Meet the Spring 2020 Writing Fellows DC Class

This month, AF is kicking off the spring 2020 term of the Writing Fellows Program. With a total of 46 students, it’s our biggest class to date! Below, meet the 20 fellows who will make up the DC section of this spring’s class. To learn more about how you can be a part of our next class, see our application here!

Caleb Ashley
Caleb Ashley works for CRC Advisors as a content specialist. Before working in the public relations industry, Caleb worked for The Fund for American Studies as a program advisor. He has previously interned for Citizens Against Government Waste and on Capitol Hill for Congressman Mark Walker. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and peace, war, and defense from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Marcos Carvalho
Marcos da Rocha Carvalho is the communications officer at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Marcos has a bachelor’s  in photography from the University of the Arts and a master’s degree in computer art from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Having spent the bulk of his career in graphic design, illustration, and animation, Marcos has also published pieces on foreign policy and foreign affairs in The Washington City Paper, The Hill, and The National Interest. Marcos lives in Maryland with his wife, and he likes to surf.

Krista Chavez
Krista Chavez is a media relations coordinator at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where she works with specific research programs as a communications representative. Originally from Henderson, NV, she is a graduate of American University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, law, economics, and government with a justice minor. In her free time, Krista loves reading Russian literature, watching new mystery shows, trying a new DC brunch or dinner spot, and breaking a sweat at Orangetheory.

Shannon Dailey
Shannon Dailey is a communications associate at the Mercatus Center. From dreaming up novels in crayon at the age of six to helping write and edit content for the Mercatus Center’s online publication, Shannon has had a lifelong affinity for writing. Before Mercatus, she served as the California state chair for Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) and a campus coordinator for Students for Liberty before continuing on as the northern regional director at YAL. In addition to writing, she loves singing, reading, and coffee.

Carmen Diaz
Carmen Diaz is from Los Angeles, CA, where she spent five years in the marketing and promotions industry. She studied accounting and political science at California State University of Northridge, where she served as a campus correspondent for Campus Reform. When she’s not writing, she enjoys outdoor hobbies including backpacking and rock climbing. She currently resides in Washington, DC.

Frances Floresca
Frances Floresca is a recent graduate from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree  in business administration. She is a senior campus correspondent for Campus Reform, and has interned at The Heritage Foundation and the Leadership Institute. Frances is also a cabinet member of Future Female Leaders.

Andrew Jones
Andrew Jones has a JD from Emory University School of Law and a business degree from Mercer University. He has worked at Cato, the Institute for Justice, Bloomberg Tax, and The Hill. He grew up in Dallas, Texas, moved to DC in 2015, and currently resides in Glover Park.

Jake Klein
Jake runs the Capital Research Center’s (CRC) media operations, producing web videos as well as both short and feature films under the Dangerous Documentaries brand. Jake executive produced “No Safe Spaces,” and is currently producing the “Architects of Woke” and the “Politically Incorrect Guide” web-series. Prior to joining CRC, Jake worked at AwesomenessTV, Global Artists Agency, and the Ayn Rand Institute. Jake graduated with a degree in film & television from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Rose Laoutaris
Rose Laoutaris is a student at American University majoring in communications, legal institutions, economics, and government (CLEG). She is currently a government relations intern at Fox News?, a content coordinator at Lone Conservative, and a cabinet member at Future Female Leaders. On campus, she is involved with Young Americans for Freedom and Students for Life. She previously interned in the United States Senate and at the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women.

Jacob Linker
Jacob Linker is a JD candidate at the George Washington University Law School and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Fordham College Rose Hill in economics, international political economy, and political science. His writing has been published on Townhall.com, the Fordham Observer, and Fordham Political Review.

Satya Marar
Satya Marar is an Australian writer, policy analyst, and free markets advocate who has written for American, Australian, New Zealand, and British media. He has also been featured on TV and radio in Australia and the US. He currently works for Reason as an education finance policy analyst. He previously worked as policy director for the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance, where he analysed federal and state budgets, produced research, and appeared before parliamentary and senate inquiries to give evidence on tax policy, trade, public health, energy, foreign affairs, and civil liberties. His articles have appeared in the Australian Financial Review, Herald Sun, Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Telegraph, The Hill, Orange County Register, RealClearPolicy, Spiked!, Newcastle Herald, Quillette, CapX, The Verdict, Online Opinion and Spectator. He received  Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees with honours from Macquarie University in 2017 and was admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2018.

Sean Nottoli
Sean Nottoli currently works in the Transatlantic Strategy Division of the International Republican Institute (IRI) in support of programs to counter foreign disinformation and Kremlin malign influences. He also works with the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN), which helps empower youth in countries where democracy is backsliding throughout the transatlantic space, and helps in IRI’s overall mission to defend democracy and democratic institutions. A State Department Gilman Scholar, Sean spent a year in Asia living in Japan and writing as a foreign correspondent for Clemson University covering Japan, China, and the entire Korean peninsula. At the international level, Sean has engaged with elected officials from five continents, including foreign heads of state and their cabinets. Domestically, Sean has worked professionally on conservative political campaigns. Sean’s most recent publications have been on the lives of European youth struggling to overcome corruption and the remnants of socialism.

Kirti Nuthi
Kirti Nuthi is a Jersey girl at heart and holds a master’s  in international public policy from University College London. She also holds a bachelor’s in economics and political science, international relations from the University of California, San Diego. Prior to joining Young Voices, Kirti worked with City Year Los Angeles in campus recruitment and wrote grants for women’s economic cooperatives in Nepal. She got her start in Washington, DC, as an immigration policy intern at the Cato Institute. As a former stage manager, Kirti loves Shakespeare festivals more than any other kind of theater but also has a soft spot for a good musical.

Quill Robinson
Quill serves as government affairs director for the American Conservation Coalition (ACC). ACC is the largest right-of-center environmental organization in the United States, with a presence on over 190 college campuses. In his role, Quill connects ACC’s students with key decision-makers in order to advocate for free-market, limited-government solutions to top environmental challenges. Quill earned degrees in political science and international studies from the University of Washington in Seattle. As an undergraduate, Quill gained experience working on political campaigns, interning in the US Senate, and conducting research for a local free-market think tank. After graduating in 2018, he studied and worked in Germany for a year as a fellow with the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals. A Seattle native, Quill grew up backpacking, skiing, and fly fishing in the Cascades. In his free time, Quill enjoys reading about history, collecting maps, and occasionally escaping DC to visit a new national park. 

Emilie Schulze
Emilie Schulze is a junior at Cedarville University, where she studies history and music (musicology) with a focus on intellectual and political history. Emilie has worked in the education industry for three summers, speaking at over 15 events and receiving glowing recommendations. Emilie is also active in student life on campus. This year she is a part of the AEI Executive Council and the TDK (Tau Delta Kappa Honors Organization) Academic Events team. She received the TDK Presidential Service Award for her work. Both of these positions embolden her to foster careful thought about the pressing issues of our day. She recently interned at the Trinity Forum in the Fall of 2019, allowing her to apply all of these experiences to a position in DC working on events, researching, and coordinating constituent and sponsor relations. This semester she is interning with Senator Ben Sasse.

Alec Sears
Alec Sears is a young political writer and consultant from Dayton, Ohio. A proud college dropout, he was named to the 2018 Washington Examiner’s “30 Under 30” list. Alec got his start in politics in 2016 working as a professional campus activist, and since then has held many positions within the conservative movement. He currently works at an Alexandria-based PR firm where he tweets for a living. Alec’s work has been featured in the Washington Examiner, the Daily Caller, and The Independent.

Michael Slabinski
Michael Slabinski is the director of the Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development task force at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). A northern Virginia native, Michael enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Courtney Smith
Courtney was raised in Avon, IN, with her fellow triplets, Alex and Brittany. She graduated cum laude from DePauw University, where she majored in political science. Her interest in politics began in high school after attending Hoosier Girl’s State and the Indiana FBI Leadership Academy during her junior year. At DePauw, Courtney served as president of the College Republicans and as a senator in student government. She also was a member of the Ethics Bowl team, which made its way to nationals her senior year. Courtney has held internships in the White House Office of Correspondence and the president’s office at The Heritage Foundation. She currently works as a copywriter with the Republican Party. Courtney enjoys classical music and playing the French horn.

Peter Van Ness
Peter hails from Mississippi and southeastern Pennsylvania, where he previously worked in pharmaceutical consulting. He currently works as a data analyst in corporate consulting in Washington, DC. Peter enjoys reading and writing about economics and political philosophy and their bearing on current cultural issues. A regular theme is institutions for maintaining the free society. His writing so far can be found at The New Lyceum. In free time not spent reading, he cooks dishes packed with turmeric alongside his wife, tries to stay positive about the Phillies, scours reviews to ensure he watches only “good” movies, and tells anyone who will listen how great the countryside of Chester County, PA is. He has a bachelor’s degree from Covenant College in economics with a minor in English.

Lauren Waldron
Lauren Waldron is the associate director of marketing of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), where she manages the non-dues and product marketing strategy for the association’s events and programs as well as serves as a spokesperson for the association. Currently, she is on the board of directors of Gadsby’s Tavern Museum Society. Lauren was previously the senior public relations specialist of Venable LLP, where she served as a spokesperson for the organization and handled media relations for key partners of the firm and the regulatory and legislative and government affairs practices. Lauren also was a marketing specialist for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), where she was responsible for the marketing and communications strategy to advance the social work profession. In March 2017, she was appointed by the District of Columbia Mayor, Muriel Bowser, to serve as the commissioner for the Commission on National and Community Service (SERVE DC). She also serves on the Communications and Outreach Committee for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Lauren has a certificate in digital media and marketing from Duke University and has a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in political communication and American government from George Mason University. Lauren happily resides in Old Town North in Alexandria with her West Highland White Terrier, King Henry.