The Hart Leadership Program is pleased to announce the newest Fellows for the Patman Political Engagement Project. These politically-engaged students will spend a year learning about and practicing the art of ethical leadership in democratic society.
The Patman Political Engagement Project is designed to inspire and equip future leaders in democracy, offering them avenues for meaningful participation. The program aims to contribute to a more diverse and inclusive political representation across all levels in the United States. Patman Fellows are required to complete the gateway course, “Democracy Lab” (PUBPOL 564) during the spring of their junior year. Under the guidance of Professor Suzanne Katzenstein, this course addresses questions related to political leadership and structural impediments to political engagement. In the summer, fellows have the opportunity to apply their acquired knowledge through an immersive internship experience with a community partner or by working on research as part of their senior thesis project. Patman Fellows conclude their journey in the fall semester, engaging with Polis: Center for Politics events and workshops.
Introducing the Patman 2025 Fellows:
Anastasia Crowley is a junior from Durham, North Carolina pursuing a major in Public Policy, a minor in African and African American Studies, and a certificate in Markets and Management. She is interested in how the regulation of international markets impacts global development, particularly in Africa and Latin America. Last summer, Anastasia interned at the US Small Business Administration working to extend contracting opportunities to economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. She now assists with development research at UCL and volunteers with Oxfam where she is learning more about economic inequality on the global level. On campus, Anastasia is a writing coach for the Public Policy department, policy analyst for American Futures Institute, editor for the Undergraduate Law Review, and dancer for Street Medicine.
Annabel Miller is a junior from Wilmette, Illinois majoring in Public Policy and French and minoring in Philosophy. On campus, Annabel is a member of Duke Votes and Duke Tour Guides and she has worked for the Duke Law School’s Center for Firearm’s Law to fill their Repository of Historical Gun Laws. Annabel’s interests include affordable housing, reproductive health, regenerative economy, and voter engagement. Last summer, she interned for Congressman Brad Schneider in Washington D.C. and hopes to build a career writing policy after she graduates from Duke. Annabel studied in Paris in the fall of 2024 and she aspires to spend more time abroad in the future. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies with her friends, and spending time at the beach.
Ava Meigs is a junior from Fairview, North Carolina. She is majoring in Public Policy and minoring in Medical Sociology, with an interest in expanding access to healthcare among marginalized populations. Ava previously interned at the North Carolina Department of Administration with the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, examining domestic violence from a public health perspective. She has also conducted undergraduate research on health activism through Bass Connections, interviewing women who have impacted the Duke University Health System. Ava is a Baldwin Scholar for the class of 2026 and a Duke Presidential Ambassador. She also plays viola in the Duke Symphony Orchestra and serves on the symphony’s executive committee. After graduation, she hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in health law. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Duke and Durham, attending Duke basketball games, and spending time with friends, family, and her three dogs.
Christina Barrow is a junior studying Political Science with a minior in Psychology and African and African American Studies. She bring a unique combination of skills in civic engagement, state relations and issues, and working with younger kids in education. She has a commitment to diversity and inclusion and youth empowerment. As a D1 volleyball player, she demonstrates leadership, teamwork, and resilience. In her free time, Christina loves reading, writing, volunteering and enagaging with diferent forms of media and pop culture.
Dylan Cawley is a junior at Duke University studying Public Policy and Environmental Science. His research interest sits at the intersection of community resilience and climate disasters. Dylan has explored this area as a Duke Climate Scholar and as a former Hart Leadership SOL Fellow. For his Patman project, Dylan is interested in serving in a federal agency integrating climate resilience into national defense and homeland security policy.
Hannah Groos is a junior studying Computer Science and Psychology from Norwalk, Iowa. Her passion lies at the intersection of data science, youth and community development, democracy, and artificial intelligence. She is especially interested in how AI and digital platforms impact political engagement, democratic health, and cognitive liberty. Hannah’s work at Dr. Nita Farahany’s Cognitive Futures Lab has allowed her to explore how AI and technology impacts cognitive liberty, particularly among youth. She has researched manipulative technologies that shape behavior and undermine informed-decision making. On campus Hannah has served as an intern for Duke’s Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation; she is also a Cycling Instructor at DukeRec, a Kenan Regenerative’s Future Lab fellow, and a Robertson Scholar. Outside of campus, she serves as a Board Member and the Board Development & Engagement Lead for All Tech is Human’s University Network, a yoga instructor, a Design It For Us coalition member, and a Coca-Cola Scholar. Hannah envisions a future where technology empowers citizens, without manipulating them, and is committed to advancing politics and technological designs that strengthen participatory democracy in the digital age. She plans to pursue a JD/PhD in Psychology with a concentration in Data Science and Human-Computer Interaction.
Isabel Shew is a junior from Northern Virginia majoring in Political Science with a concentration in American Political Institutions, with a minor in History. She is interested in foreign policy, particularly US-China relations, and its implications for broader domestic politics. At Duke, Isabel is the Co-Director of the Duke-UNC China Leadership Summit, a conference that brings together students from across the Triangle area to learn about the implications of current policy between the United States and China. This year, Isabel is participating in a Bass Connections Team, Reexamining Nuclear Power in the Carolinas and Beyond, and aims to further learn about nuclear security and energy within the US and how this new energy source can be used to combat issues such as climate change. After her time at Duke, Isabel hopes to attend graduate school.
Ishita Vaid is a junior studying Public Policy and Decision Sciences. She is interested in working towards ethical technology policy frameworks. On campus, Ishita serves as the Senior Editor for the Chronicle, researches for the Technology Policy Lab and is involved with Duke Moot Court. She is also researching platform accountability in technology policy through a Bass Connections project. In her free time, Ishita enjoys watching basketball, painting, trying new food, and solving the New York Times mini.
Katelyn Cai, originally from Scottsdale, Arizona, is a junior at Duke studying a self-designed Program II major titled “Social and Public Trust in the Digital Age.” She is passionate about using media and policy to bridge divides and rebuild institutions. At Duke, Katelyn is the Duke Student Government’s Chair of Democracy Day, Director of Community for Project BUILD, President of Duke Jia, reporter for the 9th Street Journal, student researcher, and Duke Presidential Ambassador. Her summers have been spent working at US Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Office, Edgecombe County Public Schools, and the Dispatch. She is a Robertson Scholar, NC Student Dialogue Ambassador, AEI Summer Honors Academy Scholar, and former Distinguished Young Woman of America. In her free time, Katelyn dances with Duke Defining Movement, travels, and writes her Substack “trust issues.”
Mariana Meza is a proud fronteriza from El Paso, Texas who is passionate about immigration justice and social change in the context of the U.S.-Mexico borderland. As a Patman Fellow, Mariana is excited to continue exploring what immigrant communities can teach us about reconceptualizing citizenship and navigating and transforming borders and boundaries. On campus, Mariana serves as the President of Mi Gente (Duke’s largest Latinx student organization), works as a Program Assistant for the Hart Leadership Program, and is conducting a self-designed Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship project on community-rooted research, advocacy, and engagement practices that center the agency of immigrant populations. In her free time, Mariana enjoys participating in and appreciating the arts and artistic forms of storytelling, community organizing, gardening, going on walks, and getting to know the Durham community.
Ranjan Jindal is from Greenville, South Carolina, studying economics and public policy with a minor in journalism. His academic interests revolve around learning about innovative economic policy solutions. Ranjan interned with PolitiFact last summer, where he learned about the intersection between media and political communication and gained an appreciation for the inner workings of the government. Outside of class, Ranjan is the sports editor for The Chronicle, the Duke student newspaper on campus, and he is the Vice President of Keohane Quad. Last year, he was also the Vice President of events for the POLIS: Center for Politics, and thoroughly enjoyed working with the POLIS and Sanford teams to foster rich discussions and engaging events for the Duke community. Ranjan is grateful to be a Patman Fellow this year, where he hopes to experience hands-on learning and gain valuable political leadership experience this summer.
Rhiannon Camarillo is a junior studying Public Policy with minors in Inequality Studies and Political Science. Raised in Los Angeles, California by a single mother in law enforcement, Rhiannon is passionate about advancing social justice issues through criminal legal reforms. She has interned on the hill for Congressman Ted Lieu, conducted research with the Wilson Center for Science & Justice at Duke Law, and recently completed the Douglass-O’Connell Global Internship in Ireland where she worked for a pro-bono legal center aiding underserved populations. Rhiannon is an alum of the 2023 Harvard Kennedy Public Policy Leadership Conference and, this year, served as the director for Duke University’s Project Citizen. She aspires to pursue a J.D. after graduation to continue advocating for individuals affected by systemic inequalities within the criminal justice system.
Sherman Criner, originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, is a Duke University junior double majoring in Public Policy and History. Sherman has recently worked in Congressman Rouzer’s Wilmington Office, Senator Thom Tillis’ Washington Office, and as a journalism and legal research intern for the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh, NC. At Duke, he serves as a Chapel Scholar and Ambassador, an Online Executive Editor for Duke’s Undergraduate Law Review, and a Duke Student Government Judiciary member. When he is not working or studying, Shereman actively participates in Duke’s chapter of Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) as a worship leader and Ministry Team member.
Sophia Correderas is a junior from Miami, FL, majoring in Political Science and Psychology. Influenced by the many immigrant communities in her home city and her upbringing as the daughter of two Cuban immigrants, Sophia has dedicated much of her work to immigration advocacy. She is involved with several organizations on campus centered on highlighting and understanding the immigrant experience. Sophia is on the executive board for Beyond Borders, a club that brings awareness to policies and issues affecting the immigrant community, and she volunteers as a tutor for Hispanic adults in Durham through Duke GANO. She also works as a Research Assistant at the Duke Culture lab, primarily focusing on Latin-American cultures and influences, as well as at the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law. Finally, she expresses her creativity as a writer for the Coop, a publication on Duke’s Campus.
Sophie Yost is a junior from Lancaster, Pennsylvania double majoring in Public Policy and History with a certificate in Markets and Management. Last year, Sophie was a Hart fellow for the Leadership in Arts Policy Internship where she worked to support artists in South Florida. She is excited to be a Patman Fellow this year, as her political advocacy is rooted in non-partisan voter education and empowerment. She is currently a Poderosa Fellow with PoderLatinx, where she works to close the gap in civic participation and increase the political representation of Latinos in the United States. At Duke, Sophie performs in the All of the Above monologue showcase, works with POLIS as a student assistant, and is Co-president of the Swift Quad Council. On the weekends, Sophie likes to visit the chickens in the Duke gardens, cook with friends, and explore local museums.
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