Meet the Peer Advisors
The Peer Advisors are recent BSIW alumni who are still currently enrolled at Stanford. They meet with prospective students, host information sessions, and plan events for alumni on campus.
- Do you have questions about what BSIW has to offer?
- Are you nervous about the application process?
- Would you like to meet BSIW alumni who have similar interests to your own?
- Have you been accepted and still have questions?
If you have any of these or more unresolved questions or concerns, please be in touch with a Peer Advisor.
Anna Greer
Anna is a senior majoring in Human Biology, with a concentration in International Health and Development Policy. Anna participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Winter 2011, where she interned at the World Bank with the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP). At CGAP, Anna worked on a project which looks at how entertainment can be used to promote social change in the developing world. Academically, Anna is interested in both international and domestic health policy, specifically in the realm of adolescent development, and she is writing an honors thesis on medical differences in recovery between children and adolescents with eating disorders. Anna’s favorite parts about BSIW were learning about various policy areas in a tangible and real setting, and the amazing food cooked by Chef Tate. If you would like to speak with Anna, please email her.
Erin Olivella-Wright
Erin is a senior majoring in Political Science, with a concentration in American government. She is also pursuing a minor in Classics. Erin participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Fall 2010, where she interned in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice for the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices. During her internship, Erin worked with the attorneys to investigate claims of discrimination, conduct community outreach, and make policy recommendations all related to immigration employment issues. Her favorite memories of BSIW include policy debates over dinner, grabbing lunch with fellow Stanford interns in the shadow of the White House, and the weekend trips to Philadelphia and West Virginia. Having had such an amazing experience at BSIW, Erin plans to return this summer to Washington to work again in civil rights employment field and hopes to continue on to law school in the near future. If you would like to speak with Erin, please feel free to email her
Mariana Barraza
Mariana is a senior majoring in Management Science and Engineering, with a minor in Human Biology. Mariana participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Winter 2011, where she interned at the Government Accountability Office (GAO). At GAO, Mariana worked with a health care team looking into the potential overuse and/or fraud of physician self-referral within Medicare. During her internship, Mariana focused on prostate cancer cases, the Medicare coding and payment systems, and identifying the infrastructure of physician practices. Her favorite memories of BSIW include touring the White House, the trips to the Kennedy Center, and the insight she gained during her internship. If you would like to speak with Mariana, please email her.
Caitlin Brown
Caitlin is a senior majoring in Public Policy with a concentration in Environmental Policy. She participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Winter 2011, where she interned at the U.S. Department of Interior in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. Through her internship, she explored her interests in western water issues and the Clean Water Act. This summer she returned to Washington to work again at Interior, this time in the Deputy Secretary's Office where she was able to serve as his Special Assistant. At Stanford, Caitlin was the co-founder and co-president of the Stanford Gleaning Project, a student organization that picks fruit from trees on campus and donates it in San Francisco. She also instructs beginning rock climbing classes for the Alpine Club. Caitlin's favorite parts of BSIW include forming connections with environmental policy makers, meeting the amazing SIW program leadership and staff, and taking challenging and exciting classes. If you would like to speak with Caitlin, please email her.
Peter Hong
Peter is a senior majoring in Political Science with a concentration in international relations. He participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Fall 2010. Peter served as an intern in the US Department of State, working on nuclear and other international security issues. He also resided in the Stanford in Washington house during summer 2010 while working in Google's Washington, DC office. Peter fondly remembers multiple trips to Ray’s Hell Burger and Ray’s the Steaks, SIW Sunday brunch, visiting his first county fair, and celebrating Stanford’s Big Game victory in the company of other Stanford DC alumni. He just returned from a year off-campus, nine months of the time off spent in New Mexico, and is learning to be a student again. He is easing into the transition by authoring a CISAC senior thesis. If you would like to speak with Peter, please email him.
Breanna Jones
Breanna is a senior majoring in Public Policy, with a concentration in Law and the Legal System. She participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Spring 2011, where she interned at the U.S. Department of State, in the Office of International Labor Affairs within the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. During her internship, Breanna wrote and cleared a proposal to receive FY11 funding for an international project to strengthen teachers’ unions, wrote several factsheets on the positions of NEA countries within the Arab Spring, and coordinated outreach and publicity for the labor-related work of the State Department. Breanna stayed in Washington that summer to diversify her policy experience with an internship at the local Drug Court, which was arranged through a BSIW professor. At Stanford, she continues to explore her interests in both labor and criminal law and will be completing a thesis this year on drug crime in California. Her favorite parts about BSIW were the ever-entertaining conversations over meals about anything from politics to embarrassing moments, the sense of community among BSIW participants and professors, and the valuable learning experience of figuring out where she can best fit into the policy-making community after graduation. If you would like to speak to Breanna, please email her.
Adrienne Pon
Adrienne is a senior majoring in Public Policy with a concentration in Education. She participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Fall 2010, where she interned at the U.S. Department of Education in the Office of Innovation and Improvement. Through her internship, she explored her interest in education by working with teacher quality grants aimed at improving the quality of teacher preparation programs. At Stanford, Adrienne was the founder and director of Tutoring for Community, a student organization that provides free tutoring to the children of residential and dining employers. She also held multiple leadership positions in the ASSU and was a research assistant on two projects, one with a professor in the Political Science Department and one with a visiting professor from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Adrienne’s favorite parts of Bing Stanford in Washington include the many mentors she gained from her internship and classes, the cultural events in D.C., and the insight she acquired that will help guide her possible career path after graduation. If you would like to speak with Adrienne, please email her.
Will Borthwick
Will is a junior majoring in Economics with a Secondary Major in Public Policy. Will participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Fall 2011, where he interned in Banking Supervision & Regulation at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. At the Fed, Will worked with the Credit Market, Liquidity, & Risk Policy group implementing Dodd-Frank legislation on credit risk retention. He also worked on Basel III capital requirements, monthly liquidity reports for large and regional banks, and revising an existing guidance on community bank stress testing. His favorite memories of SIW include evening monument tours, the trip to New York City, and attending the Federal Reserve’s holiday party. If you would like to speak with Will, please email him.
Samir Junnarkar
Samir Junnarkar is a junior majoring in Economics, with a focus on monetary and fiscal policy. Samir participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Fall 2011, where he interned at the US Department of the Treasury. Through his internship, he was involved with several economic stimulus programs. Samir worked on housing programs with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as well as energy grant programs. His favorite memories of BSIW include jogging around the National Mall past the museums and memorials at night, watching Tosca at the Kennedy Center, and enjoying time with the incredible students and professors at BSIW. If you would like to speak with Samir, please email him.
Hilary Stone
Hilary is a junior majoring in Public Policy with a concentration in Technology Policy. Hilary participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Fall 2011, where she interned at the Federal Communications Commission in the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis. At OSP, Hilary worked on the FCC staff report for the AT&T and T-Mobile merger and prepared research for the International Broadband Report. During her quarter at SIW, Hilary loved the cultural trips to Arena Stage, New York City, and Mount Vernon, Chef Tate’s cooking, and exploring the Washington area with her fellow Stanford students. Hilary hopes to return to Washington this summer to explore more technology policy issues. After Stanford, Hilary plans to attend law school. If you would like to speak with Hilary, please email her.
Nitya Rajeshuni
Nitya is a junior majoring in Biology. Nitya participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Winter 2012, where she interned at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the Office of Global Research. During her internship, Nitya worked on a variety of topics related specifically to international infectious disease epidemics, including preparation for the 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Indo-US Vaccine Action Program and for a 2012 Tropical Diseases Conferences in Istanbul, Turkey, drafting a concept proposal for an upcoming human immunology grants mechanism, and planning a project focused on the role of distance e-learning in global areas lacking infectious disease training. At Stanford, in addition to shadowing and researching in the medical school, Nitya has worked extensively with the Stanford Educational Studies Program (also known as Stanford Splash!) serving as Director and has also taught hip-hop and tutored in reading in East Palo Alto. She is also co-captaining the Indian Classical dance team Stanford Noopur and recently co-founded Stanford’s first all-female South Asian a capella group, which is currently in the development process. Nitya’s favorite parts of Stanford in Washington were the opportunity to immerse herself in current public health and health policy issues, the incredible mentors and peers she met, the wonderful co-workers she engaged with, and the cultural experience of living in Washington D.C. Nitya would like to attend medical school in the near future. If you would like to speak with Nitya, please email her.
Kara Runsten
Kara is a junior majoring in Public Policy with a concentration in Environmental Policy. She participated in the Bing Stanford in Washington Program in Winter 2012, where she interned at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Policy. During her internship, Kara was involved in planning a large national symposium on fisheries and developing a research prioritization mechanism for the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council that may be applied agency-wide. She fondly remembers her time at BSIW, especially bonding over presidential debates, strolling around the monuments with her peers amidst the cherry blossoms, and spending a weekend experiencing southern hospitality in South Carolina. Kara also worked in DC during Summer 2011 as a Fisheries Intern at the environmental nonprofit Oceana. She plans to return to DC again this summer to continue her winter internship at NOAA Fisheries and hopes to obtain a job in resource management post-graduation. If you would like to speak with Kara, please feel free to email her.
