Dante Cassanego guides tours of the Stanford campus and takes an eclectic mix of classes that includes linear algebra, Italian, economics, computer science, writing, and engineering. Dante foresees a lifetime commitment to the information technology industry and public service. At the Santa Clara County e-Government Office this summer, Dante was able to explore both fields. He notes, "Citizens no longer believe the promises of their appointed leaders. The Internet holds the power to bring political information directly to the citizen. The Internet has the potential to reinstate confidence in adults, and captivate the respect of youth. It will broaden the spectrum of public service, so that all may contribute to its tenets." On campus, Dante joined a program that allows him to teach a health class for underprivileged grade school students. He is also interested in government and has experience sitting on the ASSU Committee for Dining Services where he represented the opinions of his peers with regard to the dining environment on campus as well as the structure of student meal plans.
Ronald Chan - 2005, Public Policy
Ronald Chan transferred from Johns Hopkins University after one year as a Biomedical Engineering major with bold intentions of serving his "fellow citizens in Hong Kong by becoming a scholar and a democracy advocate." Through the end of the 2002-2003 academic year, Ronald was a coordinator intern at the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group in San Jose. There, he assisted in drafting a legislative initiative in housing development, researched relevant bills and regulations, facilitated meetings with local action groups, and helped organize the annual advocacy conference with state legislatures. This summer he served his fellowship in the Sacramento office of Assemblymember Joseph Canciamilla, learning more about the inner-workings of California politics and obtaining a deeper appreciation of the many dimensions of political representation.
Vickie Chiang - 2004, International Relations
Vickie Chiang stayed close to her community of Sunnyvale this summer to work for the Mayfair Neighborhood Improvement Initiative in San Jose. Living close to San Jose, she has witnessed its cultural diversity and the economic disparity that comes with that diversity and seeks to enact improvement within her community: "I have seen the poor living conditions. I have interacted with unemployed adults and troubled youth. I have witnessed the crime and violence in the area." Vickie has close ties to the South Bay, working with youth as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the El Camino YMCA in Mountain View and as a Sports Plus Camp Counselor at Stanford. Vickie thoroughly enjoys "actively learning through service and using her skills to make a meaningful difference in the community." Moreover, she has worked as a lab assistant in the Cultural and Social Psychology Laboratory at Stanford. Currently a member of the Women's Rugby Team, Vickie was awarded the USA Rugby honorable mention last year for the All-American Team. Vickie is also a part of the U23-Pacific Coast Team.
Jacqueline Doremus - 2004, Earth Systems
Jacqueline Doremus from La Habra California, whose main interest is water management and policy, is preparing a thesis "juxtaposing water policy within the United States, and the tension between the federal and local levels, with that of the European Union and France." Her interest in European and French policy was sparked while studying abroad at Stanford in Paris where she helped Professor Leonard Ortolano with research on a new water law implemented in France, the European Union Water Framework Directive. During her quarter at Stanford in Washington, Jacqueline interned with Senator Max Baucus, focusing on the rural implementation of arsenic limits and the impacts and different options for rural constituents. Jacqueline also had an internship at the South Coast Air Quality Management District and conducted research at USC for a project financed by a large NSF grant, studying economic input-output data within the Los Angeles area. This summer, she served her fellowship with the California Integrated Waste Management Board, focusing on the area of the world she knows best, "Schizophrenic California, the blend of beautiful wilderness areas, abundant natural resources, and intractable development problems."
Lauren Faber - 2004, Earth Systems
Lauren Faber, a Los Angeles native, translates her passions into action. Just looking at her impressive list of internships will show her deep interest in the environment and environmental policy. The summer after high school, Lauren was an intern with the Coalition for Clean Air in Los Angeles where she played a large role in spearheading a Clean Energy Cities campaign in conjunction with the Sierra Club. She also conducted one-on-one dialogues with the public to educate and urge them to support the Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate. As a volunteer intern at the EPA in San Francisco, Lauren also served in the Permits Office of the Air Division. Her internship at Stanford in Washington was fulfilled by serving with the Sierra Club in their Global Warming and Energy Program. There, she researched renewable energy, energy efficiency, and fuel economy, collaborated on hybrid vehicle advocacy campaigns, and designed and gave presentations at high schools. This summer, Lauren served her fellowship with the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee in Sacramento. She also is a founding member of the student dance group, Bent Spoon.
John Hamilton - 2006, Public Policy
John Hamilton from Maryland served his summer fellowship as a lobbyist for the California First Amendment Coalition, deepening his understanding of politics in a state-level organization. John is also founder and president of the Stanford chapter of the ACLU, which hosted a Bay Area activist summit and worked successfully to pass a resolution on campus opposing the USA PATRIOT Act. John was a United States Senate Page in the 107th Congress, selected by Tom Daschle to be one of thirty students who were engaged in the daily operation of the Senate. John's interests, in addition to activism and politics, include defense; he was an intern at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. where he was responsible for a project investigating the extent of the executive branch's financial affiliations with the defense industry. John intends to make public service a key part of his life and is excited about a career of service within the government. He is on an Air Force ROTC scholarship and will be an officer after graduation.
Jessica Kim - 2004, Political Science
Jessica Kim from Kirkland, Washington, has held internships with Senator Patty Murray while at Stanford in Washington and with California Assemblymember Gil Cedillo, providing her with extensive exposure to lobbyists and the creation of legislation. She is especially interested in the relationship between lobbyists and legislation, and this summer at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, LLP, Jessica explored firsthand what makes a successful lobbyist. She is eager to participate in lobbying to gain exposure to how governments shape policy. Jessica studied at Stanford in Oxford and participates in Night Outreach, a student organization that supports homeless people in Palo Alto by talking with them and providing much needed supplies. She is also a Heritage Korean speaker, and hopes to experience a breadth of service areas, focusing on labor issues.