We at Whiteboard Advisors are proud and grateful to have the opportunity to bring on bright, motivated fellows each year. Our fellows are extremely valuable to our team, providing support on projects ranging from media monitoring to policy research to writing sections of our newsletters.
After having been a Whiteboard Advisors fellow myself, I wanted to get to know our most recent additions to the team. Here’s what I learned:
Allison Swan
Communications and Research Fellow
Where are you from, and where are you living now?
I am originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, the DC metro area, but right now, I am located in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Where do you go to school? What are you studying?
I am currently a junior at the Xavier University of Louisiana studying Mass Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and Strategic Communications and a minor in Psychology.
In middle and high school, I was in communications-based magnet programs, so comms has always been a part of my life and something that I enjoyed. But, when I was looking at career paths, I wanted to take my skills and passion for communications and use it to make an impact, so public relations and strategic communications presented an excellent opportunity to do so.
What made you interested in being a fellow?
Coming from internships at N.A.S.A and Strada Education network, I found my calling in meaningful work at mission-driven companies, especially in the education sector. I wanted to continue amplifying reach and impact through a firm, so when I found out about Whiteboard Advisors, I really connected with the mission and work that you all are doing and jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten?
The best thing I’ve ever eaten is King cake from Antoine’s Famous Cakes in New Orleans, extra points if I find the baby!
Annika Turnquist
Research and Policy Fellow
Where are you from, and where are you living now?
I grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota just east of the Twin Cities, and I am now living in Denver.
Where do you go to school? What are you studying?
I go to school at the University of Denver and I’m a graduate student in the Master of Public Policy program. I am studying public policy because I want to do something with my career that will have a real impact on people, and I think that public policy is the best way to do that.
What made you interested in being a fellow?
I wanted to be a fellow because in my degree, my focus has been on education policy. I worked in a position last year that was a general lobbying position, but I really wanted to branch out and find a role that was more education focused and incorporated a variety of work activities. When I saw the description for this position, it was exactly what I was looking for.
If you could pack up and travel anywhere tomorrow, where would you go and why?
If I could travel anywhere tomorrow, I would travel to Switzerland. I have always wanted to go to Switzerland, and it is the one country I didn’t make it to when I was studying abroad this past fall. It is at the top of my list for my next trip!
Marilyn Ojo
Communications and Research Fellow
Where are you from, and where are you living now?
I’m from New Jersey, but now I live in Baltimore, Maryland for college.
Where do you go to school? What are you studying?
I’m a sophomore at Loyola University Maryland studying Interdisciplinary English and Writing, which involves reading a lot of literature, analyzing it through different critical lenses, and applying what I learned to my own writings.
What made you interested in being a fellow?
I wanted to become a fellow at Whiteboard Advisors because it was an opportunity to strengthen my research skills while learning more about education, which is a field I’m very interested in. In the past three years, I’ve worked with K-5 children, tutoring and teaching environmental science, but as a student myself, I love learning more about what higher ed institutions are doing to help students of all backgrounds.
What TV show or movie could you watch over and over again and never get tired of?
I love rewatching 90s sitcoms. My favorites are Girlfriends, The Parkers, and Friends!
Tobias Martin
Communications and Research Fellow
Where are you from, and where are you living now?
I am from a small rural town in Argentina, and I’m currently living in San Francisco, California.
Where do you go to school? What are you studying?
I go to Minerva University, which is based in San Francisco, but it has a global rotation program where students live in seven countries while taking courses. I’m studying Political Science and Psychology. While growing up, I was always involved in politics, so I knew I would pursue that track. Psychology sparked my interest while in freshman year, as I took some cognitive science classes and became interested in how the brain works and how that affects the way people relate to each other. I found a lot of overlap between both fields.
What made you interested in being a fellow?
I am passionate about education, particularly in improving student outcomes and equitable access. I spent a summer as an intern at an edtech company in California and learned how different the system of education works in the U.S. compared to other countries. In school, I spent a lot of time studying how public policy affects educational outcomes. I saw this position as a great opportunity to learn more alongside leaders in public education.
If you could meet anyone, dead or alive – who would they be and why?
I would like to meet Barack Obama, as I find him a very inspirational figure in driving change for marginalized minorities. I would ask him many questions about how he navigated the challenges in his career.
