SLSI 2023 Cohort
Sage Allen
Sage Allen (she/her/hers) is a second-year student at Spelman College majoring in Education Studies and minoring in Political Science. She was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she eventually plans to run for public office. At Spelman, Sage is an active member of the Spelman Student Government Association, Spelman Young Democrats, Utopia Atlanta, Future Business Leaders of Spelman, and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. Sage plans to pursue a dual graduate degree program pursuing both a Juris Doctorate and Master’s of Education, with one of her goals being advocating for education equity.
Fatoumata Balde
Fatoumata Balde (she/her/hers) is from Hampton, Virginia but also considers Conakry, West Guinea her ancestral home. A first-generation college student, she attends North Carolina Central University where she is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Women and Gender Studies. On campus, she is active in the NAACP, National Society of Leadership and Success, the University Honors Program, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, Eagle Health Initiative, and the Political Science Club. Fatoumata worked as an intern in the North Carolina State Senate's legislative office during the 2022-2023 legislative session, which inspired her to eventually pursue a legal career and, eventually, a position in public office.
Regina Chau
Regina Chau (she/her/hers) is a rising senior from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. She is attending the University of Pennsylvania and is double majoring in Criminology and Sociology. She is part of Penn Lions (a Chinese lion dancing troupe) and Penn Chinese Calligraphy. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, learning new hobbies, and cooking. With a law degree, Regina hopes to become a criminal defense attorney and give a voice to disadvantaged people.
Nasratullah Elham
Nasratullah Elham (he/him/his) is a sophomore at Occidental College majoring in Diplomacy and World Affairs, with a minor in Urban Environment Policy. Elham was born and raised in a war-ravaged part of eastern Afghanistan where he experienced the tragedies of war and the devastating impacts of climate change on rural farming communities. He became involved in environmental advocacy at a young age and continued to fight for climate justice by initiating Climate Strike Afghanistan, writing articles, and presenting a TED Talk at Concordia College in Minnesota. Nasratullah is a member of the Occidental Student Sustainability Fund where he consults on student-led sustainability projects. He is the president of Oxy Venture, a student-run venture capital model firm specializing in sustainability-focused, student-run start-ups. By attending law school, Elham wants to use his legal skills to fight for the rights of marginalized communities against the destructive practices of big polluting corporations and to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
Jingyi Fan
Jingyi (Raina) Fan (she/her/hers) is a rising sophomore at the University of Florida who intends to have a future career in the International Relations field. She was born in Beijing, China, and later moved to Tampa, Florida. With her personal background as well as classroom studies, she has developed an immense interest in viewing the world from a global perspective. In addition, she thrives on creating a community of trust and acceptance where ideas can be shared and thrive. Attending a high school Girl State program exposed her to the American judicial system and inspired her to attend the SLSI program to further her pursuit of legal knowledge. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, trying new food, traveling, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog.
Hannya Flores
Hannya Flores Rojas (she/her/ella) is a student at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley majoring in Political Science with a minor in Psychology. As a first-generation college student, daughter of immigrants, and a fronteriza who grew up on the South Texas border, she understands the reality of many immigrants and residents of border towns. Hannya is interested in issues of equity and mental health advocacy in minority communities, particularly for women. She plans to serve her community as an immigration lawyer. After an internship on Capitol Hill, Hannya's aspiration to become an immigration lawyer and advocate for her community has only grown.
Langston Ford
Langston Ford (he/him/his) is a rising junior at Rice University studying Political Science with a minor in Data Science. At Rice, he participates in the student body as an Associate Justice and Orientation Week Fellow. Originally from Wisconsin, Langston became invested in social justice issues such as environmentalism and systemic racism early in high school. Working within political organizations, he learned what issues mattered to him the most. He loves to engage in political activism and hopes to use this passion one day to practice law. Outside of school and work, Langston enjoys running and searching for sustainable fashion.
Khimmoy Hudson
Khimmoy Hudson (he/him/his) is a South Florida resident born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Miami Gardens. He is a rising, first-generation junior at Pomona College seeking to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree in Africana Studies with a minor in English. Khimmoy is passionate about community building and engagement. During his first year of college, Khimmoy served as a contributing news editor for The Student Life (TSL), the oldest college newspaper in Southern California. He also spent his first and second year as a member of Young Men’s Collective, a group that focuses on building community and offering mentorship to the young men in high school. Khimmoy enjoys singing, playing his instrument, going to the gym, and video editing.
Samuel Lee
Samuel Lee (he/him/his) is a Korean-American student born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He is pursuing a B.A. in Anthropology and Political Science at Rice University. As a low-income individual growing up in car-dependent cities with poor public transit, he realized that it is difficult for disadvantaged Americans who lack personal vehicles to get to places of opportunity like school or work. As a result, he has become passionate about urban policies, urban planning, and infrastructure, and their effects on issues like social equity and socioeconomic mobility. Driven by such interests, he is working on various projects with the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies and Harris County. Ultimately, he aspires to become the first lawyer in his family and enter into land use litigation or policymaking.
Bryan Lopez
Bryan Lopez (he/him/his) is a Cuban-American born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a first-generation college student attending the University of Louisville. Bryan is a rising junior majoring in Criminal Justice with minors in Professional and Public Writing and Spanish. On campus, he is a Porter Scholar, Director of Outreach for the Student Government Association, a Diversity Student Ambassador for Admissions, and Vice President of the Black and Brown Honors Society. He hopes to become an attorney and advocate for human trafficking victims and confront injustices within the criminal justice system. When he is not studying or working, Bryan is either hanging out with friends or watching Netflix.
Marisol Medina
Marisol Medina (she/her/hers) is a rising junior at the University of California, Berkeley studying Political Science and Public Policy. As a first-generation student and daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, she quickly learned the importance of pursuing an education despite her early struggles as an English language learner. Her upbringing in Inglewood, California meant attending under-resourced schools, which led to her interest in education equity and youth advocacy. After serving as an intern in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, she cemented her aspirations of becoming an education attorney to expand fair access to educational resources for underserved and underrepresented students.
Dana Molina
Dana Molina (she/her/hers) is a rising junior at Barnard College and majoring in philosophy. Dana is a legal intern at The Brave House, a non-profit for young immigrant women in New York City. Dana has a special interest in intersections between law and public interest. After graduating, she will attend law school.
Jaylon Moore
Jaylon Moore (he/him/his) is a rising junior at Dillard University studying Financial Economics while participating in the university’s pre-law program. In the program, Jaylon mentors first year pre-law students, participates in LSAC's pilot studies for undergraduate students, and is a former member of the award-winning mock trial team. Jaylon serves in his Student Government Association as an associate justice, representing and advocating for students who face various challenges. Jaylon desires to attend law school to learn how to think like a lawyer, represent disadvantaged communities, and study the relationship between law and business.
Sikirat Mustapha
Sikirat Mustapha (she/her/hers) uses her interests in educational policy, finance, and business to inspire change in her community. As the former youth Ambassador of NYC, Sikirat advocated for NYC's 1.1 million public school students on a statewide level, sitting on the Executive Board of the Chancellor's Advisory Council. Sikirat has mobilized thousands of people at town halls, organized rallies, spoken on panels, and constructed policies to address inequity in NYC public schools. She is the founder and CEO of Sikirat Tutors. Sikirat's interest in fighting for equity branches out to her advocacy for financial literacy, fair housing, and racial justice. She enjoys exploring different cultures through the arts, food, music and dance.
Samantha Quezada
Samantha Quezada (she/her/hers) is a Mexican-American born and raised in Southern California. Samantha’s involvement in speech and debate and Model United Nations solidified her desire to become an attorney. Samantha’s ultimate goal is to ensure her legal career empowers and advocates for individuals throughout her community. Samantha is looking forward to being part of Stanford Law Scholars Institute where she can engage with a community who have their sights set on a career in the legal field as well.
Arlenys Soler
Arlenys Soler (she/her/hers) is at Bowdoin, studying History and Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies with a minor in Education. She is actively involved in community service through her work with the McKeen Center for the Common Good. She is also part of the Bowdoin Student Government and is a proctor of a first-year floor. As a native of Naples, Florida, Arlenys is deeply invested in the well-being of her community and attuned to the struggles it faces, particularly economic disparity and access to higher education. She is driven by her desire to make a positive impact and advocate for historically excluded communities and create meaningful change through legal action.
Nicolas Thompson
Nicolas (Nico) Thompson (he/him/él) is from Houston Texas and is a rising junior at Denison University where he is a Politics & Public Affairs and Environmental Studies Double Major. Having played the violin since age six, he continues playing, participating in both chamber music and the Denison Orchestra. He founded the Denison Model UN club and is the treasurer of both Model UN and DuWop (Denison’s first coed acapella group). He works as a Fellow on Denison’s RED Corps and is part of a team that takes on projects to make a positive impact on campus. He aspires to become an environmental justice lawyer and hopes to improve climate change policy to help the most vulnerable and fight environmental racism.
Lisbeth Tineo
Lisbeth Tineo (she/her/hers) is an undergraduate at Barnard College studying sociology and political science. She is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic and the first person in her family to attend a four-year University. She hopes to become an attorney to help disadvantaged communities and give a voice to underrepresented minorities. She works with the Early College Alliance and interned at Mass Housing last summer. Lisbeth is very excited to start her legal journey and learn more about ways to make a difference.
Da’Juantay Wynter
Da’Juantay Wynter (he/him/his) is a rising sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis with an intended major in Education and American Culture Studies. Raised alongside his three siblings by a single mother in poverty, Da’Juantay understands the effects of inequity in communities like his. He learned the power of his voice by advocating to fix long-neglected tennis courts at his Title 1 high school. He is an elected member of the Student Union Senate where he serves as chair of the Campus and Residential Life committee, a member of Black Anthology (a culture play written and produced by students), is a student representative to University Dining Services and a student assistant at the Learning Center. Da’Juantay hopes to continue to bridge equity gaps by advocating for change in the American education system.
Senay Zedingel
Senay Zedingel (he/him/his), a native of Inglewood, California, is a second-year student, attending University of California, Los Angeles. He is pursuing a B.A. in Public Affairs and minoring in Entrepreneurship while engaging in a myriad of campus organizations. Some of his involvements consist of working as an editor for the Black Pre-Law Association at UCLA, conducting research under the instruction of the Bunche Fellows Program, and mentoring underrepresented high school students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He also serves as president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council and secretary for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Gamma Xi chapter.