ANNOUNCING COHORT 5!
John Robert Lewis Scholars & Fellows 2025-2026
Scholars
Ayoola Fadahunsi is a Nigerian-American senior at Brown University studying International and Public Affairs with a focus on international law and migration, concurrently, Ayoola is studying English and interrogating immigrant identity expression through literature. Ayoola is a former White House Intern at the Gender Policy Council and aims to become an International Lawyer contributing to the creation of people-centered policies. At Brown, Ayoola has served as President of the Nigerian Student Association, a bible study and worship team leader at Christian Union, and writes creative non-fiction on the intersectionality of being a Black woman in America and Nigeria in school publications. Ayoola’s main priority is infusing humanity into political discourse.
Ayoola Fadahunsi
Norfolk, Virginia ∙ Brown University
Denia Brielle Smith is a nationally recognized activist and organizer focused on racial and gender justice. As the founder of She Shall Speak and a contributor to global gender justice initiatives, she empowers youth to drive grassroots social change and advocates for policies supporting youth of color. She has embarked on professional experiences at The White House, the U.S. House of Representatives, the African American Policy Forum, and Vital Voices Global Partnership. A recipient of the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service, Denia aspires to pursue a J.D., contribute to racial justice organizing efforts in New Jersey, and run for office, continuing her commitment to public service and equity.
Denia Smith
Washington D.C. ∙ American University
Jenna Fliesen, a Tunisian American and Spokane resident, is set to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science on a Pre-Law track from Eastern Washington University. As Vice Chair of the Washington 6th Legislative District Democrats, she organizes voter outreach, supports campaigns, and fosters civic engagement. She founded Spokane Rising, connecting Gen Z with mentors and refugee organizations, and is pursuing the Washington State Bar Association’s APR 6 Law Clerk program. Jenna is a proud P.E.O. sister, a member of the Women’s Club, and a volunteer at the Spokane Islamic Center. She is also the author of Beginnings, a poetry collection that reflects her exploration of identity, culture, and mental health, tying her advocacy and creative work together.
Jenna Fliesen
Spokane, Washington ∙ Eastern Washington University
Liv Counsel, nursing student at Seattle University, parent of two, and full-spectrum doula, is passionate about advancing equity through public health, community, and law. They serve as president of their nursing cohort and actively lead in spaces like PCORI’s Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research Panel and the Kitsap County Health Equity Collaborative. With over 15 years of experience in perinatal health, disability justice, and community organizing, Liv brings intersectionality to every space they enter, from facilitating trans support groups to mutual aid work. Liv plans to pursue graduate studies in law and public health to weave systems of care and justice that challenge inequities and amplify marginalized voices.
Liv Counsel
Kingston, Washington ∙ Seattle University
Olivia Schramkowski is a junior at Duke University who created her own major, Battleground for the Beloved Community: Grassroots Culture and Politics in the American South. Her interests lie in the intersection between faith and politics, and how communities fight for justice. She is involved extensively with student government, specifically with the community affairs office on campus, and she also has done extensive work on campus to help secure voting rights for college students. In addition, she is a fellow with the Unum Fund, where she is piloting a project to boost political education at Duke.
Olivia Schramkowski
Atlanta, Georgia ∙ Duke University
Tariah Hyland, a senior at Howard University, is majoring in Political Science, and hails from Wilmington, Delaware. She is passionate about uplifting students of color, driving education reform, and supporting the development of low-income communities. Tariah serves as the Executive Vice President of the Howard University Student Association and has held other leadership roles as Vice President of the College of Arts and Sciences and President of the Black Girls Vote chapter. She most recently interned in the Office of the Vice President at the White House under the Biden-Harris Administration. She has also been recognized as a 2023 Delaware John Lewis Youth Leader of the year. AT&T Rising Future Maker and a Target Scholar.
Tariah Hyland
Washington D.C. ∙ Howard University
Yasamin Khosh is a first-generation American and a third-year student at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, majoring in Political Science and Media Communications with a minor in Business. Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, Yasamin is deeply passionate about increasing representation for Iranian-Americans nationwide and advancing equity for women across all professional fields. Her dedication to service and advocacy has driven her to serve as a Congressional Intern for Congressman Maxwell Frost and Congresswoman Kathy Castor, work for Florida's only Iranian-American public official, Representative Anna V. Eskamani, earn recognition as a Women's Congressional Staff Foundation scholar, and serve on the Florida Democratic Party Youth Council.
Yasamin Khosh
Tallahassee, Florida ∙ Florida State University
Fellows
Akshar Abbott is a board-certified ophthalmologist and a student at the Yale School of Management, where he is focused on learning how healthcare can be reformed to heal the searing pain of the rural health crisis. From a childhood in Appalachia and a career rooted in the Upper Midwest, he carries with him the knowledge that the fate of rural America is “tied in a single garment of destiny” to the fate of our country as a whole.
He is profoundly grateful for the opportunity to deepen his knowledge of Kingian nonviolence and the sacred legacy of Congressman John Lewis. Guided by the core teaching of his Hindu faith, that all people are beloved in the eyes of God, he believes that the future belongs to love and justice.
Akshar Abbott
Arlington, Virginia ∙ Harvard University
Alexis spent her formative years between South Florida and New York City. She graduated from the City University of New York (CUNY), Hunter College with double majors in Political Science and Human Rights and recently completed her Masters’ degree in Global Development at SOAS, University of London. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of feminist political economy, labor and workers’ rights, and global commodity chains. A community organizer and facilitator, she got her start organizing with several CUNY student collectives around racial justice and educational access, and with the Student/Farmworker Alliance, who are the student support arm for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. She is passionate about challenging corporate power from every angle and advancing economic justice for all.
Alexis Fisher
Brooklyn, New York ∙ SOAS, University of London
Allison Berger is a higher education professional and Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education at West Virginia University. She believes knowledge is a powerful tool for building a more just and equitable society. Passionate about making higher education more accessible, she also emphasizes the importance of providing students with support throughout their academic journey. With expertise in enrollment, retention, and student success, Allison is dedicated to fostering inclusive communities where everyone feels valued. As a Robert J. Lewis Fellow, she looks forward to gaining diverse perspectives and exploring the intersection of faith, leadership, and social justice to inspire meaningful change.
Allison Berger
Nazareth, Pennsylvania ∙ West Virginia University
Andy Hannah Jr. is a recent MBA graduate from the University of West Alabama and an incoming Fall 2025 law student. As a post-graduate student, Andy is conducting research on The Flow of Black Dollars in Alabama, which examines the economic leakage from Black communities and analyzes how shifts in consumer spending could empower local economies. Through his work in legislative advocacy, Andy has played a key role in pushing for policies that advance equality and promote government accountability. Passionate about using law as a tool for systemic change, Andy plans to leverage his legal education to craft innovative policy solutions that break down barriers to economic mobility, advance civil rights, and foster sustainable progress in marginalized communities across the South.
Andy Hannah Jr.
Kennedy, Alabama ∙ University of West Alabama
Devashish “Dave” Basnet, a Rhodes Scholar from Queens, NY, holds Master’s degrees in Public Policy and Refugee and Forced Migration Studies from the University of Oxford. A graduate of CUNY Hunter College in Political Science and Public Policy, he served as President of the Undergraduate Student Government, representing a body of over 20,000 students. Guided by personal and professional experiences, Dave is passionate about advancing immigration policy as a natural extension of the historic civil rights struggle. He has worked extensively on migration issues globally as an aspiring scholar, researcher, and advocate at think tanks, NGOs, and community/advocacy organizations. Dave aims to shape public policy outcomes and help governments build inclusive, flexible, and just immigration systems.
Devashish Basnet
Queens, New York ∙ University of Oxford
Doxey Kamara is a graduate student from Houston, Texas. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Library and Information Sciences at the University of Illinois. Prior to this, Doxey earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Bachelor of Arts in English from Tulane University of New Orleans. His studies focus on how libraries can use evolving technologies to best serve their communities. After working in accessibility for academic libraries and museums, Doxey now works to support the creation of Open Educational Resources at the University of Illinois.Through his work, Doxey aims to create a world where educational material is free and available to all.
Doxey Kamara
Urbana, Illinois ∙ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Faith Wilson holds a B.A. in Journalism and Media Studies from Rutgers University, where she focused her research on the Black community, education, and AI governance. With an interdisciplinary certificate from the Rutgers Institute for Women’s Leadership, Faith is deeply committed to advancing racial and gender equality. Her work is driven by a pluralistic view of American society, and she seeks to achieve interfaith and bipartisan solutions to pressing societal challenges. Faith aspires to earn a Juris Doctor, contribute to legal scholarship, serve as a federal attorney, and ultimately pursue a career in public office.
Franceska Edouard is three time alumna and recent graduate of Florida State University, where she earned a Master of Public Administration. Originally from Gonaïves, Haiti, she grew up in Coral Springs and Parkland, Florida. She is deeply passionate about law, policy, racial & social justice, and education.
Franceska has experience in public service and legislative affairs. She served as a Legislative Intern in the Florida Senate under Senator Rosalind Osgood and in the Florida House of Representatives with Representative Marie Woodson. Following her undergraduate studies, she went to Washington, D.C., and interned with Congressman Maxwell Frost. Most recently, Franceska worked as an Election Protection Organizer with Common Cause, implementing voter protection initiatives to safeguard voting rights and ensure equitable access to elections.
With a strong commitment to creating systemic change and justice, Franceska aspires to pursue a career in law and policy, where she plans to continue her fight for justice and equity.
Faith Wilson
North Plainfield, New Jersey ∙ Rutgers University
Franceska Edouard
Coral Springs, Florida ∙ Florida State University
Joseph Wilson, Jr., MHS, is a Ph.D. candidate in Population Health Sciences at Harvard University. His research focuses on environmental justice, specifically the impact of built environment disparities on children’s health. Originally from Augusta, GA, he received his bachelor’s degree from Williams College and master’s from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He was awarded the Harvard Presidential Public Service Fellowship in recognition of his commitment to community engagement. As an ordained minister in the Apostolic faith, Joseph is active in his faith community, both in church and on campus. He attributes his faith as fueling his desire to “minister to the needs of the whole man.”
Mayha Syed, a DePaul University graduate with honors in Sociology and Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies, is driven by a profound commitment to social justice. Her work in government, along with implementing restorative justice programs at Cook County Jail, has reinforced her belief in the dignity of all individuals and the urgent need for systemic change. Currently a legislative assistant in the Illinois Senate, Mayha intends to pursue a combined law and social work degree to amplify her impact. Ultimately, she aspires to become a federal public defender, fighting for justice and equality by using her unique blend of academic, professional, and lived experiences.
Joseph Wilson Jr.
Cambridge, Massachusetts ∙ Harvard University
Originally from Springfield, Virginia, Nathnael is a 3rd-Year student at Columbia Law School and a 2022 summa cum laude University of Chicago graduate. While Nathnael loves to discuss sports for DMVSportsZone, his primary passions are immigration, education, and civil rights. In college, he assisted on visa casework and college preparation. In law school, he led the civil rights moot court, promotes inclusive scholarship on Law Review, and serves indigent clients. Nathnael’s most profound work was advancing his high school’s 2020 nationally-recognized renaming from Robert E. Lee to John R. Lewis. These efforts have grown Nathnael’s devotion to justice, motivating him to become an attorney and elected official serving his community.
Nathnael Alazar
New York City, New York ∙ Columbia University
Victoria Paul is a graduating 3L studying at the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, DC. Raised in North Miami, Florida, her experience as a first-generation student and child of Haitian immigrants drives her commitment to empowering marginalized communities through systemic change. Victoria’s passion for innovative exploring solutions to ongoing injustices and threats to civil rights has led to her serving alongside the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Second Look Project, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and more. Upon graduation, Victoria will lead a project investigating racially biased clinical algorithms to advance racial health equity.
Victoria Paul
Washington D.C. ∙ American University
Mayha Syed
Skokie, Illinois ∙ DePaul University
Travis Nelson was born and raised in Hempstead, NY. He is the product of Jamaican immigrants and an alumnus of Columbia University. His journey as a community advocate was prompted by his lived experiences in his community and a sense of responsibility to ameliorate its conditions. After his tenure at Deloitte Consulting he joined the New York State Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign where he served as the first-ever Long Island Political Director for the 2024 election cycle. In addition to being a former member of the Board of Directors of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., he is a Questbridge Scholar, and a social justice fellow with the Memorial Foundation.
Travis Nelson
Hempstead, New York ∙ Columbia University
