News & Events

Starting off our spotlight is Othniel Cassie, Jr., who interned with the Public Design Commission (PDC) under the guidance of his advisor, Carolina Liano. 

A highlight of his internship was designing artwork for the PDC annual report, pictured left. Reflecting on his experience, Othniel shared, “ This internship expanded my understanding of public service and demonstrated how collaboration across departments ultimately shapes the spaces and experiences that define life in New York City.”

Next we’re delighted to highlight Alexa Francois, who interned with the NYC Health + Hospitals System-wide Special Pathogens Program under the guidance of her advisor Keira Wickliffe Berger.

During her internship, Alexa gained hands-on experience in public health operations by supporting the special pathogens team’s efforts to strengthen disease surveillance and emergency preparedness. 

Reflecting on her experience, Alexa shared, “ I learned a lot about disease surveillance and the interaction behind public health and healthcare with this internship. The Special Pathogens team I worked with this summer focused on behind the scenes work on facilitating collaboration between public health and healthcare that I had never been exposed to.”

We’re thrilled to feature Mohammed Hasan, who spent his summer at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice under the guidance of his advisor, Harleen Paul Srivastava.

Mohammed took on a wide range of responsibilities, from data analysis to project management. This internship strengthened Mohammed’s understanding of environmental policy and climate change data while expanding his network and taking him to sites like the Javits Center’s green roof and solar farm. He stated, “The public sector is filled with people who genuinely care about building a better greener city.” 

Now we shine a light on Sun Wo Kim, who interned at The Century Foundation under the guidance of his advisor, Andrew Stettner. 

Reflecting back on his experience, Sun Wo shared, “The internship was a great experience. I had the opportunity to work with experts in their field and learn a great deal.” Throughout his internship, Sun Wo explored the field of unemployment insurance modernization and improved his research, coding, and analysis skills. He also reflected on how the internship deepened his passion for public service: “Having the ability to impact someone’s life in a positive way is something that I am drawn to.”

Vanessa Lopez interned at the NYC Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health under the guidance of her advisor, Courtney Dunn.

Her responsibilities included supporting campaign work, research, publications, and creating memos for upcoming projects. Vanessa shared, “I gained a deeper understanding of the many resources New York City offers for those facing mental health challenges, and I’m grateful this opportunity led to a return offer to continue contributing through spring 2026.”

We’re proud to feature Victoria Lu, who interned at YouthLaw Aotearoa in New Zealand under the guidance of her advisor, Stevie Hoesel.

Victoria shared, “I had the most meaningful internship with YouthLaw. Not only was I able to learn an incredible amount about Aotearoa’s law and how it affects young people, but I was also encouraged to pursue my own interests related to understanding Maori and Pasifika culture.” By participating in legal rights education sessions, community events, and court observing, Victoria saw firsthand how legal support can aid homeless youth in Auckland. This experience became one of the most important parts of her time abroad. 

We’re excited to feature Pop Joslaine Manos, who interned at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) under the guidance of her advisor, Meredith Simon-Pearson.

She also spoke on the impact of working with NYCEDC staff professionals: “It was rewarding to work with other mission-driven planners and managers who envision a city with better infrastructure and buildings. It gave me confidence that as long as there are public service leaders, the public will be in good hands.”

Next, we’re happy to feature Ishika Nawar, who interned at the NYC Commission on Human Rights under the guidance of her advisors, Orlando Torres and Kajori Chaudhuri. Her internship took her to communities across the city, where she facilitated workshops and supported outreach.

Reflecting on her experience, Ishika shared, “This internship has reinvigorated my motivation to serve marginalized communities, and learn from them in return. If such a rich history and need for additional services can exist in one neighborhood alone, then I cannot imagine how much public service is needed across all of New York City.” 

Zakia Safsaf interned at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs under the guidance of her advisor, Ledia Dobi. Zakia immersed herself in public service, gaining firsthand knowledge of community engagement and outreach.

Reflecting on her experience, Zakia shared, “This internship made me even more interested in a public service career, because despite all of the challenges within government, I believe that when one serves people, one feels a genuine sense of purpose.” 

We’re happy to feature Shamal Fleming, who interned at the New York City Economic Development Corporation under the guidance of his advisor, Shana Besley.

During his internship, Shamal delivered presentations, worked on policy recommendations, and contributed to strategic projects that had real impact. This internship also deepened his understanding of public service: “I saw firsthand how decisions in procurement and investment can expand opportunities for underrepresented groups and strengthen local businesses. This showed me that public service work extends beyond policy—it’s about ensuring that communities directly benefit from economic development.” We’re also excited to share that Shamal's summer internship was extended to November 2025. 

Concluding our spotlight is Jennifer Zingone, who interned at the NYC Mayor's Office of Urban Agriculture (MOUA) under the guidance of her advisor, Jonelle Hooper. Her responsibilities included creating a weekly newsletter regarding agricultural politics and local news, drafting reports for the School Food Eats Program, and building a database to track potential political champions to aid MOUA in policy.

Reflecting on her experience, Jennifer shared, “It was inspiring to see the impact of the work being done at the MOUA. MOUA increases access to locally grown food, strengthens climate resiliency, and spurs economic activity throughout the five boroughs. I was honored to be a part of an office designed to help mitigate them.”