Biographies: Coro Fellows in Public Affairs

2007-2008

Erica Aghedo

Erica graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Social Studies and a Spanish language citation. She is also a Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) fellow. While in college, Erica participated in a number of social justice activities ranging from a social medicine program to mentoring activities for elementary and high school girls. She was also an editorial board member of and staff writer for the Harvard Political Review. Since college, Erica has interned at ABC-News Nightline in New York. She has also worked at Catholic Charities of Newark.

Pavan Bhatraju

Pavan graduated from Duke University with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Biology and Chemistry.  At college Pavan worked to create opportunities for fellow students to become more involved in their Durham community.  After college he began medical school at the University of Louisville.  As a medical student he worked for the Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP).  Through his work with the group he has organized lobbying efforts and universal healthcare rallies to influence policy in Kentucky.  Also as a medical student he was director of a student run health clinic that served underprivileged communities in southern Louisville.    He is currently taking a leave of absence from school to do the CORO Fellowship. After medical school he hopes to combine his skills in medicine with his interests in public policy to enact social change in his community. He wants his role as a physician to include treating individual patients as well as working with others to create a healthy environment/community for his patients.

Katherine Camp

Katherine graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University, in 2005 with a degree in Urban Studies and Sociology.  At Barnard, she worked as a peer writing fellow and tutored high school students.  She studied cities in India, South Africa, and Brazil with the International Honors Program, and held internships with a green building consulting firm and a local government policy office.  For her senior thesis, she analyzed changes in New York City's school nutrition program.  After graduating, she worked for a community development organization in Trenton, New Jersey, and for an environmentally-friendly consumer products company.  Katherine speaks French and enjoys learning other languages.  Her interests include food production and distribution, social entrepreneurship, and environmental solutions to public health issues.

Rebecca Cheung

Rebecca was born and raised in the Bay Area.  In 2005, she received her B.A. in Intercultural Communications and Marketing from Pepperdine University, where she studied media impact on US minorities, international marketing, international conflict resolution, as well as Spanish and Chinese. She has a marketing background with experience in public relations for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, alternative-fuel vehicle fleet sales for International Ecological Systems, and automotive market research for J.D. Power and Associates in Los Angeles.   Rebecca loves to travel, less as a tourist more as a local, experiencing the uniqueness of various peoples around the globe.   She is especially interested in the role of education, art, poetry, dance and music in relation to cultural identity and sustainable development.  She hopes to incorporate her strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills with her passion for the arts and her love of diversity in catalyzing grassroots movements for social change, locally and abroad.

Andrew Green

Andrew, a UCLA 2007 graduate, exemplifies a commitment to justice and community engagement and empowerment. As UCLA Hillel President, Andy promoted religious pluralism and interfaith dialogue. As Chairman of Associated Students UCLA, Andy oversaw a $75 million per-year conglomerate with over 1500 employees. As a campus leader, Andy organized for the successful University of California divestment from the genocidal Sudanese regime and saw the campus political party he helped form to combat the elitism and exclusivity of student government sweep elections taking its first supermajority. Andy enjoys advanced board and card games, expounding religion, gourmet cooking, and combinatorial puzzles.

Elizabeth Kreider

Elizabeth graduated Magna Cum Laude from Villanova University with a BA in English, a minor in Spanish and a Concentration in Womens Studies. At Villanova, Elizabeth integrated her passion for social justice and learning by serving internationally in Peru and nationally in New Orleans through Habitat for Humanity. An avid traveler, Elizabeth studied in Madrid where she gained language skills and intercultural insight. Returning to her native home of Hershey, PA, Elizabeth most recently worked with The Hershey Company as their Plant Tour Coordinator. Previously she worked as a marketing intern at Perkins Center for the Arts, a non-profit arts foundation dedicated to providing a wide range of creative opportunities for people of all ages and levels of artistic development.  With over 18 years of dance experience, Elizabeth plans to pursue a career in Arts Management with a focus on arts education and outreach.

Joseph Leinbach

Joe is a magna cum laude graduate from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Politics & Philosophy through the University Honors College.  Active in many organizations at Pitt, he served as Business Manager for the Student Government Board, reforming the allocations process to more fairly and efficiently distribute the $2.4 million student activities fund.  Joe also oversaw the creation of the Pitt Compass, a student guide to campus life and the City of Pittsburgh, as well as the design of a student government website to better facilitate student involvement.  Along with other service projects, Joe was a leader of the 2006 Student Vote Coalition, helping register over 1,700 students.  In recognition of his campus leadership, Joe was appointed to the University Board of Trustees Investment Committee as a student representative in directing the investment of the University's endowment.  He gained political experience interning for Pennsylvania Senator John Pippy, researching and creating legislative briefs while acting as a constituent representative.  After Coro, Joe plans to pursue a joint degree in law/public policy and apply these skills in government or the private sector.  His dedication stems from a passion for public service and a commitment to fair and effective leadership.

Tony Lodico

Tony was raised in Pittsburgh and currently lives in the Bloomfield-Friendship area of the city.  A 1998 graduate of Peabody High School, Tony attended Macalester College in St Paul, MN, where he graduated in 2002 with degrees in Biology and Geography. During that time, he worked on issue campaigns including the living wage, free Mumia, Students against Sweatshops and anti-war activities. After college, he returned to Pittsburgh for a job as Community Technology Director for the Bloomfield Garfield Corporation on the Wireless Neighborhoods project. A year and a half later, he became the Director of Technology for the Wireless Neighborhoods non-profit, a group dedicated to using technology to build the capacity of community and faith based organizations within and across communities.  In the spring of 2006, he left Wireless Neighborhoods and became Director of Operations for the League of Young Voters and the League of Young Voters Education Fund, twin groups that support young people to build power and create solutions in our own communities through engaging, educating and empowering.  An advocate for the Pittsburgh area, he is committed to fighting for better progressive government, greater regional prosperity and equitable, intelligent development, thereby improving the region.

Mayda Mansour

Mayada is originally from New Castle, PA and attended the University of Pittsburgh where she earned a B.S. in Biology. During college, she studied abroad in Brazil and Denmark, completing programs concentrating in Education and Marine Biology/Ecology, respectively. She also worked for the Carnegie Science Center creating floor demonstrations and leading informal learning activities. Mayada developed a love for inquiry based education and the ways it empowers students to take control of their learning and in 2004 she became the Coordinator of a museum-based after school program and summer camp for middle school students at the Hill House Association. In addition, she partnered with Pittsburgh Public Schools to develop curriculum, provide support to teachers and teach weekly science lessons to middle school students as part of a Therapeutic Support Science Enrichment Program. As a result, Mayada was awarded Carnegie Science Center’s 2005 Impact Award for her work in program creation and implementation. Her career path has been geared towards working to provide accessible quality education and equal opportunities for youth and Mayada is eager to learn from her peers and industry leaders to gain insight into ways to support the underserved in achieving the level of success entitled to all people.

Angela Meiers

Angela attended Point Park University on a Presidential Scholarship, where she majored in Political Science, held positions on Student Government, and was a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society. Angela also started a College Republicans Chapter at the University to educate students about political issues and become more involved in the political process. During college, Angela also interned at former United States Senator Rick Santorum’s government office in Pittsburgh, where she assisted with constituent services, as well as Pennsylvania’s Academy Service Nominations.  Interning at Senator Santorum’s office was a transformative time for Angela and made her realize her passion for government work, particularly Veteran’s affairs. Angela’s goal is to eventually work for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, where she hopes to make a difference in the lives of America’s veterans.   She is excited to begin the Coro Fellowship and to learn and experience a variety of new things and meet new people.

John Rhoades

John was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area.  He graduated from Shady Side Academy in 2001.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Philosophy and International Studies from Ohio Wesleyan University.  During his senior year of college he served as student body president. After graduating, he took an internship at Human Rights Watch in San Francisco and published a paper on conflict and international economics in the San Francisco State University International Journal. Upon completing his work in the Bay Area John returned to Pittsburgh and worked for City Councilman Bill Peduto. Most recently, John ran a three-month youth employment program for the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation serving urban youth in Pittsburgh's East Side.

Sujata Shyam

Sujata graduated with her B.S. in Education and Social Policy and a minor in Gender Studies from Northwestern University in June of 2006.  While in school, Sujata was heavily involved in the peace movement with a student organization called Peace Project and a community organization called Voices for Creative Nonviolence. She has also worked with other organizations working for a sustainable world, such as the Office of the Public Defender, The California Coalition for Women Prisoners, and the National Park Service.  For the past year, she has been working with the formerly homeless population in San Francisco as a case manager at a residential hotel in the Tenderloin.  Sujata was an active union member for her organization and participated in local politics whenever possible.  Additionally, she has been a child birth assistant or a "doula" for four years.  As a native of Northern California, she joyfully practices yoga, is an avid biker, and dances frequently.

Shara Siegel

Shara graduated Washington University in St. Louis, Cum Laude, with a B.A. in History and legal studies minor.  Shara actively served on the executive boards of the Student Health Action Committee, Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, and Alpha Epsilon Phi.  As a history project intern at the ACLU-Eastern Missouri, Shara involved herself in local issues and community advancement.  For her senior honors thesis, Shara spent over a year investigating the concept of a “homeland” through the historical figures of Theodor Herzl and Marcus Garvey.  Post-graduation, Shara served as Team Leader of the RedLight Children Campaign, a global grassroots human rights initiative to end child sexploitation. In this role, Shara recruited, coordinated, and educated hundreds of prospective interns and volunteers from around the world.   Additionally, Shara loves to travel and has studied in Paris and Australia.  This year, Shara hopes to explore avenues to combine her passion for research and writing with her interest in public affairs, particularly in public policy, law and public health.

Amanda Stehl

Mandie Stehl graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids MI with a BA in international relations and a minor in urban studies.  She particularly enjoyed classes where she could simultaneously study both urban and international policies, such as housing policies in Latin America.  Also while at Calvin, she worked on the school’s orientation program, organizing both the fall and summer orientation programs for over 1000 new students and their families with five other students and coordinating a week long training program for 47 student leaders.  She also interned at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce for the advocacy division, an inner-city, not-for-profit organization in their development department, and a youth center, planning activities for unprivileged youth.  Mandie plans on continuing her education in either public administration or city planning, focusing on housing, zoning, community development or other forms of urban revitalization.  After graduating, she hopes to find a way to combine her interest in urban policy with her love for traveling and studying foreign cultures, particularly in Eastern Europe.   While not studying policy, Mandie enjoys watching the Pirates and Steelers, playing beach volleyball, and laughing with friends.  Mandie hopes that Coro will help focus her passion for urban policy.

Melissa Wilf

Melissa earned a BA in Communication from the University of Maryland in 2002.  Melissa joins Coro from working within the private sector in New York City.  After working at Omnicom, a Fortune 500 company, Melissa spent four years as a project manager at an international promotional branding firm. In this role, Melissa was empowered to launch an environmentally friendly product line proving the ability to merge green practices with profits.  While in New York, Melissa volunteered her time to the elderly through New York Cares and to ESL students at the International Center of New York.  During her time as a fellow, Melissa looks forward to working with community leaders from all sectors with the goal of becoming a socially conscious business leader.