As part of our effort to launch our top student leaders into careers that further our mission, AHS is proud to announce and congratulate the 2021 cohort of Hamilton National Fellows. Emerging from a competitive applicant pool, these eighteen student leaders each secured unpaid internships, either in person or virtually, in Washington, DC for Capitol Hill offices, think tanks, and the private sector. A status signal for potential employers, it helps students to both procure and accept internships, consequently improving their chances of securing long-term employment after graduation. Fellows will also participate in: 1) two virtual seminars on the foundational frameworks of Hamiltonian studies, each led by a master teacher; and 2) an extended exercise in writing and presenting policy memoranda.
Through AHS’ financial assistance and coordinated virtual programming, our Fellows will be able to take full advantage of their summer. We’re eager to welcome them, hoping further that this Fellowship encourages all AHS students to pursue their professional passions in foreign policy, national security, and economic statecraft.
2021 Hamilton National Fellows
Karam Oubari, Duke University ‘22
Peace Corps
Karam is a Syrian-American rising junior at Duke University studying public policy and statistics. On campus, he has been involved in his university’s Alexander Hamilton Society chapter, refugee-related research, student government, and a public/nonprofit sector leadership fellowship. He is currently interested in a career in international development, social impact, and global affairs. This summer, he will be interning at the Peace Corps headquarters in Washington DC where he will be conducting research, program evaluation, and data analysis to assist in improving the Peace Corps’ impact in global development and public diplomacy. Overall, this internship will allow him to develop skills at the intersection of his studies in public policy and statistics, gain an understanding of international development at the organizational level, and improve research skills. Additionally, through the Hamilton National Fellowship, he hopes to learn from foreign policy experts, and most importantly, meet talented individuals with a diverse range of interests.
Sam Abodo, Carnegie Mellon University ‘23
American Foreign Policy Council
Sam Adobo is a current sophomore at Carnegie Mellon University studying International Relations and Cybersecurity. This summer, he'll be interning at the American Foreign Policy Council in D.C. as a foreign policy and national security intern, where he will gain experience in researching current events, interacting with top officials, understanding the most pressing national security issues, and promoting common-sense foreign affairs solutions. His interests lie in Africa policy, U.S.-South America relations, military interventions, and authoritarianism; with this internship, he'll have the chance to write publications on critical issues to our defense. Thanks to the Alexander Hamilton Society, he'll be able to discuss what he learns through his internship with like-minded students and scholars from across the country and have a strong group with in-depth knowledge of foreign policy issues. Sam hopes to come out of this fellowship with a clear vision of his career goals in the field.
Madisyn GoodBallet, Arizona State University ‘22
International Republican Institute
Madisyn GoodBallet is a junior at Arizona State University quadruple majoring in Political Science, Global Studies, History, and Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, with minors in French and Economics. Her research and academic focuses include national security, human rights, international development, and Eastern European and West and Central African politics. Outside of academics, she enjoys studying foreign languages and political philosophy. Madisyn is a Melikian Scholar for Macedonia and an alumna of the Hertog Foundation. She is an officer for the ASU chapters of both the American Enterprise Institute Executive Council and the Alexander Hamilton Society. Madisyn is currently conducting an internship with the Eurasia Team at the International Republican Institute where she will focus on issues pertaining to Ukraine. Madisyn is currently a National Security Education Program (NSEP) David L. Boren Scholar for Turkish and a Fulbright Canada Killam Fellow for the University of Ottawa.
Andrew Tobin, Georgetown University ‘22
National War College
Andrew Tobin is a junior at Georgetown, where he studies International Politics and International Security, concentrating particularly on insurgencies and terrorism. He is especially fascinated by extremist movements in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East and the ways in which the spillover from these conflicts directly afflicts American interests internationally. Beginning next year, he will be participating in Georgetown’s Security Studies Program, pursuing a Master’s degree focused on terrorism and substate violence. Andrew is currently serving as the President of the Georgetown Chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society. This summer, he will be conducting an internship at the National War College. From this fellowship, Andrew aspires to bolster his understanding of grand strategy while also developing my professional skills.
Sasha Stone, Johns Hopkins SAIS ‘22
Department of State
Sasha is currently a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies with concentrations in International Economics and American Foreign Policy and regional focuses in Latin America and Eastern Europe. She is also a member of the newly formed Alexander Hamilton Society chapter at SAIS. Prior to graduate school, she spent five years working as a political strategist on issue advocacy and electoral campaigns. This summer, Sasha will be interning with the US Department of State at the US Embassy in Colombia within the Economic section, where she eager to apply the tradecraft, policy research, and analytical skills gained in my graduate studies, and the policy memo drafting skills gained through the Hamilton National Fellowship, to promote US economic interests in Colombia. Sasha hopes to leverage this experience to pursue a career as a civil or foreign service officer with the US Department of State following my graduate studies.
Paige Proctor, Harvard University ‘23
Cooper & Kirk, PLLC
Paige Proctor is a member of Harvard's Class of 2023, majoring in history. She grew up near Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and currently studies ancient history and contemporary American politics. Paige has an overarching interest in using political philosophy and intellectual history to understand the impacts of religion and thought on the wellbeing and longevity of human communities. As a fellow, Paige hopes to further explore the important relationship between international American leadership and the domestic interests of freedom and family opportunity. Through AHS' Hamilton National Fellowship, she also hopes to gain a deepened appreciation for the value of principled national leadership, moral authority, and respectability on the world’s stage. Paige will be an undergraduate legal intern at Cooper & Kirk, PLLC. this summer, where she will explore different facets of the legal profession as she considers pursuing a career in law or public service. Paige is thrilled to merge her interest in law with her interest in America’s role in the world as an AHS fellow this summer.
Ty Rossow, Baylor University ‘23
Department of State, Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement
Ty Rossow is a sophomore at Baylor University majoring in economics, political science, and philosophy, with a minor in mathematics. His core intellectual interests lie in the social sciences, with an innate passion for international politics and economic policymaking. To this end, he will be interning at the State Department in the Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement. By working on the economic challenges of IP theft within State, he hopes to blend two core interests to refine his knowledge of economic statecraft. Through the Hamilton National Fellowship, Ty hopes to complement his work through two high-level seminar programs. In particular, the American grand strategy seminar will help him purposefully link his office’s work to a broader conception of grand strategy. Ty hopes that the HNF and his internship will jumpstart him into his career goal, which is to work in academia or public policy studying the crucial challenges the United States faces.
Lauren Jarvis, Baylor University ‘22
United Nations Information Center
Lauren Jarvis is a rising junior at Baylor University where she studies Economics, Political Science, and International Studies as a part of the Honors College University Scholars program. This summer, she is interning at the United Nations Information Center. In the long run, she hopes to pursue a JD concentrating on International Law or a PhD in Economics in order to craft foreign economic development policy for underrepresented communities internationally. Lauren is eager to place international development in conversation with American grand strategy and international organization law through the Hamilton National Fellowship and UNIC internship. With both opportunities, Lauren is looking forward to deepening her understanding of the United States’ international position and responsibility to craft wise foreign policy consistent with American commitments to individual liberty, economic freedom, and rule of law.
Esteban Espinoza, Arizona State University ‘22
American Foreign Policy Council
Esteban Espinoza is a junior at Arizona State University double majoring in Global Studies and East Asian Studies. He is a first-generation American, proud son of Mexican immigrants, and hails from the state of Arizona. This summer, he will intern at the American Foreign Policy Council and hopes this internship will help him grow professionally in my research methodology, writing capabilities, and analytical skills. From this fellowship program, he wants to become proficient in memo writing applicable to the foreign policy world, as well as learn new concepts in international relations and global politics. Lastly, he looks forward to meeting current professionals and aspiring experts in the foreign policy and national security fields. He sees this summer as an opportunity to gain insight into what goes into crafting foreign policy and hearing from people with years of experience in their field alongside peers with similar ambitions and aspirations.
Mateo Haydar, University of Florida ‘21
Heritage Foundation
Mateo Haydar recently graduated from the University of Florida, studying Economics, Political Science, and International Studies. This summer he is interning at the Heritage Foundation's Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, as part of the Young Leaders Program. Mateo's research focus has been on Latin America policy, particularly looking at Venezuela and the links between transnational organized crime and authoritarian regimes. This summer, he hopes to tap into other interests at the intersection of geopolitics, economic development, and national security by working with Heritage's research team on projects covering a variety of regions, including the rising threats of China and Russia, and their growing influence in the developing world. At the University of Florida, Mateo was President of UF's Alexander Hamilton Society chapter, a member of the UF AEI Executive Council, and co-founder of Engage Florida, a student-run "think and do" tank. Mateo is originally from Barranquilla, Colombia and grew up in Doral, Florida.
Channing Lee, Georgetown University ‘23
Department of State
Channing Lee is a rising junior at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University studying International Politics with a focus in U.S. Foreign Policy & Processes and a minor in Religion, Ethics, and World Affairs. Hailing from Southern California, she has previously worked with the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, the U.S.-Asia Institute, Biden for President, and the Office of former U.S. Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros (CA-39). She sits on the Executive Board of the Orange County Debate League and is fluent in Mandarin and Spanish. Her first book, Stronger Than Trust: Igniting the Faith Within Us, was published in April 2021.This summer, Channing will be interning in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation in the Office of Export Control Cooperation. Channing looks forward to engaging in compelling discussions about American grand strategy with this summer’s Hamilton National Fellowship cohort.
Zaskia Torres, New York University ‘24
The Counterterrorism Group
Zaskia Torres is an undergraduate student at New York University double-majoring in International Relations and Spanish in the College of Arts and Science. Throughout her freshman year, she wrote for the IR Insider powered NYU's International Relations Society, which gave her the opportunity to attend national security and foreign policy seminars hosted by US institutions. This summer, she will be interning remotely at The Counterterrorism Group as a counterterrorism intelligence analyst for the Central Command (CENTCOM) team. She is most excited about the opportunity to broaden her knowledge on US foreign policy through fellowship activities, which will supplement her research at her internship and enhance her academic background for her career interests.
Evan Wright, Indiana University ‘22
Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, Johns Hopkins SAIS
Evan Wright is a senior at Indiana University majoring in East Asian Languages and Cultures and minoring in Intelligence Studies, working at the intersection of areas studies, national security, and intelligence. Wright is interning at the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS, where he will be researching U.S.-Japan-China relations and Eurasian sea lanes under Reischauer Center Director Dr. Kent Calder. Along with the policy writing workshop and seminars he will participate in through the Hamilton National Fellowship, Wright hopes to utilize what he learns about great power rivalry and geoeconomic competition at the Reischauer Center in his undergraduate thesis on the Japanese intelligence community and the geopolitical implications of Japan joining the "Five Eyes" intelligence sharing agreement between the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Upon graduation, he hopes to pursue an M.A. in International Relations at Johns Hopkins SAIS or work as a political analyst in the federal government.
Sophia Lansell, University of Wisconsin ‘23
American Enterprise Institute
Sophia Lansell a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Economics and Mathematics, She aspires to work in Economic policy research in Washington D.C. As a result of her membership in the Alexander Hamilton Society, she has expanded her knowledge and engagement in global politics and begun to pursue coursework in international political economics. She will be interning at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) as a Public Economics Intern, where she will be working alongside Dr. Stan Veuger and Mr. Phillip Hoxie. She hope to gain valuable skills in economic research mechanics as well as a more complete understanding of the field. From the fellowship experience, Sophia hope sto make valuable professional connections with other fellows as well as learn from the master lecturers within the seminar settings. These experiences will provide her with ample opportunities to grow as an economics student as well as a young professional in a highly competitive working environment.
Skylar Pollock, Carnegie Mellon University ‘23
McKeon Group
Skylar is a junior at Carnegie Mellon University majoring in International Relations and Politics with minors in Cybersecurity and International Conflict, and Business Administration. Her academic interests include nuclear proliferation, space policy, defense strategy, and cybersecurity. Following her undergraduate studies, she aspires to attend law school and dive deeper into the legal implications of emerging technologies. This summer, she will be interning with the McKeon Group, a DC-based lobbying firm, where she hope to learn more about the intersection between her two interests: law and policy. She is delighted to have the opportunity to supplement my internship with the Hamilton National Fellowship, where she hopes to dive deeper into addressing some of the most pressing issues within the political sphere.
Roy Eakin, Texas A&M University ‘23
Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
Roy Eakin is a Master's candidate in International Relations at Texas A&M. He will work as a research intern at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation this summer, which has played an incredible role in researching the consequences of Chinese human rights abuses, economic influence, and power projection. He aims to utilize his time as an intern to advance my research skills and knowledge of contemporary Chinese affairs. Roy also hopes to advance his research skills involving Chinese human rights issues and the consequences these issues have for China's role in the international system. The fellowship will complement his internship by simultaneously advancing his knowledge of important topics like grand strategy and defense matters.
Trace Held, Indiana University ‘23
Office of Senator Todd Young
Trace Held is an incoming sophomore at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, He is studying Finance and Public Policy, with a self-created minor in Chinese-US Relations. Fascinated by history and military affairs from a young age, Trace aspires to combine his security background with his investment knowledge from business school to compose legislation to enhance the United States’ economic policies towards the Indo-Pacific. With the world’s two most powerful states poised for protracted, nuanced competition, Trace considers effective military and economic policies crucial to overall stability and grand strategy in the region. This summer, Trace will serve as a legislative intern in Senator Todd Young’s (IN) Office on Capitol Hill. From his internship, Trace seeks to learn the process of translating theories into concrete legislation while strengthening both the United States and Hoosier economies. Trace believes the Hamilton National Fellowship will bolster his understanding of these processes as well as advance his perspective on effective grand strategy.
Kyle Robertson, Carnegie Mellon University ‘23
American Enterprise Institute
Kyle Robertson is a rising junior studying International Relations and Politics at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), with a minor in International Conflict and Cybersecurity. He is also the President of CMU’s chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society, editor-in-chief for The Triple Helix, and a quarterback on the CMU football team. His primary policy interest is the United States’ foreign policy in the Middle East. This summer he will be working as a research intern in the Middle East Studies department at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) alongside brilliant scholars like Michael Rubin and Kenneth Pollack. From my internship he hopes to gain invaluable experience in the professional world and see how research is conducted at a well-respected institution like AEI. He knows that the Hamilton National Fellowship will not just give me the means by which he can participate in this internship, but also supplement his work with additional academic seminars and writing workshops that will enhance his experience this summer.