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Hobby Fellows Success Stories

The Hobby School of Public Affairs' Hobby Fellows program offers full-time internships to University of Houston students in the Texas Capitol each regularly scheduled legislative session. Here are just a few of the many success stories:

Christian Aguirre: Social Media Coordinator, University of Texas at Austin
Spring 2021: Senator Carol Alvarado

Sarah Aimadeddine: MBA Candidate, Harvard Business School
Spring 2013: Representative Jim Murphy

Sara Alhalabi: Government Affairs Coordinator, Greater Houston Builders Association
Spring 2019: Senator Borris Miles

Troy Allen: Manager II, General Land Office
Spring 2017: Representative Jim Murphy

Alleanne Anderson: Policy and Advocacy Program Manager, SchoolHouse Connection
Spring 2020: Representative Mary Gonzalez

Jonah Baumgarten: English Teacher, Teach for America
Spring 2019: Senator John Whitmire

Roel Benavides, Jr.: Committee Director, House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety
Spring 2015: Representative Jim Murphy

Mariah Berry: Associate Attorney, Muskat, Mahony & Devine, LLP
Spring 2015: Representative Gene Wu

Mary Brewer: Consultant, State and Local Government, Guidehouse
Spring 2021: Representative Donna Howard

Candace Caruthers: Assistant Federal Public Defender, Districts of Colorado and Wyoming
Spring 2015: Representative Ana Hernandez

Matthew Conner: Director, Government Relations, Houston Independent School District
Spring 2013: Representative Bill Callegari

Ashley Cruz: Government Relations and Political Affairs Assistant, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes
Spring 2019: Representative Jon Rosenthal

J Ehlinger: Graduate Student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Spring 2017: Representative Gene Wu

Jonathan Ezemba: Humanities Teacher, IDEA Public Schools
Spring 2019: Representative John Turner

Jon Garcia: Strategic Initiatives and Program Analyst, Harris County
Spring 2017: Representative Jessica Farrar

Mariah Grayson: Hearing Officer, Texas Workforce Commission
Spring 2017: Senator Borris Miles

Phillip Gutierrez: Policy Analyst, Texas Senate
Spring 2021: Senator Borris Miles

Yvette Hernandez: Litigation Paralegal, Crim & Villalpando Law Firm
Spring 2015: Representative Carol Alvarado

Sergio Hernandez: Policy Analyst, Senator Carol Alvarado
Spring 2019: Representative Vikki Goodwin

William Janowski: Analyst, Harris County Commissioners Court's Analyst's Office
Spring 2015: Representative Jessica Farrar

Wasiq Javed: Research Assistant, Texas Employment Lawyers Association
Spring 2021: Representative Armando Walle

Estefani Jimenez: Environmental Case Manager, Kleinfelder
Spring 2013: Representative Ana Hernandez

Emily Joslin: Budget Analyst, Legislative Budget Board
Spring 2017: Representative Carol Alvarado

Emily Kusnerik: Legal Assistant, Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board
Spring 2015: Representative Wayne Smith

Jason LaBarbera: Budget Analyst, St. Louis County
Spring 2017: Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Matthew Lair: Research Assistant, U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Spring 2021: Representative Dan Huberty

Philip Ligget: Legislative Professional, Texas Senate
Spring 2019: Senator Paul Bettencourt

Ayesha Muzaffar: J.D. Candidate, UC Davis School of Law
Spring 2019: Representative Garnet Coleman

Idalid Navarro: Administrative Assistant, Vinson & Elkins
Spring 2019: Representative Jessica Farrar

Rish Oberoi: Director of Development, MOVE Texas
Spring 2017: Speaker Joe Straus

Emma Oliver: Lobbying Associate, Broydrick & Associates
Spring 2015: Representative Sylvester Turner

Giovanni Perez: Associate Attorney, HooverSlovacek LLP
Spring 2017: Representative Armando Walle

Charles Prothro: Sales Support Technician, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning
Spring 2013: Representative Sarah Davis

Krystafer Redden: Associate Chief of Staff for System Transformation, Rhode Island Department of Education
Spring 2013: Representative Jessica Farrar

Jose Reyes: Child Support Officer, Texas Attorney General
Spring 2019 Representative John Bucy

Jennifer Edwards Santos: Texas Attorney General's Office
Spring 2017: Representative Garnet Coleman

Eric Schroeder: Analyst, Data Analysis & Reporting, Texas Legislative Budget Board
Spring 2015: Representative Garnet Coleman

Isabel Soto Wallace: Business Manager, MI-GSO | PCUBED
Spring 2013: Representative Armando Walle 

Hazel Thakkar: VP, Senior Assistant General Counsel, Progyny, Inc.
Spring 2013: Representative Carol Alvarado

Crystal Tran: J.D. & Master's in Public Affairs Candidate at the University of Texas
Spring 2019: Representative Ana Hernandez

Are you a former Hobby Fellow and would like to be listed on this page?
Do you want to have your current information on this page updated?
Contact Jessica Ruland O'Connor at jlruland@central.uh.edu