Learn About the Current Interns
Aisha Daffeh, Housing Intern (she/her)
*Returning
Aisha Daffeh is an intern with the Housing team. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Economics and Policy from University of California, Berkeley and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University. With a background rooted in tenant rights advocacy and local government, she has built her professional experience around housing stability and equitable development, specializing in unhoused services and housing program administration while working in Milpitas, California. She is passionate about using data-driven policy to create sustainable, accessible housing solutions.
Byriana Kelly, Outreach Intern (she/her)
Byriana Kelly is an intern with the Outreach Team. She is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where she studies Behavioral Economics and Psychology. Her academic research examines the fiscal impact of nonprofit universities on local communities.
At the University of Pennsylvania, Byriana serves as President of the Caribbean American Student Association, where she leads initiatives that bring students together through cultural programming, community engagement, and campus events. Previously, she lived and worked with local nonprofits in Singapore, where she developed communications materials including recruitment campaigns, newsletters, and impact stories. She also conducted impact research and stakeholder analysis across Southeast Asia.
She is especially passionate about understanding behavioral biases and using insights from behavioral science to make economic policy more accessible and effective.
Outside of her academic and professional work, Byriana enjoys listening to R&B, traveling, and watching Abbott Elementary.
Cassidy Sheppard, State Fiscal Policy Research Intern (they/them)
*Returning
Cassidy Sheppard is an intern with the State Fiscal Policy (SFP) team. Cassidy is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Washington in Seattle. They completed an internship this spring with the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), supporting policy analysis work on the state and local policy teams. Previously, Cassidy worked in labor advocacy for two years after earning a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in history from California State University, Bakersfield. Cassidy comes into this work with a desire to develop policy solutions to wealth inequality rooted in solidarity with the people who make this country run every day.
Claire-Scott Lynch, Communications Intern (she/her)
*Returning
Claire-Scott Lynch is an intern with the Communications team. Before joining the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, she worked as ITEP’s Communication Intern. Claire holds a master’s degree in Mass Communication and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Louisiana State University (LSU). At LSU, she worked as a research assistant for the Gender and Politics Research Lab before joining 91.1 FM KLSU as the station’s program director. Her background in policy communications, public radio, and political representation informs Claire’s focus on accessible information for the public, particularly for communities facing systemic barriers.
Daisy Martinez Jimenez, Data Intern (she/her)
Daisy Martinez Jimenez is an intern with the Data team. She recently graduated from Elon University with a degree in Public Policy and Economics. Her senior thesis examined the role of state earned income tax credits in supporting household economic wellbeing.
She previously interned with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, where she supported recruitment efforts for economic survey panels. At Elon University, she was a part of the Phoenix Policy Institute, where she analyzed safety net programs with attention to program effectiveness and equity outcomes.
She is committed to using research and policy analysis to advance equity and promote economic opportunity for families.
Elie Literski, Income Security Intern (she/her)
*Returning
Elie Literski is an intern with the Income Security team. She recently graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics, a minor in History, and a master’s degree in Political Science. Her academic research focuses on welfare policy outcomes, and her master’s thesis explored the state-level impacts of welfare reform and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF). She previously interned with a local county government, conducting policy and programmatic analysis and supporting data-driven decision-making. She also participated in the U.S. Department of State’s Global Solutions Conversations program, engaging in cross-cultural dialogue on global policy challenges. In her free time, Elie enjoys traveling, baking, and fostering dogs.
Emma Trieweiler, Federal Fiscal Policy Intern (she/her)
Emma Trieweiler is an intern with the Federal Fiscal Policy team. She is originally from Whitefish, Montana, and recently graduated from Pomona College with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a minor in Music.
Most recently, she interned in the U.S. Senate, working on her senator’s Health, Education, and Labor portfolio. Her academic research primarily focused on how private money influences political outcomes. She also spent a semester abroad in Dublin, Ireland, studying the impact of the U.S. economy on European markets.
Through these experiences, Emma has developed a passion for uncovering federal policies that promote equity and accessibility while streamlining efficiency in fiscal operations.
When she's not studying or in the office, Emma loves karaoke, crossword puzzles, and live music.
Enomi Worley, Human Resources Intern (she/her)
Enomi Worley is an intern with the Human Resources team. She is a human resource management professional, graduate student, and emerging leader committed to advancing equitable opportunities and strengthening organizations that serve diverse communities.
Through her experience in human resources, administration, and student leadership, she has supported initiatives that improve workplace operations, enhance employee and volunteer experiences, and promote access to professional development resources.
As President of the Morgan State University SHRM Student Chapter, Enomi leads programs that connect students with career-building opportunities, mentorship, and workforce education. Her passion for people-centered work, community impact, and organizational effectiveness drives her commitment to helping mission-driven organizations build strong teams and create meaningful, lasting change.
Grace Van Voorst, Outreach Intern (she/her)
*Returning
Grace Van Voorst is an intern with the Outreach Team. She is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin–Madison studying Public Policy and Education Policy Studies. At her university, Grace works as the Internal Director of the Open Seat Food Pantry, a student-led campus pantry serving thousands of students monthly. In that role, she leads outreach efforts connecting students with food resources and public assistance programs, develops educational materials and internal systems, and advocates for greater institutional investment in student basic needs.
Last summer, she lived and worked in Arusha, Tanzania as a Curriculum and Outreach Intern with Finnish Special Education in Africa where she developed outreach materials, collaborated with deaf and special education teachers, and helped document local programs expanding access to inclusive education. Grace has also worked as a Community-Based Learning Intern with the Morgridge Center for Public Service, where she facilitated sustainable, reciprocal university-community partnerships and developed curriculum focused on ethical community engagement and structural inequality.
She is especially passionate about reducing barriers to public benefits and ensuring that programs intended to reduce poverty and expand opportunity are accessible and responsive to the communities they are designed to serve.
Jovan Mickens, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Intern (he/him)
Jovan Mickens is an intern with the Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EIB) team. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Florida A&M University and is currently a second-year Master of Public Administration candidate at American University.
With a background in higher education, youth development, and civic engagement, Jovan previously worked as an admissions recruiter, where he engaged diverse communities throughout the greater Tallahassee, Florida area and connected students and families with educational opportunities and resources.
He also served as President and a key leader in revitalizing Florida’s only Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) chapter of College Democrats, strengthening student engagement and civic participation. Additionally, Jovan interned for Congresswoman Alma S. Adams (NC-12) and contributed to legislative efforts addressing issues affecting underserved communities and HBCUs.
Outside of his academic and professional pursuits, Jovan enjoys DJing, running, and traveling the world. He is passionate about community engagement, creating opportunities for others, and advancing equity and inclusion in the communities he serves.
Lina Verghese, Food Assistance Intern (she/her)
Lina Verghese is an intern with the Food Assistance team, having previously been a Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellow on the Food Assistance team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
She brings experience spanning food systems, maternal health through doula work, and social determinants of health, most recently from her fellowship field placement at the Chicago Food Policy Action Council, where she supported data analytics and performance tracking for the Good Food Purchasing Initiative.
Lina holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Educational Studies from Swarthmore College, where she was selected as one of four inaugural recipients of the Engaged Scholar Designation for her interdisciplinary work in community health. She is starting a master’s degree in Public Health this fall at the University of Pennsylvania.
Luna Valayannopoulos, State Fiscal Policy Network Operations and Strategic Projects Initiative Intern (she/her)
Luna Valayannopoulos is an incoming intern with the State Fiscal Policy (SFP) Network Operations and Strategic Projects Initiative team. She is currently pursuing a dual-degree undergraduate program in Economics and Political Science at Sciences Po Paris and University of California, Berkeley.
Previously, she interned with Human Rights First and the Permanent Observer Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the United Nations, where she evaluated country conditions in low-income states and supported social service programs for asylum seekers with low incomes.
Marcel Aaron Cato, State Fiscal Policy Campaigns and Communications Intern (he/him)
Marcel Aaron Cato is an intern with the SFP Campaigns and Communications team. He is a rising senior at New York University (NYU) studying Politics with a minor in Urban Design and Architecture Studies. This fall, he is studying at NYU Washington, D.C. through the Global Leadership Program.
His interests center on state and local governments, public administration, urban policy, and the ways public systems shape opportunity for low-income communities.
Marcel has worked with the New York State Department of Transportation, New City Parks, NYU Stern, and community-based organizations in roles spanning government administration, communications, research, and civic engagement.
Nayan Bala, State Fiscal Policy Network and Organizational Effectiveness Intern (she/her)
Nayan Bala is an intern with the SFP Network and Organizational Effectiveness team. She is a senior at University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy with minors in Data Science and Health and Society. Most recently, she served as a legislative intern in the Office of Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), where she researched health and economic security policy, including Medicare for All, and supported constituent correspondence for the district.
At UNC, Nayan is Co-President of UNC Flow Forward, a student-led nonprofit that distributed more than 28,000 menstrual products across over 50 campus bathrooms during the past academic year. She also recently concluded her term serving as the Chair of the UNC Undergraduate Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, where she oversaw the allocation of over $1.2 million each semester to over 400 student organizations.
Nayan is passionate about reproductive health equity, expanding access to public benefits and healthcare, and building equitable, efficient organizations. At CBPP, she is excited to support the State Priorities Partnership through organizational research, stakeholder engagement, and network operations.
Phillip Seo, Government Affairs Intern (he/him)
Phillip Seo is an intern with the Government Affairs team. He recently graduated from Rice University with bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Economics.
Previously, Phillip interned in the Office of U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, where he supported research on tax, trade, labor, and federal budget issues. He has conducted economic and public policy research focused on regional growth, workforce trends, and economic opportunity.
Growing up in a low-income household shaped his interest in public policy and his commitment to advocating for marginalized and underserved communities and expanding economic opportunity. He is especially passionate about using policy to make institutions and public resources more accessible to the people they are intended to serve.
Outside of work, Phillip enjoys weightlifting, exploring new restaurants, and following public policy and current events.
Samanyu Manjunath, Health Intern (he/him)
Samanyu is an intern with the Health team. He is currently an undergraduate at UNC-Chapel Hill studying Health Policy and Management and Migration, Displacement, and Diaspora. His interests center on Medicaid and health coverage, immigrant and refugee health, administrative burden, and how public policy can better serve communities that have historically been excluded from health and social systems.
Previously, Samanyu worked as a policy intern with the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, where he supported federal Medicaid policy analysis, translated regulatory developments into resources for community-based organizations, and contributed to work on language access and health equity. He also conducts health services and implementation science research and works with immigrant-serving organizations in North Carolina to strengthen access to legal, health, and social services.
Outside of research and policy, Samanyu is deeply involved in community-based advocacy around immigrant health, LGBTQ+ health equity, mental health, and human rights.