding LGBTQ college students to the nation’s capital to participate in an intensive program which includes firsthand experience working for a member of U.S. Congress, educational and leadership skills trainings, and a mentorship program. In November, the students will attend the Victory Institute’s annual international conference in Las Vegas.