Austin, Texas

Blake Albright
Office of State Representative James Frank

About Blake

Blake Albright is a first-generation graduate student, pursuing his Master of Public Health degree at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health with the Department of Health Policy and Management. Blake earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and Health Professions from Pennsylvania State University in 2020. He comes from a rural southern Illinois town named Mascoutah, but he now proudly calls College Station, Texas his home. Blake currently serves as the Chair of the Administration and Finance Committee for Texas A&M Health’s Disaster Day, the nation's largest student-led interprofessional emergency response simulation. He is also the School of Public Health student representative to the Health Technologies Committee, where he is assisting in streamlining the process behind equipment replacement throughout Texas A&M Health Science Center facilities.  He has previously held a position as lead project manager for a curriculum development team at the Texas A&M School of Public Health and held pivotal roles in the creation of a Climate, Health, & Environment photo exhibit at the Texas Health Institute, and a centralized workforce training dashboard for the Department of State Health Services. In addition Blake remains an active member of the Texas A&M Public Health Student Association and the Health Policy and Management Student Mentorship program. Blake’s professional interests include public policy, access to care in rural areas, health education, and public health workforce readiness. After graduation from Texas A&M, Blake wants to pursue a career in policy analysis for a government agency or non-profit organization. He hopes to be involved in positive change within the state of Texas and looks forward to helping others achieve better health.

Crystal Amoles
Office of State Representative Tom Craddick

About Crystal

Crystal Amoles is a first generation Aggie pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She is from George West, Texas where she was active within her church and involved in organizations such as Future Farmers of America (FFA), Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), and student council. When venturing to Texas A&M, she carried all the skills she learned from those organizations and carried them over to new organizations such as A&M Turning Point, Aggie Southern Darlings, and Delta Zeta Sorority. Outside of organizations, Crystal has had experience in the State Texas Capitol where she interned for the honorable State Representative, Ryan Guillen in the summer of 2022. Here, she proposed policy for review, learned how to interact with state agencies, attended Capitol briefings, did extensive research in various fields, and wrote press releases. From this experience in Guillen's office, she became extremely knowledgeable and passionate about school systems in Texas and wants to dive even further. Following her undergrad degree at Texas A&M University, Crystal plans to attend law school and further pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer.

Peter Barnett
Office of State Senator Robert Nichols

About Peter

Peter Barnett is a recent graduate of Texas A&M University, having completed two Bachelor’s of Arts in History and Political Science, along with a Pre-Law Certificate and a Philosophy minor with honors. He was born in Woodland Park, Colorado, but moved regularly throughout his childhood, completing High School in Perth, Western Australia. While living abroad, Peter’s passion for public service began. While attending Texas A&M University, Peter became an active member of the Texas A&M Model United Nations club, eventually becoming the president of the organization. In addition, he worked several jobs during his undergraduate career, most notably as an Aggie Orientation Leader.  Having previously interned at the Department of Commerce, Peter is now interning with Texas State Senator Robert Nichols for the spring semester in order to gain a better understanding of politics and policy at the state and local level. With hopes of applying this increased understanding in his future career of public service.

Graeson Chadwell
Office of Speaker Dade Phelan

About Graeson

Graeson has spent his entire life growing up in Fort Worth with his family of long time Texans. His father is Superintendent of their local school district, and his mom is a clinical social worker in the community. Growing up with family in all forms of public service, his interests in public policy, specifically in education policy, grew tremendously. Graeson is a part of a myriad of different organizations at Texas A&M. He just finished his fall semester as a sophomore in the Corps of Cadets as a member of Company F-2 where he tests his leadership ability daily. He is also a part of the MSC Wiley Lecture Series where he is a member of the Development Committee that is dedicated to networking and fundraising for the organization. For fun, he also plays for the Corps of Cadets Tennis Team and is a member of the Texas A&M Coffee Club. In Austin, working for Speaker Phelan’s office, Graeson looks forward to working in his policy department focusing on legislation for education policy.

Lillian Dacke
Office of State Representative Lacey Hull

About Lillian

Lillian Dacke, a junior at Texas A&M, is a first-generation, from Newark, TX. Lillian will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in human resource development and a minor in business. She is the former social media chair for Texas A&M IGNITE, a bipartisan women’s organization that connects current students with local representatives and encourages political involvement. She has had the opportunity to meet local congresswomen in the Bryan/College Station area and has a strong interest in Medicare and FMLA legislation. Lillian is passionate about connecting with her community and has experience recruiting student employees for the Texas A&M School of Medicine. She is excited to apply her knowledge gained from her previous internship at the School of Medicine and cannot wait to make an impact in the capital. In her free time, Lillian enjoys playing the viola, supporting small local businesses, and hiking nature trails. She is looking forward to applying her unique experience as a human resources major to her research at the capital and will use this opportunity to expand her knowledge on HR related policies.

Sumanpreet Dosanjh
Office of State Representative Jacey Jetton

About Sumanpreet

Sumanpreet Kaur Dosanjh is a second-year graduate student at Texas A&M University School of Public Health. She will graduate in May 2023 with her master’s degree in public health with a concentration in policy and management. Sumanpreet is also completing a certificate program with the Texas A&M School of Law in Health Law, Policy & Management.  She completed her bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona in Care, Health, and Society with a minor in environmental sustainability. Sumanpreet has worked for numerous organizations, such as March of Dimes and Voices for Children, to have a better understanding of how the legal system works and to have a solid foundation of how policy impacts everyday individuals. Sumanpreet is passionate about creating policies, researching, and analyzing whether policies are effective and how to create positive change. Sumanpreet is a daughter of immigrants who came to America from India with the dream of giving their children better opportunities and have shown her how things in the world are always interconnected with one another. After graduation, she plans to work as a policy analyst or further her career as an expert in health policy by acquiring her PhD. This spring, she will intern with Representative Jacey Jetton and hopes this will give her a better perspective on policy-making and give her real-life experience with policy analysis.

Clark Garcia
Office of State Representative Hugh Shine

About Clark

Clark is a junior political science major from Austin, Texas. His passion for public service began at a young age following his father around the State Capitol and grew throughout high school as he continued to study the Texas State Legislature. Clark furthered his passion by becoming a political science major at Texas A&M with a focus on environmental public policy. He is a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity at A&M, is currently serving as the chapter House Manager, and is involved with The Big Event on campus. Clark spent the summer of 2022 interning for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and is now a proud intern through the Public Policy Internship Program (PPIP).

Ariana Garlic
Office of State Representative John Smithee

About Ariana

Ariana Garlic is a senior from Weslaco, TX in the Rio Grande Valley. Because of her love for learning, she is pursuing an undergraduate degree in philosophy. This desire for knowledge has also motivated her to seek out participation in a variety of experiences from a variety of fields. She has worked as a lifeguard for Camp Charles F. Perry, a partner research advisor for Inonde IT Solutions, a legal intern for Linebarger Goggin Blair & Sampson, LLP, a camp counselor and photographer for The Pines Catholic Camp, and a writing consultant for Texas A&M’s University Writing Center. Ariana hopes to someday use her experiences to share this love for learning through a career in education. Her goal for the Public Policy Internship Program and 88th Legislative Session is to learn more about the legislative process and the people of Texas!

Shannon Gray
Office of State Representative Giovanni Capriglione

About Shannon

Shannon is a graduate student at Texas A&M University where she is pursuing a Master of Public Health focusing in Health Policy in Management. While pursuing her MPH, Shannon is also seeking a Certificate in Health Law, Policy, and Management from Texas A&M University’s School of Law. In the past, she has worked with nonprofit organizations in improving nutritional databases, drafting safety briefings, and developing employee retention initiatives used companywide. She also worked as a Student Assistant under the Department of Health Policy and Management, during which she advised incoming first year students regarding their degree plan and career interests, analyzed various databases regarding a potential disease outbreak, proposed new means to incentivize individuals to seek Public Health degrees, and assisted two faculty members in drafting a grant proposal. Shannon received her Bachelor of Science in Health in May 2021 and will be graduating with her Masters this coming spring May 2023.

Marla Guerra
Office of State Representative Evelina Ortega

About Marla

Marla Guerra recently graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She is originally from McAllen, Texas and initially became interested in social issues by being exposed first hand to the diverse social problems that remain present within her own community. During her time at Texas A&M, she was involved with the Liberal Arts Student Council and Feminism for Aggies, which furthered her interest in studies revolving around liberal arts. She is also an Undergraduate Research Scholar and therefore had the fortunate opportunity to write a thesis that was heavily focused on femicide in Ciudad Juarez and transformative justice. Similarly, in the Summer of 2022, Marla participated in a study abroad program that was located in Bonn, Germany and which was primarily focused on psychology and women and gender studies. Her passion for social justice, as well as women and gender studies, drove her to be a part of those experiences. They have only made her more eager to begin a career that works to address the underrepresented social problems present within marginalized communities. This spring, Marla will be interning at the Texas State Capitol and is very enthusiastic to experience the process of policy making and hopes to gain a better understanding of how policy can spark true change and reformation for the State of Texas. 

Lillian Hale
Office of State Senator Kelly Hancock

About Lillian

Lillian Hale is a junior political science major from Decatur, Texas. She is actively involved in Aggie Sisters for Christ and Pre-Law Society at Texas A&M University. Within these organizations Lillian works at being a public servant through various philanthropies and community service activities including Hope Pregnancy Center and BUILD TAMU. Being from a small rural town north of Fort Worth, Lillian understands the importance of small business owners and the impact they have on their local communities, because of this Lillian wants to work to lower property taxes and help her local business owners. She finds that this is an important policy issue that needs to be improved throughout the 88th legislative session and is what has stemmed Lillian to pursue an internship in Senator Kelly Hancock’s office. Lillian’s future includes attending law school and earning a J.D. dual degree in Public Administration. This program will allow her to get insightful learning experiences on the policy making process and procedures that will help her in achieving her future endeavors. This spring, Lillian looks forward to moving to Austin and representing Texas A&M University.

Jason Haug
Office of State Representative Jacey Jetton

About Jason

Jason Haug is a junior from Dallas, Texas, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Spanish. Having had family in the healthcare industry, Jason has been invested in the public policy process from a young age. His participation in activities including PAL’s and Best Buddies only further emphasized his interest in the healthcare industry and the policy that relates to it. He is grateful for opportunities such as the Public Policy Internship Program, and its host offices, as he is able to explore his interest and passion of public service. He is confident about his ability to serve his community and state and looks forward to doing so through healthcare policy. From meeting with constituents to policy research, Jason is excited to get work serving the people the best way he can. He can’t wait to learn more about the policy process and the work that occurs to create a successful legislative session. Through the Public Policy Internship Program, Jason will intern for the Office of Representative Jacey Jetton.

Chrissa Jacobson
Office of State Senator Angela Paxton

About Chrissa

Chrissa Jacobson, a native of Houston, TX., recently graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. During her time at Texas A&M, Chrissa was a part of the Public Health Student Organization, The Big Event, and Aggie Health Law Society which helped her expand her volunteer and leadership skills. Her passion for creating a better life for others through health policy and law drove her to be a part of these organizations and hold leadership positions as well. With the help of PHSO, she was able to apply what she learned in the classroom to the real world. Through volunteering at Health For All, she was able to help combat the lack of healthcare issues in the Bryan, TX community. She helped weekly by maintaining patient records and assisting with scheduling. She also participated in The Big Event where she was the team leader of a community service activity where they replanted community members' landscapes. She took on the responsibility of training the volunteers and optimizing their performance to complete the service activity on time. Being a leader has not only helped her build strong team relationships but helped her to better understand the different sides of the problem. This spring, Chrissa will intern as a legislative aide in Senator Angela Paxton’s office. Chrissa is enthusiastic about working at Texas Capitol in Austin, TX, and hopes to gain experience in research skills and critical analysis to help her excel in the legal field. After the internship, she plans to attend law school in the fall of 2023 to obtain her JD and specialize in health law.

Aseer Karowadia
Office of State Representative Stan Kitzman

About Aseer

Aseer, a senior from Sugar Land, Texas, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He has been passionate about law and helping others from a young age.  As a Texas A&M student, he is involved in the Aggie Investment Club and the Pre-Law Society and is passionate about the intersection of business and law. He plans on applying to law school after graduation with an interest in corporate law. Coming from a family of immigrants, he also has a strong interest in immigration law. His passion for immigration law stems from his own family’s struggles to remain united through a difficult immigration process. Being an Eagle Scout, he looks forward to using his skills and knowledge to continue a legacy of service to others in his community. Through the Public Policy Internship Program, Aseer will be an intern in Austin, Texas with the Office of State Representative Stan Kitzman. He is very appreciative to have the opportunity to learn more about the policy process and the insides of how the legislative process operates.

Magdalyn Klynsma
Office of State Representative Toni Rose

About Magdalyn

Maggie Klynsma is from Kansas City, MO and has a BS in Anthropology from Texas A&M University. She is currently a second-year graduate student at Texas A&M University School of Public Health. She is pursuing an MPH in Health Policy & Management and a certificate in Health Law. Maggie has acted as a Healthcare Policy & Government Affairs Fellow at Todd Strategy Group in Washington, DC, contracted for the non-profit “It's Time Texas”, and has taught as a TA for a Health Policy class at Tarleton State University. This semester, Maggie will be working as a Policy Analyst for State Representative Toni Rose in the Texas House of Representatives during the 88th Legislative Session. She is looking forward to learning more about the legislative process and being involved with the House Human Services Committee. She hopes to continue working closely with the legislature after graduating this May.

Christopher Livaudias
Office of State Senator Morgan LaMantia

About Christopher

Christopher Livaudais is a junior Political Science major from Austin, Texas. Christopher has been politically involved for the entire duration of his time at Texas A&M University including serving as the President of the Texas Aggie Democrats prior to his internship. Though he has many varied interests, his biggest passion is politics and public policy. Christopher finds it fascinating from a technical standpoint, but on a deeper level appreciates its capacity for improving people’s lives. He is the most interested and concerned with healthcare and housing affordability. This interest stems from a combination of personal experiences and a desire to alleviate the struggles faced by the American working class. This legislative session is Christopher’s second time interning with the Public Policy Internship Program, having previously interned for Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. of Senate District 27 during the 87th Texas Legislature. Christopher is grateful for the support and responsibilities given to him by Senator Lucio’s office, especially given he was a freshman at the time. Most notably among these was his work monitoring legislation in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and making recommendations to the senator. This helped to shape and grow his interest in public policy, and he is excited to be back in Austin and to build upon this work during the 88th Texas Legislature.

Michelle Mares
Office of State Representative Chris Turner

About Michelle

Michelle Mares is a senior Community Health major at Texas A&M University from Grand Prairie, Texas. Michelle is passionate about topics related to sexual health, women’s rights, and advocacy. She is fluent in Spanish and served as the director of cultural programs for MSC CAMAC: A Latinx Programming Committee from Fall ‘21 to Spring ‘22, where she programmed three university-wide programs at Texas A&M that enhanced the awareness of Latinx culture on campus and in the community. Ms. Mares is also a recipient of the 2022 Glasscock Cultural Enrichment and Campus Diversity Grant. This grant provided funding towards MSC CAMAC’s advocacy lecture series, a program Ms. Mares founded to enhance the awareness of issues related to advocacy that affect the Latinx community. The pilot program was presented at the nation’s largest student-led conference on Latinx affairs, SCOLA. She directly worked with three health professors to create this program, which taught participants how to advocate for themselves in a healthcare setting, focusing on communication with healthcare providers, consent, and contraception. Ms. Mares believes all individuals deserve to be knowledgeable about their options in different settings so that they may be successful. This spring, Michelle will be interning with the Office of Representative Chris Turner and is excited to represent her fellow Aggies and learn about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into successful legislation!

Tasha Martin
Texas House Sergeant-at-Arms

About Tasha

Tasha Martin is from San Antonio, Texas, but has lived in California, England, and Florida as well due to her parents’ employment by the United States military. She is pursuing a communications degree with a minor in economics. She hopes to eventually enter the field of trademark law and become involved in the policy making process. Her main policy areas of interest are human rights and animal cruelty, with an emphasis on animal testing. She has worked as an orientation leader with New Student Conferences at Texas A&M and participated as a sister in Gamma Phi Omega. She has also been a member of the TAMU Pre-Law Society. Tasha has two lawyers in her life, with one being the mother of her close friend and the other being her cousin’s husband. Both largely successful in their field and graduating from top schools like Howard University and Berkely, Tasha aspires to change other’s lives the way that they do. During this session, Tasha hopes to learn more about the changes that come from effective policy, as well as suggestions and advice from the attorneys present.

Brayden Moore
Office of State Representative Stan Lambert

About Brayden

Brayden grew up in Waxahachie, Texas, and recently graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. As a child, Brayden went to Camp Grady Spruce every summer. Realizing the camp's impact on his childhood development, Brayden dedicated his past three summers at CGS in various positions. In his second summer, he was appointed as the sailing director, which grew his passion for sailing and encouraged him to join the sailing club at Texas A&M University. Brayden also has a love for the Spanish language, which was introduced to him by a semester-long study abroad program in Heredia, Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, he spent his days going to classes, speaking with his host family, and acquiring as much Spanish as possible. His love for the process of learning a foreign language has led him to have an interest in policy in public education, specifically regarding the application and educational structure of foreign language education in Texas public schools. Brayden’s studies in political science have instilled in him the importance of political systems and public policy making, which has further generated his excitement for the opportunity to be in the capitol for the coming legislative session in the following months.

Julia Patterson
Office of State Senator Lois Kolkhorst / Senate HHS Committee

About Julia

Julia Patterson is a junior at Texas A&M University, where she majors in Political Science. Julia graduated as Valedictorian from Round Top-Carmine High School. At Texas A&M, she is a member of the Board of Directors for MSC SCONA and attended the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference. Julia is also a member of Phi Kappa Phi. In the last Texas legislative session, she served as a registered lobbyist for KK125 Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, becoming one of the youngest lobbyists in Texas. This summer, Julia interned in Congressman Pete Sessions’ office under his healthcare legislative staffer. In Austin, Julia will be interning with the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee. In the future, Julia plans to continue her advocacy as a lobbyist for people with disabilities.

Abigail Powell
Office of State Representative Nicole Collier

About Abigail

Abby Powell is a junior from Austin, Texas who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. She has been interested in politics and government from a young age. Her passion for politics really began to blossom when she got to Texas A&M, where she started off as a business major, but after taking a state and local government course she decided to make the change to political science. The course allowed her to see the vital role that state government plays in people’s day to day lives and where change really starts, which led her to pursue the PPIP program. Beyond her studies, Abby has been involved in the Freshman Leadership Organization, Freshman Reflecting While Developing (FRWD), and now serves as a Big in the Big/Little program for current freshmen in FRWD. Outside of A&M, Abby interned for a U.S. Congressional campaign where she got to work directly with the candidate over several months. From this, she experienced firsthand the campaign process, learned how to turn her knowledge gained from her classes at A&M into useful input on the campaign, and discovered her passion for research. Abby is excited to channel her passion for learning and politics into positive change for all Texans. This spring, she will intern with Representative Nicole Collier’s office, which will allow her to pursue her interests in advocating for those most in need as well as learning more about the legislative process. She is very excited for the opportunity to learn more about policy analysis, further her researching skills and work hands on with Texas lawmakers to make Texas the best it can be. In the future she plans to obtain her master’s in public policy and work for advocacy networks helping communities in need through policy reform all around the globe.

Jacob Pratt
Office of State Representative Craig Goldman

About Jacob

Jacob Pratt is a finance major from Austin, TX. He will graduate in the spring of 2024. During his time at Texas A&M University he has been involved in the Aggie Men’s Club where he has served as both Secretary and Media Relations Chair. This spring he is interning at Representative Craig Goldman’s office where he hopes to form new relationships and learn more about state government. Jacob Pratt is a finance major from Austin, TX. He will graduate in the spring of 2024. During his time at Texas A&M University he has been involved in the Aggie Men’s Club where he has served as both Secretary and Media Relations Chair. This spring he is interning at Representative Craig Goldman’s office where he hopes to form new relationships and learn more about state government.

Carson Prejean
Office of State Representative Jay Dean

About Carson

Carson Prejean is a sophomore from Katy, TX who is currently studying for a degree in political science. He has a very strong love for politics as well as the policy creation process and is very excited to be working in the Texas Capitol. Carson is a proud Eagle Scout and cites his time in scouting as what instilled in him a love for country and helping people. He has served as a staff member for national youth leadership training, teaching the next generation of leaders in all segments of society the tools they will need to be effective leaders. Despite now residing in Texas, Carson spent a large amount of time living in Louisiana which has given him a strong connection to the state and interest in the shared issues affecting both Texas and Louisiana. This unique experience is why he is excited to work for Representative Jay Dean, who shares a similar story and whose district is closely tied to Louisiana. He hopes to facilitate the creation of a better future for not just District 7, but all of Texas and beyond.

Varun Singh
Office of State Representative Nicole Collier

About Varun

Varun Singh was born and raised in San Antonio and is currently a sophomore in Public Health at Texas A&M. During high school, Varun Singh took an early interest in Model United Nations which furthered his passion for public speaking and debate as well as policy development. During his first year, Varun was elected as the Secretary of Meetings for the on-campus Model United Nations club. Varun is currently an active member of the Public Health Student Organization, at Texas A&M, which allows students to volunteer and spread awareness regarding various public health crises in the surrounding areas. Outside of school, Varun enjoys playing basketball with friends and taking time to discover new places to eat. As an avid traveler, Varun attempts to try new foods everywhere he goes, and Austin is no different! As a San Antonio native, Varun fully believes San Antonio is home to the best breakfast tacos. However, he is hopeful that time spent in Austin will expand his palate and give San Antonio tacos a run for their money.

Cassidy Smith
Office of State Representative John Lujan

About Cassidy

Cassidy Smith is a junior from Huntsville, TX currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Society, Ethics, and Law, as well as two minors in both Philosophy and Business. She is involved on campus as a part of the Aggie Mental Health Ambassadors (AMHA) organization, where she serves on the development committee. She is also a member and peer buddy for the Aggie Best Buddies organization. After her time at Texas A&M, Cassidy plans to attend law school and earn her Juris Doctorate. While she is still exploring the different types of law, she is leaning towards Business (Corporate) Law. Cassidy has always had a passion for advocating for others, which greatly influenced her interest in law and policymaking. This spring, she will be interning in the Office of State Representative John Lujan. This will be Representative Lujan’s first term in office during a legislative session, so she is excited to see his interests through his policy. Through this internship, she hopes to make lifelong connections while also learning everything there is to know about the policy making process!

Grant Socol
Texas A&M University - Office of Government Relations

About Grant

Grant Socol is a fourth-generation Aggie and currently a junior pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Growing up right by campus, Grant was always surrounded by friends and family who were passionate A&M fans. Grant has been an active member of his church for his entire life. After enrolling at Texas A&M, he joined the TAMU Wesley Foundation and became a volunteer youth counselor who led mission trips, planned Bible studies, and motivated kids to grow into mature young adults. Over the summer, he was the intern for the Democratic nominee for State Comptroller, Janet Dudding. Traveling all across Texas, he did everything necessary to help Dudding campaign and spread her message to every corner of the state. During the upcoming session, Grant hopes to gain a better understanding of governing at the state level and help The Texas A&M University System secure funding to improve the experience and wellbeing of both students and faculty throughout their time in higher education.