Meet the Summer Remote DRD Interns (2 of 2)

Today we will introduce the second half of our Summer Remote Intern Cohort. Check out part 1 for the mentors and the first half of the cohort. We hope you will join us next year!

Laura Kathryn Nicole Jones plans to graduate from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s master of library and information science with a focus on archives and UWM’s museum studies graduate certificate programs in May of 2023. After graduation, Jones plans to pursue a bookbinding diploma for professional development and find employment in the non-profit sector. Jones obtained a bachelor of arts in English with a deaf studies minor from the University of North Florida in 2017 after completing an associate of arts degree at Daytona State College. For the past year, Jones has been studying the history of passenger pigeons and created two exhibits on the topic. Jones has two Russian tortoises and enjoys taking them to the park during free time as well as playing tabletop games.

 

Adrienne Chikaye Kelish is a native Californian, although she has lived all over the U.S. Adrienne is honored to be interning with the Digital Resource Division of the Law Library of Congress this summer. She holds a J.D. from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, California, an M.A. in criminology and criminal justice from the University of South Carolina and a B.S. in criminal justice from the University of North Texas. She is currently working towards an M.L.I.S. in library and information science with a concentration in law librarianship and legal informatics from the University of North Texas. Adrienne is also certified in baking and pastry arts from the Oregon Culinary Institute. Adrienne enjoys hot yoga, cold pizza, and baking lots of cookies with her toddler.

 

A Connecticut native living in California, StarRose Keyes-Lebergott has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps by becoming a librarian. She received a B.A. in English from Wesleyan University, and is currently pursuing an M.L.I.S. at San José State University, with a concentration in archival studies. Currently working as a digital resources associate at the Yolo County Library, she is passionate about digitization of archival records so that these resources can be accessible to all. An auntie of eight, world traveler, novice baker, and storyteller–StarRose wears many hats, but will always enjoy being a lifelong learner.

 

Kenya Kobayashi is from Tokyo, Japan and is currently pursuing a B.A. in political science at Kenyon College, Ohio. He seeks to be involved in the field of public policy, especially in the area of education and mental health. His hobbies include reading, watching tv shows, and playing the piano.

 

Mason Koelm is a student at the University of Iowa College of Law. He has a B.S. in criminology, law, and justice and a B.A. in international relations from the University of Iowa. When he is not researching and writing, he enjoys participating in local trivia nights. Mason plans on using his legal degree to advocate and advise in international cultural heritage conservation efforts.

 

 

Rebecca Komathy (she/her) is a full-time M.L.I.S. student at San José State and hails from Long Beach, California. She received her B.A. in English and creative writing, and her M.F.A. in creative writing, fiction from California State University, Long Beach. She currently works for law enforcement in the records division with a goal of transitioning to her local public library after she receives her degree. When she’s not in front of her computer, she is either trying out new restaurants or wondering what trouble her corgi is up to.

 

Claire Lavarreda is a graduate student at Northeastern University working on her M.A. and Ph.D. in history. She is originally from Connecticut, where she obtained her B.A. in history and social sciences at Eastern Connecticut State University. Claire has worked and interned for various archives, and hopes to work in the archival field upon graduating from Northeastern. Besides enjoying typical history major activities like visiting museums, Claire also enjoys collecting eclectic objects like shark teeth, shells, and old radios. She is currently living in Massachusetts and travels to Boston for classes.

 

Marcella Lees is currently an M.L.I.S. student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign focusing on archives. She previously attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, earning her B.A. in history with minors in creative writing and medieval and renaissance studies. Most of her work previously has focused on public history or digital humanities, and she is excited to now transition her passion for history into archives. When she is not busy studying or working, Marcella enjoys playing D&D, editorial makeup, reading, traveling, hitting the gym, and watching shows with her husband.

 

Mia Lewis is currently enrolled in San José State University’s M.L.I.S. program. She holds a B.A. in world arts and cultures from U.C.L.A. and is excited to continue exploring digital humanities, archival practices, and information theory through the art of librarianship. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Mia lives in Hollywood and also works as communications director for a small nonprofit. In between homework and Zoom meetings from her bedroom office, she can probably be found reading, watching a movie, or considering what book to read next.

 

Alexandra Lopez was born and raised on the border of Laredo, Texas, and moved to San Antonio to receive her B.A. in political science from St. Mary’s University. She is the first of her father’s family to graduate from a four-year university and the first to be working on her M.P.A/J.D. degree from St. Mary’s University. Alexandra is a proud Mexican-American who hopes to one day give back to her community and help women and children in the state of Texas. She loves reading, watching movies/tv, spending time with her two dachshunds, dancing ballet, and hopes to own a first edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein one day. Alexandra has a strong passion for helping women and children and hopes to use her degrees to eventually create policies and laws to protect them from domestic abuse.

 

Heidi Maier is originally from Illinois, but moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2019. She is a former high school teacher who developed a government/civics curriculum for her students. Heidi holds a bachelors degree in music education from Western Illinois University and is currently attending Marquette University Law School to obtain her juris doctor degree. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking with friends, and cooking for others.

 

 

Laura Marasco holds a J.D. from Tulane Law School, an M.L.I.S. from the University of Rhode Island, and a B.A. in economics and psychology from Vanderbilt University. She lives in Rhode Island and has a love of traveling, eating, baking, national parks, and live music. Laura enjoys sparking the interest of others in learning.

 

Katherine Mason is a California native and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.A in history and English. She is currently a student in the masters of international studies program at the University of San Francisco. In her free time, she loves to bake, go to the movies, and spend time at the beach!

 

Cody McCain (They/Them) is a Michigan native and enthusiast for all things government. They hold an associate’s degree from Oakland Community College, and are pursuing a B.A. with majors in history and philosophy, and with minors in political science and applied statistics. Cody has interned and worked in all levels of government, and is looking to make a career out of serving others in government.

 

Emma Michels is an undergraduate student at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, pursuing her degree in English with a concentration in writing and rhetoric. She has an interest in all things editing, research, writing, and marketing. This summer, she is researching the first psychiatric hospital in the United States as well as the infamous children’s orphanage in Gettysburg, for the Law Library of Congress blog.

 

Grace Neeley is a Memphis, Tennessee, native and is a current graduate student in the University of Southern Mississippi’s M.L.I.S. program. She previously obtained her M.B.A. from Bethel University and her Bachelor of Professional Studies from the University of Memphis. Presently, Grace works at the University of Memphis as a metadata/digitization assistant in the special collections department of the university libraries. In this position, she generates metadata, creates and maintains the digitized special collections, and assists with collection accessioning, management, and preservation. These are all areas in which Grace is especially passionate, and she is excited about her ongoing librarianship journey. During her downtime, Grace is a cross-stitch enthusiast, beagle parent, and avid reader.

 

Paneez Oliai was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but has the great fortune of calling many places – including Tehran, Iran; Prague, Czech Republic; and Washington, D.C. – her home. Paneez belongs to Georgetown University’s Class of 2023, with majors in history and psychology and a minor in government. She aspires to become a passionate and persistent attorney dedicated to increasing access to justice for all. When she’s not poring through case law or statutes, Paneez loves to garden, hike, swim, and read her favorite author, Dostoevsky.

 

Roopa Pandit is a law student and library science graduate student at Indiana University Bloomington. She desires to work in a law library someday and enjoys reading, writing, and art.

 

Danielle Pytko is a recent graduate of the library and information science program at Simmons University. She has worked in public and academic libraries and has a B.A. in English from Mount Holyoke College. This is her second internship with the Law Library, having previously been a metadata intern.

 

 

Kat Rogers is an Alabama native currently in her final year at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Carey School of Law. She holds a B.S. in political science and history from Troy University. She is interested in international human rights and hopes to work in policy writing for that field following graduation. In her free time, she enjoys reading and taking her dog, Mint, on hikes outside Baltimore.

 

Michelle Rupert-Baumiller is finishing her last semester as an M.L.I.S. student at the University of Arizona. Arizona has been her home since 2011, but she is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While in Pittsburgh, Michelle earned her B.A. in English literature and a women’s studies certificate. During this last semester, Michelle is gaining experience writing blogs and story maps, and hoping to improve her writing and research skills. She has four pesky, but adorable cats and one small, portly dog.

 

Mayeli Santos is from Hanford, California, and was raised on a ranch surrounded by corn or alfalfa. She is currently attending Claremont McKenna College, majoring in history. Aside from interning at the Library of Congress this summer, she is also a research assistant for her college, researching the crisis in Ukraine. Mayeli loves reading Jane Austen in her spare time and dancing cumbia with her family.

 

Ryan Schleifer is a senior at the University of Central Florida majoring in history and minoring in creative writing. In 2021, Ryan wrote and presented a research paper at the Florida Conference of Historians. Ryan hopes to use his writing skills to attract more readers to nonfiction. In his spare time Ryan reads all genres of books from biographies to graphic novels.

 

 

Christa Shusko lives in Gothenburg, Sweden, and is pursuing an M.A. in digital humanities at Linnaeus University. She holds a Ph.D. in religion from Syracuse University; her past research has focused on unconventional 19th century American religious figures and groups who often found themselves at odds with anti-obscenity laws. In her current studies, she is especially interested in the ethical curation and management of digital collections.

 

Amelia Smith is a Midwesterner who has lived in Michigan for most of her life. She has a B.A. in writing and rhetoric from Oakland University and is working on her M.L.I.S. from San José State University. Currently, she works in the circulation department at two different metro Detroit public libraries. Her goal is to become a librarian at a respected organization, and she is very interested in public and special libraries. She is passionate about public service, writing, editing, and the wonderful world of libraries.

 

Emma Southern is a current undergraduate student at American University and is studying communications, legal institutions, economics, and government (CLEG). She is a proud INFJ and Ravenclaw, and she enjoys reading, playing board games, and singing in her free time. She hopes to share her skills and knowledge in service to others.

 

Julian Sugameli lives in Michigan while pursuing a bachelors in international relations at Michigan State University. Julian has performed academic and legal research for various institutions and firms, and plans on continuing his education with a Ph.D. in history. Julian enjoys watching terrible movies and reading, and sharing his love of learning with others.

 

 

Megan Tran is a third-year undergraduate student at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin, majoring in plan II honors, English, and sociology. This summer, in addition to her work with the Law Library of Congress, she is interning at the Center for Survivors of Torture and is the editor-in-chief of The Daily Texan, UT Austin’s independent student newspaper. She is particularly interested in advocating for survivors of interpersonal violence, as well the intersection of media and the law. To unwind, she enjoys reading, swimming, and watching nature documentaries.

 

Senaida Velazquez is currently living in the hottest state, Arizona. She holds a master of library science degree from Texas Woman’s University in Texas and a B.A. degree in philosophy from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. She enjoys being a remote intern at the Law Library of Congress under Creative Digital Publications and sharing her goal of digital UX access for individuals with less knowledge use as well as defense of intellectual freedom.

 

Allison Waithe-Benton is a teacher, academic writer, and editor. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from American University in Washington, D.C. and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the same institution. Allison has been teaching high school for 15 years in the District of Columbia. She loves public history and is excited to connect readers to research through the Law Library’s blog.

 

Seth Wells is a San Antonio native finishing up his second remote internship with the law library of Congress. He has a B.A in history in from University of Texas at San Antonio and is entering his final year for his M.L.I.S. from University of North Texas. He enjoys playing with his husky puppy, Willow, collecting old books, and watching documentaries on any subject. He is also exploring the becoming a law librarian.

 

Emilie Witt is currently pursuing her M.S. in library science concentrated in archival studies and imaging technologies with the University of North Texas. She is a Houston native and currently holds a B.S. in learning technologies with a minor in digital content and information systems from the University of North Texas, as well as an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in digital media and web services from Wharton County Junior College. In addition to her internship, Emilie has worked as a library assistant in youth services for her local county library system for nearly five years. She aims to work in archives and special collections in the future to share history with generations to come. In her spare time, Emilie likes to explore her family genealogy, read, and, of course, play games with her family and friends.

 

Katie Wolf, originally from Texas but now living in N.Y.C., holds a B.S. in astrophysics from Columbia University, an M.L.I.S. from Pratt Institute, and is currently pursuing a M.S. in data science from Fordham University. She has a passion for community-based science, exploring solutions for more sustainable data reproducibility, and working to increase data and information literacy. When she’s not messing around with spreadsheets, she heads out to the park for a jog or hangs out with her pet rats.

 

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