I am thrilled to welcome a number of interns to my team this summer!
Working in both the State House and the district offices, interns will work on a variety of different issues like public health, revenue, and higher ed. Interns do so much central to our office’s work and will assist in researching legislation, communicating with constituents, note-taking during meetings, and more. We couldn’t do the work we do without them. I am so grateful to have them on my team and delighted they will get the opportunity to learn about the legislative process and experience the work our office does in the State House and the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester district.
Without further ado, please meet our summer interns:
Elizabeth McLaughlin
Elizabeth is a lifelong resident of Amherst and an Amherst Regional High School alum. She is currently a rising junior at Boston University studying journalism and political science.
Ella Zimbalist
Ella Zimbalist, born and raised in Northampton, is a rising senior at Tulane University studying Political Science and Social Policy. Ella is excited to be working in Senator Comerford’s State House office.
Freddy Stokes
Freddy is a rising senior at Connecticut College majoring in Government and minoring in History. His interests include criminal justice reform, gun violence prevention, and economic inequality. A lifelong athlete, he is a member and leader of the men’s soccer team at Connecticut College.
Jess Flohr
Jess Flohr is a recent graduate of Smith College, where she studied Government and Environmental Science and Policy and played varsity softball. Though originally from San Francisco, she fell in love with Western Massachusetts during her time in school and looks forward to continuing to live and work there. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, gardening, and getting outdoors.
Maya McCollum
Maya is currently a sophomore at UMass Amherst, where she studies Economics. She grew up in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and could not be more excited to learn about her state government. Maya is interested in a variety of social and environmental justice issues, including energy policy and criminal justice reform.
Noah Barnes
Noah Barnes is from Deerfield, Mass and goes to school at Ithaca College for Journalism and Politics. He loves to write, from essays to fiction and poetry, and is hoping to find a career that allows him to do that. He also enjoys sports, mostly soccer and baseball, and play soccer for Ithaca College’s club team.
Nora Gallo
Nora was raised in Western Massachusetts and graduated from Amherst Regional High School. She opted to stay home for college and is studying at UMass Amherst where she is pursuing a future in advocacy through the arts, she will graduate in the spring of 2020 with a BA in Dance. Seeking change, she is the UMass Team Lead for the Every Voice Coalition and the Outreach Education Coordinator for the UMass It’s On Us chapter.
Stefani Karr
Stefani is currently a master’s student in the Health Policy program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She has a bachelor’s in psychology from Barnard College and has experience in hospital administration and nutrition programming at farmers’ markets. Stefani is a Massachusetts native and is excited to work with the office on public health policies this summer!
Tyler Lang
Tyler is pursuing an MD and a masters in public health. He has prior experience in health policy work, but this is his first time working for an elected official. Tyler is newer to the Boston area but has long had a passion for rural healthcare issues and equity in health accessibility.
