|
Friend,
Say hello to S.T.O.P.’s newest interns! We’re thrilled to welcome this talented group and can't wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store.
Our Summer 2025 Intern Class
|
|
Aaron Thomas
Research Intern
Aaron Thomas is a sophomore at the New York Institute of Technology studying Cybersecurity. Aaron has made notable contributions to the discussion on privacy and women's rights. He authored a paper examining the intersection of encryption, women's privacy, and the threats posed by stalkerware. In his research, Aaron emphasizes how encryption technologies can empower women by protecting their personal information and serving as a defense against tech-enabled abuse. By advocating for stronger encryption measures, Aaron underscores the importance of safeguarding women's privacy rights and ensuring their safety in a technology-driven world. Aaron aims to raise awareness about these critical issues and promote solutions that enhance privacy and security for women, ultimately contributing to a safer online environment for all.
|
|
Alicia Abramson
Civil Rights Intern
Alicia recently graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science. She studied the cognitive processes underlying systems of oppression, carceral norms, and social constructions. She previously interned with Dignity and Power Now, where she conducted policy research on policing issues in Los Angeles, including law enforcement budgets, mass surveillance tactics, and pretrial justice. She also served as a student plaintiff in a landmark lawsuit against Yale that resulted in sweeping mental health reforms at the university.
|
|
Aly Moosa
Research Intern
Aly is a recent graduate of Yale University, holding a Bachelor's in Computer Science and Ethnicity, Race, & Migration. At STOP, he serves as a research intern with a particular interest in surveillance, border studies, AI, autonomous systems and warfare, algorithmic injustice, and human rights. When he is away from his laptop, you can find him going for a run, pole dancing, or getting a new tattoo.
|
|
Ananda Geller
Civil Rights Intern
Ananda Geller is a rising Junior at Barnard College. She is majoring in Sociology and Human Rights and minoring in Political Science. She is passionate about protecting and advocating for civil rights. She aspires to attend law school to study civil and human rights law.
|
|
Clara Apt
Research Intern
Clara Apt is a Junior Fellow at Just Security and an MA candidate in International Relations at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, specializing in technology and innovation. In 2024, she interned with Freedom House’s Technology and Democracy team and previously worked as a summer research analyst at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Her interests include the governance of emerging technologies and implications for human rights and security. She received her B.A. from New York University’s College of Arts and Sciences, where she double majored in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies.
|
|
Esther Wang
Nonprofit Development Intern
Esther is a junior at WashU studying International Affairs and Computer Science + Math. She is particularly interested in the impact of emerging technologies on immigration and how regulation can keep up with innovation. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis (and pickleball) and trying out new cafés.
|
|
Frances (Fritzie) Schwentker
Legal Intern
Frances “Fritzie” Schwentker ’27 is a rising second-year JD candidate at NYU School of Law. Originally from Austin, Texas, Frances graduated from Barnard College with a BA in English with honors. As an undergraduate, Frances was an editor for the Columbia Daily Spectator, and while studying abroad, rowed for the Mansfield College Boat Club women’s team. In addition, she was selected to be the Academic Reflection Speaker at the Barnard 2023 commencement. In the fall, she will be a Meltzer Fellow at the Meltzer Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and in the spring, a student advocate in the Technology Law and Policy Clinic. She is currently a member of Rights Over Tech and the NYU chapter of OutLaw. She hopes to eventually work as a litigator in constitutional issues surrounding government surveillance and Fourth Amendment rights. Outside of school, Frances enjoys live music and collecting records.
|
|
Hannah Cha
Research Intern
Hannah is a senior/graduate student at Stanford University studying Symbolic Systems (Human-Computer Interaction) and Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence), with a minor in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. Working at the intersection of tech, social good, and social justice, she works to examine how technological systems both underserve and disproportionately negatively impact marginalized groups. She has previously interned at Salesforce on the Responsible AI & Tech team as the AI Product Inclusion Intern, where she worked on creating diverse datasets and identifying bias in AI models. She does research at the Stanford Social and Language Technologies Lab and the Stanford Center for Racial Justice, working on participatory design for bias auditing and examining AI bias in education and policing. In her free time, she enjoys creating digital animations, making matcha lattes, and graphic design.
|
|
Hope Romaine
Research Intern
I am a senior at Barnard College in NYC, majoring in sociology and planning to pursue human rights law. This summer, I am joining S.T.O.P.'s team as a research intern. As surveillance abuse expands in scale and severity, it has never felt more urgent to contribute to S.T.O.P.'s fight against discriminatory surveillance and advocacy for at-risk communities.
|
|
Jacqueline Traenkle
Civil Rights Intern
Hi! I'm a rising junior at Barnard College studying political science and history on the pre-law track. I'm passionate about social reform and interested in how legal tools can be used to create more equitable and effective systems. Through my internship at STOP, I hope to learn more about advocacy work and explore how thoughtful legal approaches can contribute to meaningful, lasting change.
|
|
James Cordingley
Communications Intern
James is a junior at Columbia University majoring in Political Science. He has interned at the Brennan Center for Justice, where he conducted research on civil rights legislation and examined the impact of policy on free speech and civil liberties. He currently serves as a Managing Editor at the Columbia Political Review. In his free time, James enjoys writing short stories, reading engaging books, and watching thought-provoking films.
|
|
Julia Goodman
Nonprofit Development Intern
Julia is a junior at Boston College studying International Studies and English. While at BC, Julia has been involved in numerous clubs, including The Gavel, an on-campus newspaper, where she serves as an opinion section writer and editor. This summer, Julia will serve as a Nonprofit Development intern, where she is excited to learn about the behind-the-scenes work of advocacy. In her free time, Julia likes to read and play with her dog, Jerry.
|
|
Kali Taleck
Communications Intern
Kali is a rising junior at Barnard College pursuing a B.A. in History on the pre-law track. Her interests lie at the intersection of civil rights, surveillance, and housing equity. Specifically, Kali is committed to examining how surveillance technologies perpetuate systemic inequities in housing and community development. She seeks to build upon existing frameworks to better protect marginalized populations from discriminatory monitoring practices. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, yoga, and watching films.
|
|
Laila Abed
Advocacy Intern
Laila Abed is a rising junior at Columbia University majoring in Urban Studies with a specialization in Public Health. She is passionate about community-led planning, reproductive justice, and equitable urban development. Her work explores how surveillance technologies shape public space, social welfare, and economic development—particularly their impact on women, immigrants, and Muslim and Arab American communities. Laila is committed to reimagining cities through frameworks of care, cultural preservation, and resistance to racialized surveillance. She is especially interested in how safe participatory design can protect vulnerable communities. Her interests include tenant rights, mutual aid, green infrastructure, and menstrual equity. She plans to pursue graduate studies in Urban Planning to further her focus on justice-driven, people-first city design.
|
|
Langston Lee
Research Intern
Langston B. Lee is a researcher and policy advocate operating at the intersection of technology governance and civil rights. As a Board Member at Druid Hill Park Partnership and former U.S. Senate constituent services representative, he brings experience in government oversight, community organizing, and digital advocacy to surveillance technology issues. Langston received his B.A. from Morgan State University and conducted interdisciplinary research on AI ethics and digital governance at The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, where he analyzed global regulatory approaches and developed frameworks addressing algorithmic bias and responsible AI development. His government experience includes managing civil rights cases involving First Step Act implementation and processing FOIA requests to ensure transparency in federal agencies. Passionate about protecting marginalized communities from technological harms, Langston seeks to ensure that surveillance oversight efforts center equitable justice and democratic participation while empowering those often excluded from technology policy discussions.
|
|
Lea Salim
Advocacy Intern
Lea is a junior at Barnard College studying Middle Eastern Studies, with a focus on state violence, surveillance, and immigrant justice. Her research looks at how policing and surveillance impact Arab and immigrant communities in New York City, and how those systems connect to transnational forms of control like borders and occupation. She has experience in feminist and abolitionist organizing, and is interested in supporting community-led alternatives to policing. Lea hopes to pursue a career in public interest law and is committed to research and advocacy that support efforts to build worlds beyond policing and incarceration.
|
|
Mahima Agrawal
Research Intern
Mahima is an engineer and public health researcher currently completing her Master's in Public Health and Bioethics at Columbia. With a background in software development and a history of labor advocacy within tech, Mahima has developed a deep interest in exploring the ethical questions which arise at the intersection of health, technology, and surveillance.
|
|
Mariah de Leon
Legal Intern
Mariah is a rising second-year law student at New York University School of Law. She is interested in consumer protection, increasing housing access, and dismantling the carceral system, focusing on how technology has influenced the landscape for advancing social justice. She earned her B.A. in Sociology and Psychology with a minor in Human Rights Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Between college and law school, she worked as a Research Associate for Upturn, researching how technology and data brokers impede access to housing for predominantly Black and Brown, low-income tenants.
|
|
Quinn Sekreta
Legal Intern
Hello! I am a student at Brooklyn Law School. Before law school, I graduated from RIT with my B.A. in Economics and Political Science. Then I bartended and I worked in local politics. While sometimes frustrating to define, I think of Privacy as a person's individual access to the ability to pursue their happiness and make decisions in their own best interest, free from coercion and manipulation of all kinds. The collision of small d democratic politics, technology, public safety, and personal liberty poses challenging and important questions. I'm interested in answering them in ways that help New Yorkers prosper
|
|
Sarah Roth
Legal Intern
Sarah Roth is a rising 2L at Northeastern University School of Law and a graduate of Vassar College. Before law school, she worked at S.T.O.P. as an intern, an Americorps VISTA, and an Advocacy and Communications Associate. She is eager to return and continue contributing to S.T.O.P.'s mission this summer.
|
|
Sophia Park
Civil Rights Intern
Hi! My name is Sophia, and I'm a rising senior at Wellesley College majoring in Philosophy and Economics. I'm hoping to pursue law after graduating, so I'm excited to be working with S.T.O.P. this summer. Given the current political climate, its mission is only increasingly important. When I'm not studying, you can find me hanging out with my dachshund (Teddy), shopping with friends, or reading a Fantasy book.
|
|
|
Keep an eye out for the great work ahead!
|
|
In Solidarity,
Team S.T.O.P.
|
|
|
|
|
