Mia, a lifelong Washington, D.C. resident, recently graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. During her time there, she conducted social psychology research and contributed to several labs. She now misses being by the St. Mary’s River.
In her free time, Mia enjoys climbing, running, and reading. Her favorite place to go outdoor climbing is Safe Harbor, PA.
Cynthia Uchendu is from the DC, Maryland, Virginia area. She is a Clinical Social Worker and provides therapeutic support to children suffering from mental illness. Cynthia is a firm believer of Jesus Christ, enjoys serving in ministry, spending time with friends and loved ones, and creating content on her YouTube channel. She also enjoys at-home self care practices, reading, and taking naps.
Raised in San Diego and Brooklyn, Jonah is a historian of capitalism and American political economy. He received his Ph.D. from American University in May 2024. His dissertation, “Bank and State: Money, Law, and Moral Economy in the United States, 1775-1896,” explores everyday people and civil servants’ legal and moral struggles to make money and banks meet their needs and serve their best interests in a capitalist democracy.
He has written on historical topics and current affairs for outlets including The Washington Post, The Conversation, The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, and Commonplace: The Journal of Early American Life. He is currently working on his first book, which stems from his doctoral research and draws lessons from that history for monetary policymaking and democracy today.
In addition to his work, he helps manage the Treasury Historical Association’s scholarly prize and serves in a leadership role with the Washington Numismatic Society. He is a lifelong numismatist and enjoys spending time cooking, baking, exploring state and national parks, visiting museums, traveling, and spending time with his fiancé, his friends, and his family.
Elizabeth grew up in California and went to Oregon for undergrad. After having gone on a number of amazing family trips to the East Coast, she fell in love and decided to move out here for law school, and has been here ever since.
Currently in the DC area, she has enjoyed all the opportunities she has had and is looking forward to what lies ahead in her professional career. Elizabeth sincerely thanks Whitman Associates and appreciates all it has had to offer, and she has greatly enjoyed getting to know and work with a lot of great people while there.
Outside of work, Elizabeth likes traveling and exploring new places, kayaking, paddle boarding, and hiking. Here in the DC area, she particularly loves visiting all the museums, getting out on the Vernon Trail and spending time at Gravelly Point.
Ryan Foley has lived in the DMV his entire life and greatly enjoys the area. Outside of work, Ryan loves to root for all of the local Washington sports teams. He is a lifelong fan of the local teams, especially the Commanders and Nationals, and loves to spend his free time in the summer going to Nationals Park to catch a game with friends.
Ryan greatly appreciates the opportunities that Whitman Associates has offered to him because he has been able to work with some great people, making many professional relationships, as well as being a crucial part of the organization where he was placed.
Shierra moved to the DMV area from Dubai, United Arab Emirates 6 years ago. She lived for in Dubai for 12 years working as an Event Operations Manager and organizing one of the world’s largest oil and gas shows and airshows.
Outside work, Shierra loves serving in her church community as a Mental Health Coach and a Prayer Minister, helping those who are hurting find comfort and peace in Jesus. She also loves studying the Bible and spending time with her family.
Through her work with Whitman Associates, she has met amazing people and has added value to the organization where she was placed.
Jenne is a recent transplant to Washington, DC. A San Diego native, she spent her career in California in public libraries. She is passionate about the public good, creating community and ensuring access and paths to success for all.
Through working with Whitman, Jennelise has been able to lend her expertise in event management, program management and more to organizations she feels passionate about, while exploring the DC and getting to know folks in all types of organizations.
She studied Art History, Photography, City Planning and Library and Information Studies, and sees the values of a city through built environments and celebrated artists. You can find her in one of the many free museums in DC, in one of the parks or exploring the DMV on long walks, usually with a book or podcast in her ears.
A native of Washington D.C., Emmett brings a unique blend of interpersonal skills and a robust foundation in computer science, enriching the impact of his contributions wherever he is. With a strong background in customer service, he is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree from The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in computer science with a focus on the ever-growing field of AI and machine learning. Currently holding a 3.92 GPA, Emmett is on the way to graduate summa cum laude in May of this year. He also dedicates his time as a part-time teaching assistant at UMBC, embodying an ongoing commitment to both personal growth and communal enrichment.
Outside of his academic pursuits, Emmett can often be found engrossed in coding projects or escaping into the imaginative worlds of science fiction literature. On weekends, he takes pleasure in the art of cooking, particularly Italian cuisine, as a means of staying connected to his cultural roots and heritage.
Christelle is a “citizen of the world” as she calls herself. Born and raised in France, she moved to the US almost a decade ago. Her degree in international business led her to work in different fields, but mostly in events coordination.
Apart from her work experience, she enjoys spending time her husband and 2 children. Christelle also enjoys traveling, music and dramatical movies.
Christelle’s motto is “Age ain’t nothing, but a number!”
Sofia is a highly motivated and enthusiastic young professional passionate about social justice, community bridge building, and Russian literature. She graduated from Gordon College with a BA in Political Science and International Relations in May 2022.
Sofia moved to the Washington DC area after graduation to participate in a 9-month Fellows program. Shortly after, she started working with Whitman Associates and has greatly enjoyed the multitude of experiences and diversity of new skills temping for Whitman brings. Sofia is beyond thankful for the support, commitment, and professionalism of Whitman’s team.
Aside from work, Sofia enjoys reading, traveling, riding horses, and spending time with friends.
Mia, a lifelong Washington, D.C. resident, recently graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. During her time there, she conducted social psychology research and contributed to several labs. She now misses being by the St. Mary’s River.
In her free time, Mia enjoys climbing, running, and reading. Her favorite place to go outdoor climbing is Safe Harbor, PA.
Cynthia Uchendu is from the DC, Maryland, Virginia area. She is a Clinical Social Worker and provides therapeutic support to children suffering from mental illness. Cynthia is a firm believer of Jesus Christ, enjoys serving in ministry, spending time with friends and loved ones, and creating content on her 
