Introducing the Class of 2020 First-Year Fellows

Since 2007, the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center has offered first-year students and Dartmouth alumni a dynamic program called First-Year Fellows (FYF). This program provides first-year students the opportunity to engage in public policy early in their Dartmouth careers.

For students the program starts on campus during the fall and winter terms as potential participants are required to take PBPL 5: Introductory to Public Policy and a research methods course. They are also expected to participate in the Dartmouth Leadership Attitudes and Behaviors program. 

During the spring term, Fellows are selected through a competitive application and interview process and then matched with an alumni mentor and placement organization best suited to their academic and career interests.

At the end of the spring term, the students begin Civic Skills Training (CST) which provides them with additional instruction in public speaking, networking, workplace writing, project management, and professionalism. In June, Fellows reconvene in Washington, D.C. for an additional five days of training the week before their 8-week fellowship begins.

Mentors and fellowship placement organizations commit to providing the student meaningful work, first-hand experiences in the policymaking process, and advice about potential career paths.

The Rockefeller Center congratulates the following members of the Class on 2020 on their selection into the First-Year Fellow program, and acknowledges the First-Year Fellow mentors, whose dedication and support make this program possible. 

• William Barth, Voice of America with mentor John Lippman ’71
• Tyler Baum with mentor Kevin Hudak ’07
• Nicole Beckman, Office of U.S. Congresswoman Anne McLane Kuster ’78
• Bethany Burns, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget with mentor Cathy Solomon ’81
• Ajaipal Chahal, Truman National Security Project with mentor Michael Breen ’02
• Peter Charalambous, American Petroleum Institute with mentor Rick Ranger ’74
• Albert Chen, Project on Government Oversight (POGO) with mentor Danielle Downing ’99
• Kenneth Coleman, U.S. House of Representatives: Committee on Education & the Workforce with mentor Christian Haines ’01
• Sarah (Sunny) Drescher, District of Columbia Superior Court with mentor Jennifer Chandler ’82
• Jesus Franco, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants with mentor Jeff Kelley ’69
• Alexander Fredman, Brookings Institution with mentor Aaron Klein ’98
• Alexandrea Keith, League of Conservation Voters (LCV) with mentors Tiernan Sittenfeld ’96 & Mark Sheridan ’15
• Timothy Holman, Smithsonian Institution, Office of Policy and Analysis with mentor Ed Rynne ’77
• Julia Huebner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with mentor Jay Matson ’91
• April Lam, Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ’88
• Taylor Lane, Congressional Research Service: Defense and Trade Division with mentor Mary Beth Nikitin ’96
• Victoria Meyer, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with mentor Nancy Bowler ’82
• Brandon Nye, World Resources Institute with mentor Sofia Faruqi ’07
• Alexander Rounaghi, District of Columbia Superior Court with mentor Judge John Mott ’81
• Jenna Salvay, American Wind Energy Association with mentor Tom Kiernan ’81,P’17
• Eliza Jane Schaeffer, U.S. Department of Education with mentor Lauren Kennedy ’02
• Sunpreet (Sunny) Singh, Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ’88
• Andrew Xiang, National Disability Institute with mentor Michael Morris P’08&’14