ALEX GUTERBOCK

MILWAUKEE, WI FELLOW

Alex Guterbock was born and raised in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is a 2020 graduate of the University of Delaware where she received an honors degree in Public Policy and International Relations. She has interned for multiple non-profit organizations including the ACLU of Delaware on the Smart Justice Campaign and the Legal Aid Justice Center on the Virginia Justice Project for Farm and Immigrant Workers. In addition, while at UD, Alex conducted independent and original research on evictions and legal representation for low income tenants. She was also heavily involved in UD’s alternative breaks program, first as a volunteer, then a site leader, and finally as one of four head student coordinators. In these roles, she helped to promote active citizenship and social justice education on campus through service learning. In the future, Alex aims to continue community development and leadership work through service in nonprofits and social policy research.

Austin Burdette

Baltimore, MD Fellow

Austin Burdette is from Frederick, Maryland, where he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland with a degree in Criminology & Criminal Justice. While in college, Austin held a range of positions, including tutoring student athletes, working with incarcerated juveniles in Washington D.C., and recruiting for Teach for America. After graduating, Austin served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, teaching high school English in Cambodia for two years. Upon returning home, he worked for a non-profit in Alaska, helping to research and analyze education legislation at the state level. He is passionate about criminal justice reform and is excited to work directly with clients from the Baltimore Bail Diversion and Ex-Offender Programs.

Dara Ogunsakin

Washington, DC fellow

Dara Ogunsakin is a recent graduate from The University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia. While at UGA, she majored in Social Work with a minor in Human Development and Family Science.  This has provided her with foundational knowledge on social welfare practices, a deep appreciation for human relationships, and a passion for collaboration between public policy and social work. While attending UGA, she was involved with the Student Government Association and served as a tour guide and campus ambassador. Dara has had internships on-campus, working with the Office of the Dean of Students to promote resources for students that have experienced foster care and/or homelessness, and off campus with a regional child advocacy center, working with the Supervised Visitation and Parent Coaching programs. She is excited to build on her direct service experience and dive into policy work as a fellow in the D.C. area! 

Elizabeth Ashton

Manhattan, NY Fellow

Elizabeth is a recent graduate of Barnard College at Columbia University where she earned a B.A. in political science. Her studies focused on health care and welfare systems and policies. While in school, Elizabeth conducted academic research on Jewish economic development, international health insurance policy and gender issues in politics. This time also included a semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark studying European governments and institutions. Elizabeth interned with Americares, a leading global health and emergency response non-profit, served as a Research Intern with the New York State Attorney General, and most recently worked on (RED)'s Partnerships team in the "fight to end AIDS." Elizabeth is passionate about justice and hopes to continue to combine her interests in policy and health care through public-private work. 

Emily Peck

Manhattan, NY Fellow

Originally from Cheshire, CT, Emily Peck recently graduated from Colgate University with a B.A. in Sociology. As a student, Emily competed on the Cross Country and Track and Field team and also worked at the campus’ career services center. In summer 2019, Emily interned with Community Partners in Action where she shadowed a social worker at a District Attorney’s office. Getting the opportunity to work one on one with disadvantaged peoples by matching them with rehabilitative programs as an alternative to incarceration sparked Emily’s interest in social justice work. During her senior year, Emily wrote her thesis about how marginalized or underprivileged students on college campuses cope with toxic campus culture. One of the themes central to her research was the importance of solidarity as a way for students to navigate such stresses. From her research and other experiences, Emily has discovered her passion for helping others through direct community-based support, which she is excited to engage in with the Work First team. 

Jonathan Perez-Reyzin

Brooklyn, NY Fellow

Jonathan Perez-Reyzin is from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Philosophy. At Harvard, Jonathan lived at and was deeply involved in the Dudley Co-op, and intentional housing community of 32 students. He served as President of the community, representing the interests of the house to the university administration. His experience there shaped his devotion to effective community organizing and to building social support systems in which everyone can succeed. Jonathan has significant public service experience—having interned at both City Year New Orleans, an education-focused nonprofit, and Bay Area Legal Aid, a low-income legal services provider. He hopes to dedicate his career to serving the needs of low-income and otherwise marginalized members of our communities. After his Work First Fellowship, Jonathan will be attending Yale Law School with the goal of serving as a public interest lawyer focused on criminal justice reform. 

Lily Bickerstaff-Richard

Bronx, Ny fellow

Born and raised in Maine, Lily Bickerstaff-Richard recently graduated from Brandeis University with a double major in Anthropology and International and Global Studies. Prior to attending college, Lily acquired her certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and taught English to Buddhist Monks in Northern India. She continued her passion for education during her university years, where she worked an English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor for her peers. During her internships at the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project of Maine, and Massachusetts Interfaith Worker Justice, Lily strengthened her commitment to advocacy and justice. At Brandeis, Lily completed research on Islamic adoption and Kafala in Morocco, and a senior honors thesis in Anthropology which examines spiritual but not religious identities in 21st century America. Lily is excited to combine her passions for research and direct service as a Work First Fellow. She looks forward to utilizing her previous experiences to shape her work in this role.

Rachel Tropp

Manhattan, NY fellow

Originally from Trumbull, Connecticut, Rachel Tropp recently graduated with honors from Harvard College with an A.B. in Government and a secondary in Educational Studies. As a student, she was active in residential life as secretary of the Dunster House Committee and taught fifth graders across Boston and Cambridge with the Harvard CIVICS program. Rachel was also a research assistant with the Democratic Knowledge Project, where she contributed to the development of a new civics curriculum for the state of Massachusetts. In 2017, Rachel served as a fellow in the Development Office of New Haven youth development nonprofit Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP), followed by a 2018 policy internship at the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. and a 2019 summer teaching fellowship with Breakthrough Greater Boston. These experiences inspired and confirmed her desire to work in the nonprofit field to mitigate inequality, and she is excited to continue this work as a Work First Fellow, serving Manhattan residents.

Robi Roberts

Brooklyn, NY Fellow

Robi Roberts grew up in Atlanta, GA and recently graduated cum laude from Davidson College with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in Educational Studies. As a Bonner scholar, Robi served as a tutor to underserved and ESL students at an after-school program in the Davidson, NC community.  Her internships, which included a teaching fellowship for Breakthrough New York, data analysis for an urban applied research center and assisting the social studies team at the District of Columbia Public Schools, deepened her passion for urban policy and education. For her honors thesis, Robi further explored her interest in urban poverty by examining the relationship between public transit access and upward mobility in the United States. Robi is excited to continue her service work and conduct research as a Work First Fellow. She ultimately hopes to use her experience as a fellow to obtain a master’s degree in public policy to continue to work to alleviate urban poverty and inequality.

Sabrina Gandy

Washington, D.C. Fellow

Sabrina grew up in San Antonio, Texas and is a recent graduate from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. While at Rhodes she earned a B.A. in Health Equity and through her work at health organizations, became interested in urban policy and public health. During her studies abroad, she researched maternal and child health comparatively across drastically different contexts, from the United States, to India, South Africa, and Brazil. Her studies then led her to research the ways healthcare is experienced by immigrant’s who identify as women. Sabrina is deeply passionate about making healthcare more accessible, the social determinants that affect one’s health, especially employment and job security, and leaving the world a more equitable place. In her down time, she loves cooking and trying new adaptations to family recipes. In the future, she hopes to find ways to combine her passions for justice, equitable health and public policy. Sabrina is excited to be working directly with clients as a Work First fellow and empowering others.

Sarah tessler

Queens, NY fellow

Sarah graduated cum laude from Tufts University with a B.A. in Spanish Cultural Studies and Education. While at Tufts, she served as Vice President of Campus Relations for Hillel, and was the program intern for Moral Voices, Hillel’s social justice initiative. Through Tufts’ Experimental College, she also had the opportunity to develop and co-teach a 13-week experiential curriculum regarding the American education system as a tool for socialization.  Sarah’s passion for education access led her to work as a Teaching Fellow and After-School Tutor for Breakthrough Greater Boston, a tuition-free 6-year college preparatory program for low-income students. As a Work First Fellow, Sarah is looking forward to continuing working directly with those in urban poverty and gain experience to better understand and address the gaps that exist within public policy. 

Simon Caskey

Brooklyn, NY fellow

Born and raised in the heart of Philadelphia, Simon Caskey went to Grinnell College, in Iowa.  As a Sociology major, he developed interests in prison reform and teaching, and assistant-taught in several classrooms. He spent a summer in Ecuador, putting his Spanish to the test and working to develop it further. After graduating from Grinnell, Simon spent a few months working at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site as an actor in their haunted house to raise money for their museum on incarceration in the United States. He then worked at the AIDS Law Project, which provides pro bono legal services to people with HIV/AIDs and has been at the forefront of novel approaches to combating the opioid crisis in Philadelphia. He also taught English as a Second Language classes for recent immigrants at the Nationalities Service Center. He hopes to put his experience with non-profits and teaching to work, making a real difference as a 2020 Work First Fellow! 

Sofia Crouch

Manhattan, NY Fellow

Sofia Crouch is from Chevy Chase, Maryland, and recently graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College as an Urban Studies and Political Science major. She has extensive experience working with the immigrant community in New York City, specifically with refugees and asylum seekers, and wrote her undergraduate thesis on how cities can support newcomers and create inclusive meanings of belonging. Most recently, Sofia worked as a development intern with The Laundromat Project, a community-focused arts non-profit organization, where she wrote grant applications and cultivated donor relations in order to support artists and communities of color in New York City. She is a volunteer with New Sanctuary Coalition in their pro se immigration clinic, working directly with asylum seekers to help prepare their applications and to represent themselves in court. She looks forward to continuing both her direct service and development work skills as Work First Fellow in Manhattan.

Taylin Bower

Baltimore, MD Fellow

Originally from Penn Yan NY, Taylin graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Psychology in 2017. Her coursework was focused around criminology and gender law and is what sparked her interest in criminal justice policy. During her internships during undergrad- including teaching at a school for refugee children through the United Nations Association of Rochester — she was able to see first-hand the effects of policies on disadvantaged populations, and it instilled a passion for working one on one with individuals in need. After graduating she moved to Washington D.C. where she interned for the Smithsonian Institution in their office of Organization and Audience Research where she honed her social science research skills and was a part of executing SI-wide events to examine and rethink the organizations policies and efficiency. She decided to stay in D.C. and pursue a Master’s in Philosophy and Social Policy where she pursued an independent research project on the relationship of evictions and homelessness. She is very excited for this opportunity to serve the Baltimore community as a Work First Fellow.

Will Macheel

Milwaukee, WI fellow

Will Macheel was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He recently graduated summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, completing a B.S. in Applied Economics,  and minors in Spanish and Sustainability Studies. As an undergraduate, Will wrote his honors thesis on the political economy of state-level electricity regulation and served as the sustainability director for student government. He also interned for Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee and was a grant writer for the Milwaukee-based food justice nonprofit Victory Garden Initiative. Through these experiences, Will developed a passion for public service that applies systems thinking to challenges across the policy spectrum. He is excited to give back to his hometown as a Milwaukee Work First Fellow and his research interests include housing affordability, food security, and environmental justice issues. In his spare time, Will enjoys gardening, running, travel, and exploring Milwaukee’s culinary scene

Yegene Lee

Los Angeles, CA Fellow

Yegene Lee grew up in Southern California and graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Government and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and a minor in English. During her time at Dartmouth, Yegene worked as a reporter and editor for the campus newspaper and was part of the communications team for a local organizing non-profit called the United Valley Interfaith Project. She also worked as an outreach intern at a San Francisco non-profit called Lava Mae, which provides mobile hygiene services to members of the community experiencing homelessness. After graduating, Yegene was selected as a James B. Reynolds Scholar and conducted independent research on immigration and urban work policies in South Korea while volunteering at a community center serving recent economic migrants. Yegene is interested in the intersection of culture, social impact work, and public interest law, and is excited to return to San Francisco as a Work First Fellow.