Kandea Mosley Gandhi, Elaine Zhang, Jinky Gardner, Linda Carothers, Isol Draves, Madeleine Regan, Haadiyah Mohammed, Melia Smith, Xavier Nyugen, Aidan Yu, Aina Mahyavanshi, Yuval Magidash

Meet the new interns of the League of Women Voters Berkeley, Albany, and Emeryville!

The LWVBAE welcomed nine new interns for the 2023-24 academic year in an orientation on Sunday, August 27th. The interns were joined together with LWVBAE President Kandea Mosley Gandhi and board members Linda Carothers and Jinky Gardner in a Zoom meeting, where they were able to learn more about the organization, as well as their expected duties for the upcoming year.

Starting off with a few icebreakers, the interns got the chance to introduce themselves and get to know one another better. These interns include: Criminal Justice Interns Aidan Yu, Xavier Nguyen, and Madeleine Regan; Climate Intern Haadiyah Mohammed; Healthcare Interns Isol Draves and Aina Mahyavanshi; Communications Intern Elaine Zhang; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Interns Melia Smith and Yuval Magidash; and Voter Service Intern Ngawang Chime. All aforementioned interns are high school students attending Albany High School and Berkeley High School

After some casual discussion about shows and books the attendees are currently watching and reading, the conversation transitioned into an in-depth introduction about the League’s history from a national to local scale, as well as the League’s mission to advocate for voting and on public policy. The LWVBAE leaders continued to explain the expectations for the internships, with Linda emphasizing the importance of responsibility and accountability.

Ending with one last icebreaker about the attendees’ hobbies and pursuits, the interns logged off with a better idea of the organization and excitement for what was to come. “I’m really looking forward to being able to communicate and work with people from different backgrounds for a common issue we all care about!” Climate Intern Haadiyah Mohammed shared, a sentiment echoed by others.

Here’s to a great and productive year!

–Elaine Zhang