SIG Reflections from the Fellows
For additional bios and statements of past fellows and information about specific fellowships, go to http://sig.stanford.edu/fellowships/, or select one of the following:
SIG Fellows
Washington, D.C.
Mike Gradilla ’07 (History)
SIG Fellowship with The Trade and NAFTA Office of the Mexican Embassy, Washington, D.C.
"I have always been intrigued by Mexico. Given that my parents are Mexican, I could have easily been born there but instead I was born and raised on this side of the border. For as long as I can remember I have sought to understand the Mexico-US relationship and why there is such a disparity between the two countries. I have asked myself, what role should the United States play in Mexico's development? How can they work together in a post-9/11 world to address development issues given the new realities of American security needs? Given my position straddling both worlds, I want to be a part of the discussion that addresses- and hopefully resolves- these concerns.
My job is to help my supervisor track political activity on a daily basis and write briefs that eventually make it onto her monthly report. I am also engaged in a long-term project that tries to address the future of the Mexico-US trade relationship and how to best advance the Mexican trade agenda. To further my understanding of these issues I have attended numerous House and Senate hearings, been to think tank programs, and engaged with many knowledgeable people in the field.”
Experience: At the Trade and NAFTA Office at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., Mike helped track American political activity and policies that could affect Mexican commercial interests. As a first-generation American, Mike has developed a sense of responsibility and desire to extend opportunities to underserved communities. Previously, he worked for Neighborhood Legal Services in Los Angeles, where he helped provide legal services to the country’s poorest residents, many of whom are recent immigrants facing the same trials his parents experienced upon arriving in the US. As a result of his SIG fellowship, Mike is currently conducting research for his honors thesis on immigration issues between the US and Mexico, focusing on how US migration to Mexican Texas between 1820-1840 shaped the early Mexican state. At Stanford, he serves as Vice President of the Hispanic Undergraduate Business Association, and provides writing tutor services at the Stanford Writing Center.
My job is to help my supervisor track political activity on a daily basis and write briefs that eventually make it onto her monthly report. I am also engaged in a long-term project that tries to address the future of the Mexico-US trade relationship and how to best advance the Mexican trade agenda. To further my understanding of these issues I have attended numerous House and Senate hearings, been to think tank programs, and engaged with many knowledgeable people in the field.”
Experience: At the Trade and NAFTA Office at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., Mike helped track American political activity and policies that could affect Mexican commercial interests. As a first-generation American, Mike has developed a sense of responsibility and desire to extend opportunities to underserved communities. Previously, he worked for Neighborhood Legal Services in Los Angeles, where he helped provide legal services to the country’s poorest residents, many of whom are recent immigrants facing the same trials his parents experienced upon arriving in the US. As a result of his SIG fellowship, Mike is currently conducting research for his honors thesis on immigration issues between the US and Mexico, focusing on how US migration to Mexican Texas between 1820-1840 shaped the early Mexican state. At Stanford, he serves as Vice President of the Hispanic Undergraduate Business Association, and provides writing tutor services at the Stanford Writing Center.
Aram Hur ’07 (Communications and English)
SIG Fellowship with Cable News Network (CNN), Washington, D.C.
“In broadcast, the quality of a story depends not solely on the reporter herself, as it usually does in print, but in the collaborative work of many people. This aspect of group effort was something I hadn’t really experienced with print journalism. The camaraderie exemplified by people at CNN has made me realize that journalism not only takes on meaning as a final product, but as a process as well.
I shadowed live reporter Kimberly Osias and State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel. They were not only mentors, but also honest colleagues who gave me tips about the profession. Most of all, however, they were my personal inspiration; they embodied so much fervor and meticulousness in their work that I found them to be a source of motivation to come into the office daily and ultimately confirm my passion for journalism as well.”
Experience: With CNN, Aram shadowed a live reporter and a State Department correspondent, as well as managing the scripts for the network's new show "The Situation Room." Aram, who hails from Korea and is bilingual in Chinese and French, has experience tailoring her communication style to fit the needs of diverse populations. She has interned for the International Herald Tribune in Seoul and is currently interning at Time Magazine in New York. At Stanford, Aram served as Associate Editor and Senior Editor of the Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal, and wrote as a staff reporter, later becoming Desk Editor for News at the Stanford Daily. Through her honors thesis research in the Communications department, Aram is currently investigating the effectiveness of racial quota systems in American newsrooms, and whether the ethnic values of these minority cultures are able to operate.
I shadowed live reporter Kimberly Osias and State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel. They were not only mentors, but also honest colleagues who gave me tips about the profession. Most of all, however, they were my personal inspiration; they embodied so much fervor and meticulousness in their work that I found them to be a source of motivation to come into the office daily and ultimately confirm my passion for journalism as well.”
Experience: With CNN, Aram shadowed a live reporter and a State Department correspondent, as well as managing the scripts for the network's new show "The Situation Room." Aram, who hails from Korea and is bilingual in Chinese and French, has experience tailoring her communication style to fit the needs of diverse populations. She has interned for the International Herald Tribune in Seoul and is currently interning at Time Magazine in New York. At Stanford, Aram served as Associate Editor and Senior Editor of the Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal, and wrote as a staff reporter, later becoming Desk Editor for News at the Stanford Daily. Through her honors thesis research in the Communications department, Aram is currently investigating the effectiveness of racial quota systems in American newsrooms, and whether the ethnic values of these minority cultures are able to operate.
International
Caitlin Sanford ’06 (Political Science)
SIG Fellowship with the World Wide Fund for Nature, Belize
“Interviewing growers, sometimes in Spanish or with a Mayan interpreter was one of the most fascinating and rewarding things I did this summer. I met so many interesting, kind people, who live radically differently from me. I know I will return with new perspectives and greater consciousness of other cultures and livelihoods.
I also discovered how challenging NGO work can be—when good intentions have unexpected impacts, or when financing and donors seem to dictate all. I saw that there are always trade-offs; a balance must be found between sustaining the environment and sustaining people’s incomes.”
Experience: In Belize as a 2005 SIG Fellow, Caitlin designed her own project under the World Wide Fund for Nature to reduce the environmental impacts of the citrus industry. Caitlin is dedicated to both protecting the environment and encouraging sustainable development. She loves being outdoors and enjoyed leading trips as an instructor for the Outdoor Education Program at Stanford. As a research assistant at the department of Political Science Caitlin researched decentralization and its effects of governance in Sub- Saharan Africa. She also investigated the economic effects of outsourcing in to Asia, and collected data at the World Trade Organization. Caitlin studied abroad in France and Morocco. On campus, Caitlin was the vice president of Students for a Sustainable Stanford and a mentor for Stanford Association for International Development. She participated in Stanford Model United Nations and was a national championships competitor for the Stanford University Triathlon Team. Caitlin is currently teaching environmental education with Cosmos Education in Kenya, and hopes to continue work on environmental issues in the context of international development.
I also discovered how challenging NGO work can be—when good intentions have unexpected impacts, or when financing and donors seem to dictate all. I saw that there are always trade-offs; a balance must be found between sustaining the environment and sustaining people’s incomes.”
Experience: In Belize as a 2005 SIG Fellow, Caitlin designed her own project under the World Wide Fund for Nature to reduce the environmental impacts of the citrus industry. Caitlin is dedicated to both protecting the environment and encouraging sustainable development. She loves being outdoors and enjoyed leading trips as an instructor for the Outdoor Education Program at Stanford. As a research assistant at the department of Political Science Caitlin researched decentralization and its effects of governance in Sub- Saharan Africa. She also investigated the economic effects of outsourcing in to Asia, and collected data at the World Trade Organization. Caitlin studied abroad in France and Morocco. On campus, Caitlin was the vice president of Students for a Sustainable Stanford and a mentor for Stanford Association for International Development. She participated in Stanford Model United Nations and was a national championships competitor for the Stanford University Triathlon Team. Caitlin is currently teaching environmental education with Cosmos Education in Kenya, and hopes to continue work on environmental issues in the context of international development.
Ryan Schwartz ’06 (Cultural & Social Anthropology)
SIG Fellowship with the Institue for Democracy, Pretoria, South Africa
“As a result of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, political participation has decreased, independent election monitoring has been aversely affected, and people have been marginalized from voting. South Africa’s young democracy is being undermined by the epidemic, and the research and recommendations made by the Governance and AIDS program (GAP) have been critical in mitigating its impact.
Through my research, I have interviewed Ugandan MPs and members of prominent civil society organizations, and have identified new ways in which the country’s parliament can help to further lessen the impact of the disease. Working at the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa) has also exposed me to a developing technique in conflict resolution called sustainable dialogue. The premise behind sustainable dialogue is that many conflicts will not be solved by simple policy solutions, but the underlying relationships and communication breakdowns must be addressed. By getting opposing people to develop a calm and pragmatic dialogue, the approach hopes to create a self-sustaining process by which disputes can be settled.”
Experience: With the Institute for Democracy in South Africa as a 2005 SIG Fellow, Ryan helped investigate the effects of HIV/Aids on governance, political participation, and democracy, working in Tshwane, aka Pretoria, South Africa. As a recipient of the Stanford Pride fellowship in 2004, he spent ten weeks working for The Rainbow Project, an LGBT organization in Namibia. While there, Ryan coordinated campaigns concerning legal reform, social worker training, and safe-sex education, and worked to increase awareness of LGBT issues through the local media. At Stanford, Ryan was active with the Stanford Community for Peace and Justice, as well as the Stanford Coalition for Investment Disclosure, which lobbied the university administration to make public the investments of the Stanford endowment. Ryan hopes to continue his study of human rights in South Africa and do graduate work related to peace-building and war-torn societies.
Through my research, I have interviewed Ugandan MPs and members of prominent civil society organizations, and have identified new ways in which the country’s parliament can help to further lessen the impact of the disease. Working at the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa) has also exposed me to a developing technique in conflict resolution called sustainable dialogue. The premise behind sustainable dialogue is that many conflicts will not be solved by simple policy solutions, but the underlying relationships and communication breakdowns must be addressed. By getting opposing people to develop a calm and pragmatic dialogue, the approach hopes to create a self-sustaining process by which disputes can be settled.”
Experience: With the Institute for Democracy in South Africa as a 2005 SIG Fellow, Ryan helped investigate the effects of HIV/Aids on governance, political participation, and democracy, working in Tshwane, aka Pretoria, South Africa. As a recipient of the Stanford Pride fellowship in 2004, he spent ten weeks working for The Rainbow Project, an LGBT organization in Namibia. While there, Ryan coordinated campaigns concerning legal reform, social worker training, and safe-sex education, and worked to increase awareness of LGBT issues through the local media. At Stanford, Ryan was active with the Stanford Community for Peace and Justice, as well as the Stanford Coalition for Investment Disclosure, which lobbied the university administration to make public the investments of the Stanford endowment. Ryan hopes to continue his study of human rights in South Africa and do graduate work related to peace-building and war-torn societies.
State/Local
Erin Beller ’05 (Geological and Environmental Sciences; ’06 MA, Earth Systems)
SIG Fellowship with the Planning and Conservation League, Sacramento, CA
“My colleague- a fellow Stanford alumnus (American Studies, ’03) and I interviewed a diverse sector of interests to gather information on what different individuals would like to see in the Bay-Delta in the next 50 to 100 years. What visions exist for how the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta will look in 50 years, and what solutions do diverse stakeholders propose for achieving their goals? We have designed the entire project from the ground up, envisioning what we hope to achieve, what questions we should ask, and who would provide creative visions for the Bay-Delta Estuary.
These timely discussions have been the ideal vehicle with which to take advantage of PCL’s numerous contacts, and I have been able to attend meetings with a broad range of interests all over the Delta and Bay Area. In addition, the project has tied together my interests in the history of landscape modifications (and the Bay-Delta Estuary is one of the most heavily modified waterscapes in the world) with how this history can be applied toward the creation of sound environmental policy.”
Experience: A two-time SIG fellow, Erin returned to work in 2005 for the Planning and Conservation League. In 2004, Erin interviewed over 100 experts and stakeholders for an evaluation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This past summer, she investigated possible futures of the California Bay-Delta Estuary, talking to water agency heads and farm bureau agents to research a sound environmental policy for the heavily used area. She has also researched water policy for the Sonoma County Greenbelt Alliance and extensively studied the hydrologic changes wrought by the proliferation of hill slope vineyards near her hometown. At Stanford, Erin served on the University Committee on Land and Building Development, played glockenspiel with the Band, and practiced Aikido. She is currently working for the History, Landscapes, and Architecture Branch of Yosemite National Park.
These timely discussions have been the ideal vehicle with which to take advantage of PCL’s numerous contacts, and I have been able to attend meetings with a broad range of interests all over the Delta and Bay Area. In addition, the project has tied together my interests in the history of landscape modifications (and the Bay-Delta Estuary is one of the most heavily modified waterscapes in the world) with how this history can be applied toward the creation of sound environmental policy.”
Experience: A two-time SIG fellow, Erin returned to work in 2005 for the Planning and Conservation League. In 2004, Erin interviewed over 100 experts and stakeholders for an evaluation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This past summer, she investigated possible futures of the California Bay-Delta Estuary, talking to water agency heads and farm bureau agents to research a sound environmental policy for the heavily used area. She has also researched water policy for the Sonoma County Greenbelt Alliance and extensively studied the hydrologic changes wrought by the proliferation of hill slope vineyards near her hometown. At Stanford, Erin served on the University Committee on Land and Building Development, played glockenspiel with the Band, and practiced Aikido. She is currently working for the History, Landscapes, and Architecture Branch of Yosemite National Park.
Ernesto Velazquez ’06 (International Relations)
SIG Fellowship with the Committee on Water, Parks & Wildlife, Sacramento, CA
“For one of my bigger projects during my internship, I was entrusted with organizing an informational Committee hearing on flood management issues facing Yolo County. I met with the various agencies and governmental entities that have an interest in dealing with the flood issues in Yolo County. Through my meetings I was able to get a better sense of every group’s stance and thus develop a way to reconcile all of the seemingly conflicting interests.
Instead of a shouting match where nobody wins, my Committee was able to direct the hearing in a positive direction where progress and looking ahead were the focal points. Since it is the people who suffer when governmental agencies cannot work together and best serve the public good, I felt very proud that I could be part of this hearing which served to bring together the various levels of government.”
Experience: As an intern for the California State Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife, Ernesto gained familiarity with state legislative processes and cemented his commitment to pursuing a career in law. Ernesto stresses the experiences he has gained working in partisan environments as vital to his understanding of how to develop public policy. For summer 2004, he interned at the Los Angeles County Democratic Party headquarters, where he supported efforts to increase voter turnout, and prior to that he gained municipal experience working at the City Hall of his hometown of Pico Rivera, in southern California. At Stanford, Ernesto is a member of Gamma Zeta Alpha, a Latino fraternity, and also serves on the Latino 2006 council. In his spare time, Ernesto tutors and leads science workshops for East Palo Alto students with I Have A Dream, a national foundation focusing on low-income children’s education.
Instead of a shouting match where nobody wins, my Committee was able to direct the hearing in a positive direction where progress and looking ahead were the focal points. Since it is the people who suffer when governmental agencies cannot work together and best serve the public good, I felt very proud that I could be part of this hearing which served to bring together the various levels of government.”
Experience: As an intern for the California State Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife, Ernesto gained familiarity with state legislative processes and cemented his commitment to pursuing a career in law. Ernesto stresses the experiences he has gained working in partisan environments as vital to his understanding of how to develop public policy. For summer 2004, he interned at the Los Angeles County Democratic Party headquarters, where he supported efforts to increase voter turnout, and prior to that he gained municipal experience working at the City Hall of his hometown of Pico Rivera, in southern California. At Stanford, Ernesto is a member of Gamma Zeta Alpha, a Latino fraternity, and also serves on the Latino 2006 council. In his spare time, Ernesto tutors and leads science workshops for East Palo Alto students with I Have A Dream, a national foundation focusing on low-income children’s education.