Meet PAI's Fall 2009 Interns

Adrienne Lynett, Communications Intern
Adrienne is from Paso Robles, California. She is pursuing a Master’s degree in linguistics with an emphasis on communication at Georgetown University. She earned her undergraduate degree in English at UCLA, after which she worked at newspapers in California and Cambodia. Her research interests generally involve media issues as related to policy and development, especially the role of the media in international development among vulnerable populations such as women and children. She enjoys traveling and writing, and is a devoted fan of UCLA basketball.

Joceline Tahardi, Finance and Administration Intern
My name is Joceline Tahardi and I am from Jakarta, Indonesia. I came to the United States in 2005 for college. I got my BSBA degree from American University with Accounting and Finance specializations last Spring. I am interested in interning with the PAI (F&A intern) because I would like to expand my horizon and get a first-hand experience with NGOs while I am still in Washington DC. During my summer and winter breaks, I had internships with UBS AG and Ernst&Young in Jakarta, Indonesia.  Moreover, my home country is the 4th most populous country in the world which receives extensive assistance from the PAI. I am excited to be here and I hope that I can contribute to this organization while I learn and get to know everyone.

LaRocha LaRiviere, Communications Intern
LaRocha graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a B.A. in French Literature and is currently an M.A. candidate at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, where she studies Political Theory and Global Health Affairs. Her favorite places include Switzerland's Arc Lémanique, California's Trinity Alps Wilderness, Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, Seattle's Golden Gardens and New York's Frick Collection. As a strong supporter of reproductive health and rights, LaRocha is very excited to be interning with PAI's Communications Department, and is looking forward to spending the Fall 2009 semester in Washington, D.C. 

Sofia Owen, USGR Intern 
Sofia is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she double majored in International Relations and European History.  She also minored in Spanish.  Sofia became interested in international development and its relationship to human rights as a result of one of her classes, entitled "the Political Economy of Development."  Her professor lectured about the beneficial effects of access to family planning and reproductive health resources on a country's successful development and growth. He also highlighted the interconnectedness between foreign and domestic policy with regard to development, and the need for greater action and leadership on the part of the United States.  Both of these points resonated personally with Sofia, and they formed the basis of her interest in the work done by PAI

Sofia is also interested in domestic politics and policy; she was active in the Penn Democrats and spent two summers interning for Congressman Patrick Murphy (PA-08), on his first campaign and in his Washington D.C. office.  After graduating from Penn in May 2008, she worked as a Field Organizer on Congressman Murphy's re-election campaign.  Through this experience, she developed a greater understanding of Congress and of how legislation is developed.  Sofia is excited about interning in the USGR department at PAI, and looks forward to working for an organization whose mission combines her passion for international human rights and her interest in legislative policy, both foreign and domestic.

Tanha Patel, Resource Development Intern
Tanha is currently a graduate student at George Washington University where I am enrolled in the MPH program with a concentration on Management. I graduated with Bachelors in Biomedical Science with a concentration on International Relations from Lynchburg College, VA. I am interested in researching Reproductive Health programs in developing countries and the cost effectiveness of these programs. I am also interested in mobilizng youth for social justice issues and have organized several campaigns during undergraduate tenure. I plan to continue exploring the field of Public Health through work and classes.

Minta Trivette, Center Climate Change Intern
In May 2008, Minta graduated from Clark University with a degree in Biology and a concentration in Global Environmental Studies. During her final semester at Clark, she worked as a research assistant for a professor studying the affect of climate change on lodgepole pine forests in Colorado. She then continued working on this research in Colorado as a field assistant in the summer, and later processed and analyzed the collected data. Currently, Minta is serving as an AmeriCorps member at the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia, an organization that offers English classes to adults seeking basic reading, writing, and speaking skills.