Student and Alum Spotlight Series

Welcome to the Student and Alum Spotlight series page. This series features interviews with students and alumni who are actively engaged in their practice either through coursework, extra-curricular activities, internships, jobs, etc. If you or someone you know would like to be featured in the spotlight series please shoot us an email at [email protected].

Alexandra Bell, International Affairs Alumna, Discusses Her Job at State

Alexandra Bell, originally from Tuxedo, North Carolina, graduated from the GPIA program at The New School in May 2006. Prior to attending The New School, she received a B.A. in Peace, War and Defense from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica. Upon ...
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GPIA Alumna Nora Rahimian Leverages Hip Hop to Inspire Social Change

Nora Rahimian is a 2012 graduate of the International Affairs program at The New School. Prior to earning her M.A., Nora worked with perpetrators of violence to develop community-based peacebuilding strategies. She continued this work while at The New School and on the International Field Program (IFP) in Liberia where ...
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GPIA Alumna Darya Shaikh Challenges Leaders to Create Positive Change

Darya graduated from the The New School in 2012 with a concentration in conflict and security. Growing up in Brooklyn with a Muslim father and a Jewish mother, Darya’s interest in Middle East reconciliation efforts began early and led her to pursue a B.A. in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies at ...
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Nonprofit Management Alumna Erika Nonken Applies Philosophy Background to Consultancy Work

Erika Nonken graduated from the Nonprofit Management program in May 2013. Since graduating she has been engaged in nonprofit consultancy work through her business Reimagine Consulting, working with organizations on a variety of aspects of their work, including leadership, governance, fundraising and marketing/branding. (more…) ...
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GPIA Alumna Ashlee Tuttleman Designs Social Impact Programs Increasing Profits for Rwandan Coffee Farmers

Ashlee Tuttleman is a 2012 graduate of the M.A program in International Affairs at The New School. She has extensive experience in East Africa working in product and program development, supply chains and human-centered design. Prior to Milano, Ashlee worked in the private sector for eight years in organizational change ...
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Urban Policy Alumna Heather Sheridan Advocates for Maryland’s Homeless as Director of Homeless Services

Heather Sheridan is a graduate of the M.A program in Urban Policy Analysis and Management at The New School. She has extensive experience in working on programs that address the needs of formerly homeless and low-income residents. Prior to Milano the foundation of her career was in community organizing and public policy ...
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Student Ejolee Mitchell Researches National Youth Policies During Turkey IFP

Ejolee Mitchell is originally from Philadelphia and is currently a student in the Graduate Program in International Affairs. Before coming to The New School she interned with a non-profit in Philadelphia focusing on international development via women’s empowerment. During the summer of 2014 she participated in the Turkey IFP program where ...
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Alumna Mala Kumar Launches Book: “The Paths of Marriage”

Mala Kumar is a 2010 M.A. international affairs graduate, concentrating in development. During her time at The New School, she co-founded the student organization, Association for International Development [AID], and was an India China Institute student fellow. After graduating, she worked as a Programme Officer on the African Risk Capacity ...
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Student Tanya Diallo Welsh Envisions Trauma Sensitive Therapy in Post-Conflict Areas

Tanya grew up in Côte D’Ivoire and moved to the US in 1999 to complete high school. After high school she received a scholarship to NYU where she studied political science and African studies. Upon graduating she worked in higher education as an admininstrative aide and program coordinator while moonlighting ...
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Urban Policy Student Benjamin Ndugga-Kabuye Builds Coalitions Between Black Immigrants and African-American Communities

Ben Ndugga-Kabuye is a student in the Urban Policy Program at Milano. He holds a bachelors in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of Caliornia at Irvine, and is passionate about political advocacy. At Milano, Ben also works as a Project Assistant for the Urban Policy Program, and is ...
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Alumna Alice Wu Continues Work Toward Social Justice for Women and Girls

Alice Wu is a human rights activist and an alumna of the Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy. Recently she was featured in an interview where she discussed her committment to social justice for women and girls, how she came to this work and the direction she hopes ...
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Alumnus David Benzaquen, Changing the World with a Fork

David Benzaquen is a progressive activist and a fellow alum of the Milano School for International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy. A vegan environmentalist, David is the founder and CEO of PlantBased Solutions, a branding firm located in New York City. David was recently interviewed by Professor Bonnie McEwan about his ...
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