Spotlight: Summer 2026 Learning Life Interns

Learning Life’s interns do vital work to grow our organization and advance our mission.  Importantly, this summer, Learning Life started recruiting middle and high school students from the DC region to serve as Democracy Interns in summer-fall (June-October), fall (August-December) and spring (January-May).  Their work includes assisting with in-person Democracy Dinners; research for fundraising, program content and growth; and outreach to thousands of people via email, phone and social media about our programs and projects, including the third Democracy Festival and the second Youth Summit on Youth Policymaking in Washington, DC this fall.  Our university interns below are also assisting our international Family Diplomacy Initiative and Citizen Diplomacy International programs.  Learning Life is very grateful for all our interns’ dedicated work.  You can learn a little about each of our interns below.

Avery Chen

Year, major, and school: I am a rising sophomore at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. 

Hobbies: I love playing ultimate frisbee, rowing, and running. I currently run cross-country and row crew at my school.  Otherwise, I enjoy baking.  My favorite baked goods to make are brown sugar cookies and strawberry shortcakes. 

Career aspirations: In the future, I aspire to work in financial or medical policy. These fields stand out to me, as I am especially interested in advocating for others and working to abolish harmful policies people may not be aware of.  

Why Learning Life? I am drawn to Learning Life’s mission of spreading participation in the DMV and the broader world. It is important for people to exercise their right to democracy, yet it is too often overlooked for a variety of reasons. It is crucial for citizens to share their thoughts and advocate for themselves, and a step towards that is to increase participation in democracy.

Azmie Cruz

Year, major, and school: I am a senior studying International Relations and Latin American Studies at Davidson College.
Hobbies: As a fan of novelties, I enjoy getting lost in a new city. I enjoy all the self-discovery that comes with being in a new setting.  You can catch me chatting with a stranger or quietly daydreaming with a good song playing in my earphones.  I also sing classical opera and can sustain a good tennis rally.
Career aspirations: My greatest aspiration is to transform the pathways to citizenship for our hardworking immigrant populations. I also aspire to work as a U.S. diplomat to help reshape international relations in this post-neoliberal world.
Why Learning Life? All my life, I have worked both behind-the-scenes and on-the-ground with nonprofits, so gaining more experience into the ways citizen diplomacy and education intersect meshes well with my career goals.  I believe in fostering a more interconnected world that relies on relationships and knowledge-sharing.

Arthur Kientz

Year, major, and school: I am a rising senior at George Washington University studying International Affairs, with a concentration in Europe and Eurasia.

Hobbies: In my free time, I enjoy reading and listening to podcasts and videos, especially about geopolitics, history and fantasy. I am a huge fan of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and regularly watch and listen to content on them. I also enjoy strategy games, both board games and video games. I’m also a big foodie, and love trying new cuisines and recipes. Outdoors, I’m a huge walker and hiking enthusiast.  One of my favorite things to do in the summer is hiking in the mountains, especially The Alps.

Career aspirations: I hope to continue my career in international affairs, particularly in trans-Atlantic relations in order to foster connections and greater cooperation between the United States and European nations.  I would like to contribute to this by working for a think tank that specializes in Euro-American relations and European policy. As a dual Franco-American citizen, I feel like there is a lot of potential for renewed alliance, despite recent strains on the partnership, so I hope to play a role in helping that happen.

Why Learning Life?  My work with Learning Life is driven by the values of diplomacy and democracy it seeks to spread, particularly in regards to family diplomacy and reaching out across borders.  As someone deeply committed to peace and greater international understanding, such a mission fits very well with my own career goals and what I would like to do in the field of international affairs.  Learning Life offers an amazing opportunity for me to advance that and make a meaningful contribution to spreading these ideals. Through Learning Life, I am also gaining valuable insight into what nonprofit work is like, and how it operates, which helps me further my own and Learning Life’s goals.

Giselle Leblanc

Year, major, and school: I am a rising junior at Howard University majoring in Political Science with a double minor in Legal Communications and Sociology.
 
Hobbies: Some of my hobbies include swimming, drawing, photography, and fashion. Growing up, I swam competitively for 13 years, and while I currently do not swim in college, I like to swim as one of my hobbies. I am also a strong advocate for having a creative outlet because I believe that it is a way that allows you to truly express yourself.  Drawing, photography, and fashion shape my personality in different ways and bring me peace of mind.  I also find that doing creative things with others can foster a strong, healthy friendship, so one of my favorite pastimes includes thrifting with friends, which allows me to indulge in fashion on a deeper level by exchanging styles and opinions.
Career aspirations: From a young age, I was always intrigued by the socioeconomic differences and issues that surrounded me.  Often, these issues seemed fixable, yet I would find them left unchallenged. Learning and seeing how the legal and societal systems around me were set up to make others like myself not succeed or be involved with decisions being made ultimately led me to want to pursue a career in public policy.  Going to law school and becoming an attorney is something I envision for myself, and how I plan to help create equal opportunities for marginalized communities.
Why Learning Life?  I discovered Learning Life through a mutual friend who was once an intern, and after learning more about the organization and its mission to make the world a more democratic and diplomatic place for everyone, I was determined to get myself involved. Prior to applying for the internship, I signed up to receive emails, which constantly led me back to visiting Learning Life’s website.  After reading over the work that Learning Life produces, such as the DMV Democracy Festival, I was excited to contribute my time to the nonprofit. Coming from a diverse background myself, I was able to see how democracy was inaccessible to some people while others dominate politics for their benefit.  As I hope to become an advocate, it’s important for me to gain experience doing advocacy work and give my time to making people more civically minded and involved with the decisions being made on their behalf.

Astrid Leppig

Year, major, and school: I am a rising senior at the School Without Walls High School in Washington, D.C.
Hobbies: In my free time, I love walking around and exploring different neighborhoods in DC. I always enjoy discovering a new cafe, book store, or park. I also love trying a wide range of different cuisines that the city has to offer.
Career Aspirations: In college, I hope to pursue fields of study related to political science or history. I would love to do research, and find an intersection in both of these fields. Much farther in the future, I may attend law school, but as of right now, I am unsure what type of law fascinates me most.
Why Learning Life? I am interning with Learning Life because I feel my personal values strongly align with Learning Life’s mission. I believe that in a society that is becoming increasingly polarized, promoting civic education and engagement among youth is incredibly important.  I wanted to contribute to a cause I care deeply about.

Muhammad Pate

Year, major, and school: I am a rising junior at Georgetown Prep.  I am especially interested in science and healthcare, and aim to study a pre-med related field in college.

Hobbies: In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer, swimming, spending time with friends and family, and playing video games such as Rocket League and Call of Duty.  I also enjoy following sports and learning about current events and issues that affect society.

Career aspirations: I hope to attend college on the West Coast and eventually become a doctor. My interest in medicine comes from seeing the impact the field has had on my family; both my dad and one of my sisters are doctors. Their dedication to helping others has inspired me to pursue a career where I can make a positive difference in people’s lives.

Why Learning Life?  I was interested in Learning Life because two of my sisters previously participated in the program and had great experiences. Their involvement encouraged me to learn more about the organization. I am also interested in learning more about democracy, diplomacy, and how societies function.  Learning Life provides a unique opportunity to explore these topics while working with others who are passionate about creating positive change.

Dylan Sood

Year, major, and school: I am a rising junior at the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland.

Hobbies: In my free time, I enjoy watching political and legal thrillers and reading mystery books.  I also enjoy being active by playing tennis and running.  I enjoy traveling, and the best place I’ve been to is Greece.  I really like trying new foods from different cultures, and generally learning about them.  Lastly, I like hanging out with friends and going bowling!

Career aspirations: I would like to major in something related to politics or the social sciences and then attend law school.  I would like to combine my passion for math with the law to become an IP (intellectual property) lawyer, and eventually become a federal judge.

Why Learning Life? I am interested in Learning Life because of its mission to inspire all people to be active participants in democracy. No matter your age or background, you can still participate in democracy and help ensure your voice is heard.  I think it is very important that young people, especially, have their voices heard, given that we cannot vote at the ballot box, but there are other ways to advocate for what is important to us.

Leo Stern

Year, major, and school: I am a rising Senior at American University. My major is CLEG (communications, legal institutions, economics, and government) with a minor in economics.

Hobbies: I love the outdoors, meeting new people, and going on hikes and walks. I’m also passionate about learning Spanish. At American University I partake in the Outdoors Club and spend time with friends exploring DC and getting involved in volunteering.

Career aspirations: After obtaining my undergraduate degree, I hope to attend law school and pursue a career in tax or family law. I am also interested in doing a peace core after undergraduate.

Why Learning Life? I was interested in Learning Life because of its desire to strengthen democracy by creating productive dialogue and civic engagement. As a CLEG student with interests in law, public policy, and community service, I was excited by the opportunity to contribute in ways that help people become more active participants in their communities while gaining experience in the nonprofit sector.

Mikelle Washington

Year, major, and school: I am an 8th grader at DC International School in Washington, DC.  I am a part of the International Bachelor Learning Track.  Alongside English, I am fluent in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

Hobbies: I play many sports currently, and have played a lot of sports in the past. I run track (hurdles), cheer, and am training to be an Olympic weightlifter. I also listen to music in my free time to relax or just enjoy it.  I listen to many types of music, but my favorite is rap or RNB.

Career aspirations: I wish to be a bicoastal birth and delivery nurse, or go to law school. I aspire to be a nurse mainly because I enjoy helping people to the fullest extent. I believe that being kind and helping others can always pay back when you may need it.  I have a passion for learning about nursing.  Being in a place where everyone is there to help really inspires me.  I feel the same passion about law.  I think being helpful in any scenario can change someone’s life, and they will usually be willing to be helpful in turn.

Why Learning Life?  I was originally interested in Learning Life because it was an internship with a nonprofit organization given that I wasn’t very involved with nonprofits around me. Later, I found that Learning Life focuses a lot on youth and young adults.  I think Learning Life can help me and many other young people be more involved in democracy and society today.  I find that important because my nursing or law career aspirations aim to work for the benefit of society.  To know and to be more aware of things going on in society today can be helpful in the future.

Leeona Yonas

Year, major, and school: I am a rising junior at British International School in Washington, DC.

Hobbies: My main hobbies are sports such as volleyball and basketball. Another thing I enjoy doing is cooking and baking, like pastas and chocolate chip cookies.  I also like to discover new cafes in the area with my mom.

Career aspirations: In college, I would like to major in international relations, then go to law school.  At the moment I’m torn between becoming an international lawyer or a corporate lawyer.

Why Learning Life?  I chose to intern at Learning Life because I wanted to be part of an organization that makes a meaningful difference in people’s lives. I’ve always enjoyed helping others, and Learning Life’s mission of supporting families and building stronger communities really stood out to me. Another reason was the Family Diplomacy Initiative, as I mostly grew up abroad, this really piqued my interest as I was able to observe people from all over the world come together and speak about issues that affected them and the world we live in.