Women's Leadership Fellows

Kelly Marx is a second-year Master of Public Administration student. She graduated from The George Washington University with a Bachelor's degree in Human Services and Social Justice, with minors in Sustainability and Organizational Communication. Kelly has volunteered a lot of her time working on gun violence prevention with March For Our Lives and Team Enough. Kelly also has worked for both federal and state officials, in office and on election campaigns, to elect leaders who will enact bold, progressive change. In her free time, Kelly can be found at a coffee shop or political event around DC.

Georgie is a second-year MPA candidate at TSPPA with a bachelor degree in Diplomacy and International Relations. Her expertise is concentrated in international development Management; she has been working with development projects for the past 9 years in her home country, Haiti. She is passionate about women’s rights, social justice, governance and sustainability in the practice of public administration. After the completion of her program at TSPPPA, Georgie looks forward to using her new skills and knowledge to offer opportunities for social and economic advancement to underprivileged communities. During her free time, she enjoys reading, exercising, dancing, trying out new cuisines, or embarking on new adventures with family and friends.

Tatiana Ruiz is a second-year Ph.D. Public Policy and Administration student specializing in Gender and Social Policy. She is passionate about gender equality, immigrants' rights, civil rights, and social justice. Currently, she works at the U.S. DOJ and is a research assistant at the Trachtenberg School. In the Spring of 2021, she graduated from GW as the 2020-2021 CCAS Distinguished Graduate Scholar with a Master's degree in Public Policy specializing in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. In 2019, she was selected as the Federal Sector Graduate Research Fellow at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In addition to working at the Justice Department and the EEOC, she has also interned at the League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest and oldest Hispanic and Latino civil rights organization in the U.S.

Skylar Wynn is a second-year Master of Public Policy student concentrating on racial equity, gender, and social policy. She currently works as a Research Program Associate at the Global Women’s Institute which specializes in researching gender-based violence. She works on several projects that focus on strengthening best practices for supporting survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), strengthening research equity on GBV in conflict-affected settings, and capacity building for gender and development professionals. She is passionate about addressing the unique needs of Black women and girls and the role and responsibility policy has in addressing inequality. Skylar received her bachelor’s degree with honors in Women’s Studies from Old Dominion University, where she was also the recipient of the Anita Clair Fellman Service-Learning Scholarship, the Carolyn Rhodes Undergraduate Scholarship, Women's Studies Student of the Year Award, and an International Research Award. She also currently serves on the Graduate Student Ambassador Program through the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences here at
GW and as a co-chair of the Minority Leadership Program, also based at Trachtenberg.

During her free time, Skylar enjoys serving as a volunteer at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, spending time with her family, friends, and her dogs, and exploring new places and cuisines.

Anisha Sahni is a second-year Master of Public Policy student intending to concentrate in social policy. She is passionate about advancing intersectional gender-based policies and studying policy from a postcolonial lens. In 2022, Anisha graduated from The George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Public Policy Focus and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies where she received the Presidential Scholarship and the Undergraduate Feminist Scholarship Award. She is the president of The George Washington Debate & Literary Society, and she has interned on a political campaign, at a political consulting firm, for the ACLU-WV, and at a law firm. Originally from New Jersey, Anisha enjoys reading, creative writing, and embroidery.

Claire O’Brien is a first-year Master of Public Policy student. She currently works at the Urban Institute in the Health Policy Center where her research focuses on state and federal policies that affect the Affordable Care Act's Marketplaces and leveraging Medicaid claims to study the relationship between racialized economic segregation and health outcomes. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics and applied math with a minor in poverty studies from the University of Notre Dame where she won the Bernoulli Prize for best economics senior thesis. During her free time, Claire enjoys cooking, reading, and traveling to visit her friends and family.

Diamond Powell is an Events and Programming Coordinator within the Office of Institutional Advancement for the Society of Fellows. Before Diamond joined the institute in 2022, she was a Management Analyst Trainee in the office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity within the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) creating outreach material to educate the public on their fair housing rights. Diamond holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from St. John’s University and will graduate in May 2023 with a Master of Arts in Public Policy from George Washington University. She enjoys photography, reading a good book, and spending time with family in her free time.

Giulia (she/her) is a first year Master of Public Policy student and is planning to focus on housing and environmental policy. She is passionate about creating sustainable change through community engagement, organizing, and policy action. She was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities in 2020 with a B.A. in Political Science and minors in Applied Economics and Racial Justice in Urban Schooling. In the past two years, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA supporting residents in affordable housing build volunteer leadership councils. In her free time, she enjoys biking, kayaking, cooking, and exploring the DC area.

Jeyna Tutundzic is a first year Environmental Resource Policy M.A. student at TSPPA. She graduated from The George Washington University's Columbian College of Arts & Sciences in the spring of 2021 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology. She is a first-generation Bosnian-American and college graduate passionate about sustainable development and environmental justice. Jeyna has previously dedicated time working with different environmental organizations, primarily focusing on climate change adaptation. Currently, she works at the World Wildlife Fund, supporting the Oceans goal team. In her free time, Jeyna enjoys learning new recipes, reading and listening to books, and is an avid fan of Harry Potter.

Julia is a first year Master of Public Policy student at TSPPPA planning on concentrating in national security and foreign policy. She holds a bachelor's degree in International Studies and German from Fairfield University, along with a minor in anthropology. Having worked across multiple sectors, Julia is looking forward to concentrating on policy work in the public sector to enact meaningful change through foreign policy.

Leisha Goel is a second-year MPP candidate at the Trachtenberg School interested in regulatory policy, health policy, and international development Originally from Chicago, Il, she graduated in Spring 2022 from GW with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Political Communication. Leisha has worked on projects to improve pediatric health and the implementation of development projects in both the non-profit and private sectors. In her free time, Leisha can be found exploring bookstores with a cup of coffee or tea in her hand.

Maddy is a current second year mpa student concentrating on health policy having graduated from GW with a bachelors in political science and minor in criminal justice. Maddy is passionate about reproductive rights, health, and justice and currently works at Catholics for Choice and serves as one of the co-presidents of GW RAGE (Reproductive Autonomy and Gender Equity), the reproductive rights, health, and justice organization on campus. She has previously interned at organizations like Planned Parenthood and in the United States senate and has worked on progressive local campaigns in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. In her free time Maddy can be found at the park reading and hammocking or baking and crocheting at home. 

My name is Maryam Arab and I am an upcoming graduate student pursuing a master's degree in public policy. During my undergrad, I served as a peer mentor at Metropolitan State University's TRIO program, a legislative specialist for Students United (an organization focused on representing students in higher education), and a census and voter engagement intern for Ramsey County. Throughout these experiences, I've always been able to manage my time, complete tasks at a high level, and achieve high grades. My biggest takeaway from these experiences is the importance of providing high-quality service to diverse populations. In the future, I hope to become a Policy Analyst and work on social and climate justice.

Rachel is a second-year Master of Public Administration student who earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Relations in 2018 and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Kent State University. With development, program management and communications experience in the public and nonprofit sectors, Rachel currently serves as the Communications Director for the American Heart Association Greater Washington Region, where she elevates fundraising priorities, community health impact initiatives and the Association’s public policy positions focused on food security, nutrition equity, emergency response, access to care and tobacco control. During her time at Kent State, she received the prestigious Elizabeth Bartz Promising Scholar Award through the School of Media and Journalism, and she was named the university’s Purposeful Leader and Fraternity and Sorority Life Woman of the Year in 2018. She was recently selected as a 2022-23 Bryce Harlow Fellow through The Bryce Harlow Foundation, the nation's premier organization supporting the profession of lobbying and government advocacy. In her free time, Rachel enjoys boxing and running, clocking over 1,300 miles each year.

Sarah is a first year Master of Public Policy student. She graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor's in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies, and a minor in Islamic Studies. She is passionate about immigrant and refugee rights, and looks forward to using her skills to further help people.

Tylar Lewis is a second-year Master of Public Policy student specializing in State and Local Politics at the age of 20. Tylar earned her Bachelor’s degree in political science from Howard University, with a minor in sociology. She also earned her Associate’s degree in sociology from Georgia State University at the age of 17. She has interned in the United States Senate and worked and volunteered during the 2020 election to encourage voters to make their voices heard. During her free time, Tylar enjoys reading, dancing, and trying new recipes.