LEXINGTON, VA – April 20, 2023 – The Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP) is pleased to announce the selection of interns for its new Policy & Nonprofit Leadership Internship program. These internships offer a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to gain experience in public policy and nonprofit leadership while addressing issues of poverty in communities. This program was specifically designed for students who have completed SHECP’s traditional client-facing internship. The students will bring their experiences and perspectives gained from coursework and working with clients at community partners engaged in anti-poverty work to understanding the challenges of leading these organizations and the development of anti-poverty policy. The program includes networking opportunities, workshops, seminars, mentoring from experienced professionals in the field, and presenting at the SHECP Annual Conference.

“We are thrilled to welcome these talented and dedicated interns to the Policy & Nonprofit Leadership Internship program,” said Tim Diette, Executive Director of SHECP. “This program is designed to equip the next generation of leaders with the skills and experience they need to tackle complex social problems like poverty and to help them discern their vocations. We are grateful for agency partners welcoming these interns and providing valuable mentorship. I look forward to attending the interns’ presentations at the Annual Conference to learn how these experiences have shaped their future trajectories.”

The following students will SHECP’s inaugural group Policy & Nonprofit Leadership interns.

  • Lissandro Alvarado, a Business Analytics major and Economics minor at Bucknell University, will be working as an Economic Security Analyst with the United Planning Organization to research the economic security of DC residents working at low wages. Lissandro will make recommendations for improvements in the minimum wage and/or public benefits to provide greater security for working families.

  • Jana Hulsey, an Economics major and Poverty & Human Capability Studies minor at Washington and Lee University, will be a Rural Policy Intern with The Brookings Institution’s Global program, a program that aims to shape the policy debate to improve global economic cooperation and fight global poverty and sources of social stress. Specifically, she will be supporting the effort to inform federal policies that promote prosperity and equity for America’s rural communities and Native American nations.

  • Jalen Todd, a Cognitive & Behavioral Sciences major and Poverty & Human Capability Studies minor at Washington and Lee University, will be working as a Policy Intern with the National

Community Action Foundation to research a broad range of issues facing NCAF’s Community Action Agencies. Such topics may include: the Community Services Block Grant, Weatherization Assistance Program, Rural Broadband Expansion, Environmental Justice, Community Financial Development Institutions and Social Determinants of Health.

The Policy & Nonprofit Leadership Internship program will run concurrently with the SHECP Summer Internship Program, from the beginning of June to the end of July. At the end of the program, interns will have the opportunity to present their research and reflections at the SHECP Annual Conference at Georgia Tech. This new program has been made possible by funding from the Middlebury Conflict Transformation Collaborative. For more information about the Policy & Nonprofit Leadership Internship, visit the SHECP website at www.shepherdconsortium.org.

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Contact: Tim Diette, SHECP Executive Director Phone: (540) 458-8220

Email: tim.diette@shepherdconsortium.org www.shepherdconsortium.org

About the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP)

The Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP) encourages the study of poverty as a complex social problem, by expanding and improving educational opportunities for college students in a wide range of disciplines and career trajectories. Through its programs, SHECP and its member institutions prepare students for a lifetime of professional and civic efforts to diminish poverty and enhance human capability, while

also supporting connections among students, faculty, staff, and alumni engaged in the study of poverty.