We are very excited to present our impressive group of Summer Fellows, who have been making a big impact since their start in June. Backed by an expanded team of strategist and developers, Represently is accelerating its push to revive representation and build a platform for civic engagement. We’re all committed to this mission, and our team’s skills ground that commitment in substance.
Tessa Haldes, who studied Electrical Engineering at Northwestern University, has technical knowledge in many fields ranging from quantum devices and software development with Python.
Ryan Swope, a Middlebury University student who majors in computer science and philosophy, is proficient in React.js and Vue.js and has experience in systems engineering.
Chris Benka studies international affairs and computer science at George Washington University, and completed our coding challenge in record time.
Brandon Obas, who studies computer science at the University of Pennsylvania, built an award-winning project in PennApps, UPenn’s massive hackathon.
Jacob Witt, from Georgetown University’s political economy department, works as an editor at the award-winning school newspaper.
Jeffrey Ding, a Rhodes Scholar reading for a Master’s degree in international relations at Oxford University, leads the Rhodes Artificial Intelligence Lab, which builds machine learning-powered solutions to social problems.
But what’s most exciting about our team is the immense range of their talents and experiences. So, we decided to come up with some ideas of alternative teams Represently could form with our cohort of summer interns:
A Volunteer Service Squad – Our fellows have demonstrated their passion for effective altruism in communities around the world. Jacob has raised upwards of $8,000 for cancer by biking in the annual Pan-Mass challenge, a 192-mile, 2-day bike ride that raises money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Tessa has taught physics, life skills, and basketball to 6th and 7th grade students in rural Vietnam. Brandon helped build an app that puts vital resources in the hands of youth in the foster care.
A Quirky Decathlon Training Team – We have some serious and not-so-serious athletes on our team. Ryan enjoys tennis and played for the men’s squash team at Middlebury, Chris is on the Ultimate Frisbee team at GW, and Jeffrey competed for Magdalen’s rowing team at Oxford. Tessa was a member of Northwestern’s D1 basketball team and played professionally in Greece.
An Unlicensed Sleep Research Center – Burdened by an intense schedule of binge-watching Silicon Valley, Tessa and Brandon consistently stay up late. Ryan has demonstrated the unique ability to pull an all-nighter and then work a full day as if everything was normal. He has also conducted research at an actual sleep center.
Of course, the core focus of Represently is on reviving representation, but don’t be surprised if we branch out into some side hustles around effective altruism, decathlons, and sleep avoidance. We’re really excited to see all the things our Summer Fellows continue to accomplish!
