Every year, students in the School of Social Sciences have the opportunity to apply for a Moody-Gateway Summer Fellowship, which provides $5,000 stipends to students with unique, uncompensated, full-time summer internships or research assistantships, both nationally and internationally. This past summer, Moody-Gateway Summer Fellows gained experience in areas such as clinical research, consulting, public service, and more, emphasizing the new skills they gained and valuable connections they made.
Kailey Lei '28
Major: Social Policy Analysis
Internship: The office of Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34)
Kailey Lei spent last summer in Washington, D.C., interning for the office of Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34). Lei regularly attended hearings and policy briefings, completed policy research, and assembled daily press clips for staff by identifying news coverage of the Congressman, among other various assignments. The internship provided Lei with a front row seat to the inner workings of a federal congressional office and policymaking.
“Overall, I became much more confident in policy research, concise professional writing, communication, and most of all, adaptability. I learned to handle difficult calls, improve my writing, build confidence through briefings and coffee chats, give tours, and problem solve in a fast-paced office all at once. This internship showed me that growth does not always happen neatly or one skill at a time, and I am leaving it more capable, adaptable, and confident than before.”
Apollinaire S. Mendoza '28
Majors: Global Affairs and Political Science
Internship: 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Miami-Dade County
Working with a team of interns under Circuit Court Judge Ramiro C. Areces, Apollinaire S. Mendoza had the opportunity to regularly observe Repeat Offender Court (ROC) hearings. Mendoza also accompanied Judge Areces to monthly appellate court hearings and had the unique experience of drafting memos on two post-conviction motions, offering an opinion on whether the identified issue was sufficient for an evidentiary hearing.
“Because of the unique nature of the ROC court, I often observed hearings that included experienced prosecutors and public defenders, with cases ranging from probation violations to violent felonies. These experiences and others greatly enhanced my understanding of criminal and appellate proceedings, as well as the day-to-day undertakings of a circuit court judge.”
Akshara Sankar '27
Majors: Social Policy Analysis and Neuroscience
Research Assistantship: Brigham and Women’s Hospital Newborn Medicine Summer Research Program
Having interests in both health and advocacy, a research assistantship with Brigham and Women’s Hospital Newborn Medicine Summer Research Program in Boston, Massachusetts was an ideal fit for Akshara Sankar. In addition to conducting and presenting research on analyzing physiological trends and validating large language models to interpret brain injury risk, Sankar shadowed doctors in the NICU and attended lectures and workshops. Sankar also had the opportunity to connect with Hannah Todd '18, who was in residency at the Boston Children’s Hospital.
“Hearing how her [Todd’s] work at a summer camp for children with disabilities informed her career path resonated deeply with me; my work hosting adaptive arts workshops for children with disabilities was a major factor in my decision to study interventions earlier in life associated with developmental delays through this research program as well as to potentially pursue a specialization in pediatrics in my future career. I am immensely grateful to the Gateway Fellowship for enabling me to pursue this transformative internship and am confident it has prepared me to be a more knowledgeable, confident, and compassionate physician and advocate.”
Aastha Sapkota '26
Major: Mathematical Economic Analysis
Research Assistantship: Professor Karen Macours, Paris School of Economics
Aastha Sapkota spent the summer fine tuning the skills required for a career in research, under the tutelage of Professor Karen Macours at the Paris School of Economics. The research involved screening and coding over 190 Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) in tandem tracking publication, experimental designs, and replication status, developing a descriptive overview of the research literature on skills training programs in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) to understand biases in rural and urban areas and help develop a framework for labor productivity in agri-food industry in developing countries. Sapkota learned the value of measurement, screening, evidence synthesis, and the documentation of coding decisions. The experience has further strengthened her aspirations of pursuing graduate studies in economics to better understand how economic opportunities are shaped by structural and social constraints, and how evidence-based policies can improve livelihoods and expand opportunities for individuals in developing countries.
“I had the opportunity to explore how researchers evaluate programs intended to improve people’s livelihoods. The experience helped me move beyond reading studies for their conclusions and toward understanding how research questions, design choices, and measures shape the evidence those studies produce.”
Divya Shenoy '27
Major: Cognitive Sciences
Research Internship: Stamford Health
As a Stamford Health Clinical Research Intern, Divya Shenoy was able to research the impact of diet quality on dementia risk in older populations with Alzheimer’s pathology, as well as interact with patients. Shenoy gained experience in analyzing published research, presenting research, and developing an IRB protocol and spent time with dementia patients through volunteer work. Brittany Bradford '18 served as an alumni mentor to Shenoy, providing guidance on how to navigate the Ph.D. process.
“Being a part of Stamford Health’s Clinical Research Internship this summer was an extremely rewarding and inspiring experience that not only enhanced my knowledge of the healthcare system, but also of my own working style and abilities. As a cognitive sciences major with a special interest in neuroscience, I came into the program eager to develop my understanding of dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s disease. Not only did I achieve this goal, but through my project work and structured patient-facing hours, I was able to enhance my knowledge on this critical aspect of healthcare.”
Ethan Tran '27
Majors: Psychological Sciences and Art
Internship: Sophic Synergistics LLC
With its focus on human factors, consulting firm Sophic Synergistics LLC was a natural fit for an internship for psychological sciences and art major Ethan Tran. Tran served as a virtual reality lab technician, developing a 3-D model to help understand the appropriate sizing of instruments and environments for humans in various settings, such as a cockpit. Ly Nguyen '17 served as an alumni mentor to Tran, stressing the importance of keeping oneself open to multiple career possibilities, including consulting.
“[W]hile I have conducted experiments using software, this was my first time developing a model for experiments. Naturally, I was a bit apprehensive, but I successfully pulled off the project by the final weeks of my internship. All in all, the summer brought novel experiences that I couldn’t find in the classroom, but these new experiences sparked questions about how I could better relate my classroom experiences to the practical applications of the human factors industry.”