OUR TEAM
Meet our wonderful team of socially-conscious, activist, dedicated young people and alumni who are integral to the operations and vitality of the community. They critically were instrumental to the work we have accomplished, and hope to continue to accomplish.
SANDENNA MCMASTER
“Aide de camp”
In 2021, I graduated from Lewis & Clark College, where I received a degree in International Relations with a concentration in the Middle East and Northern Africa region. On campus, I served as the co-chair for the 59th Lewis & Clark International Affairs Symposium: “System Shocks: Finding Clarity in a Chaotic World”. I was also an active participant in the French Club, the College Outdoors program, and the Botany club. During my studies, I had several external opportunities to conduct research projects surrounding humanitarian conflict resolution, environmental sustainability and agricultural adaptation, policy implementation and tribal conflicts in Western Africa. Originally from Alaska and a dual citizen of France and the United States, I had the chance to grow up with diverse narratives from the communities surrounding me. This instilled in me an understanding of the power of perspective, cross-cultural collaboration, and the interconnectedness of the issues our systems face today.
Through my academic and professional career, I sought every opportunity to explore the world – to interact with diverse cultures and environments. In 2016, I founded a project to finance and deliver educational supplies of over 150 children in the coastal village of Gomoa Fetteh, Ghana. In the summer of 2017, I researched and collaborated with an advocacy group in Ollantaytambo, Peru to fund the building of a primary school in the remote, mountainous village of Willoc Alto. Through these experiences, I not only continued to grow my passion for global development, but also challenged myself to see how and by what means others interact with the world around them.
After graduating, I followed my interest in conflict analysis and mitigation and began working as a research assistant in Paris, focusing on the concepts of memory, vengeance, and retributive justice in conflict. I then worked as a paralegal for the International Arbitration team at Bird & Bird LLP, focusing on Middle Eastern and North African arbitral cases. Here, I have gained the necessary technical knowledge on international law, and the mechanisms at work behind international negotiations, treaties, and relations.
Throughout my travels and the different places I have lived, I have been able to keep my connection to my hometown of Palmer, Alaska strong through my favorites hobbies: climbing (both on rock and ice), hiking, snowboarding, and backpacking.
Meeting through a mutual friend, I have had the pleasure and privilege to get to know Sherman Teichman, and in turn, this incredible community he has created. Joining the Trebuchet fills me with both a sense of great pride and of greater responsibility; it serves not only as a network of inspiring global actors, but a wholly necessary conduit for multidisciplinary connections and collaborations that ignite innovative projects for a prosperous future.
Sandenna is a wonderful friend and an extraordinary asset for The Trebuchet. I recently had a fun moment when having introduced her to Anne Gibbon, who inevitably was impressed by her and asked my permission to hire her away from The Trebuchet, which I immediately granted. And now, as one wonderful outcome of Convisero, they are both working closely together to develop Matri. Matri aims to drive the research agenda and the standard for human machine interfaces, leading the development of software and hardware products that redefine the human relationship to machines and the data language used to communicate with them and measure our world. Sandenna continues to assist me.
Tulliver Lines
Intern/Amanuensis
I am a rising senior at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, where I study English literature.
I’ve lived in Brookline my whole life, where Sherman has always been a neighborly presence. While my interests often take me to the deep parts of library stacks that are totally sunlight-free, Sherman has persuaded me to work with him and to look out at the world through his eyes for a little while. My passions draw me most to Middle Eastern affairs, and, at times, Central and Eastern Europe.
My mother– a close friend of Sherman and his wife– was a Moscow Correspondent in the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation from 1986 to 1993, and from her I’ve received both an education and a continuing interest in the world. My own writing tends toward the creative side, but I am eager to find ways of narrativizing the research that I and others do, and to describe both the physical and emotional aspects of being a part of an outward-looking community.
My area of personal inquiry right now centers on the poet Louis Zukofsky, and on the placement of Jewish perspectives in the first wave of literary Modernism. That interest more or less inevitably intersects with one in modern Israel and its place in the Middle East, as well as the tensions and differences between diasporic and Israeli Jews.
I spent last year reading English at Lincoln College, Oxford There, I was able to broaden my mind to include the principles of American and British literature simultaneously. I hope to work further to allow such simultaneities to flourish, as they seem to me to constitute the most useful kind of understanding in the sense of ‘an understanding’, something which exists between and not just within people. Such understandings are what allow me to do my work, as they delimit that which can be a subject, whether an image in my poetry or in the day-to-day observations that I use in my prose.
Through that desire to have and work (live) within limits, I take an interest in the world and world affairs. The general ‘tide’ of history seems to be an exertion of gravity (towards or away from capitalism, democracy, liberalism, authoritarianism, etc.) in the all-important space of ideas, while in the world, curiosity and joy are felicitous surroundings for the soul.
If to have a community is to have people who fascinate, who drive one into the world, who change ‘before one’s eyes,’ I hope to have this one bring me into a different level of interest in the good unfolding around the world (outside the Anglosphere particularly) even in the present time.
“I thoroughly anticipate a fun-filled, mirthful time with Tulliver. I surely cannot know what will evolve, but I know it will yield fascinating outcomes. He is a fencer in spirit and sport. With this foilist, there will be a lot of parries and ripostes ahead. He has chosen among other tasks, as yet to-be-defined responsibilities, to take on the complexity of my calendar and scheduling across the globe, meeting our community and decisively engaging, attracting, and perplexing one and all. Our first days began with his ambivalence towards Remi, informing me he cares not a whit about sport, that his diversions into Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy distract him from his beloved Kenyon Review and translations of Slavic poetry. What a compelling brew. I wonder whether we will ever get anything done given our propensity to talk together.
Maria Udalova
Intern
I’ve had a diverse upbringing across Cyprus, London, Miami and Orlando, facilitated by my parent’s love for new adventures and change in environment. My parents also instilled in me a passion for the arts and humanities from an early age, taking my brother and I to museums, theatres, exhibitions, and historic sites around the world - a passion that’s still prevalent in my everyday life.
I’m a rising junior at Brookline High School and at BHS, I’m part of the Mock Trial, Model UN, and Speech and Debate clubs. I’ve found that they’re incredible platforms through which I can engage in exciting discourse, challenge and improve my argumentative skills, and meet many wonderful people.
Additionally, I participate in my school’s Climate and Food Justice club through which I write for the Greenzine, a forum for news, opinion and creative expression about climate change, outdoor education and the environment. Engaging in this club and contributing to the zine this year has ignited my growing interest for international environmental policy, a field I am enthusiastic about pursuing in the future.
Outside of school I play rugby, work as an artist in a pottery studio, and volunteer at the Brookline food pantry. When I have a few hours to spare, I love to bury my nose in a book, start a new art project or hang out with my friends.
I met Sherman when he came to my Global Leadership class at school as a guest speaker, after which I sought him out in hopes of working for him over the summer and beyond. I found him to be captivating and delightful to be around, and I can’t wait to see what working on the Trebuchet with them will bring me.
Maria has proven to be an extraordinary, delightful and productive contributor to making The Trebuchet to be more disciplined and organized than I could have hoped :). She has won second place in the Massachusetts state-wide debate championship. She has broken precedent in enabling me to successful sponsor a high school student to become an Oslo Scholar. Given her Russian and Ukrainian language skills, she will be working with an Oslo Scholar human rights activist from Belarus. I have had tremendous fun recommending her for her MENSA award.
Mikaëla Lavandero
Intern
I am a rising junior at Princeton University pursuing a degree in sociology with minors in cognitive science and creative writing. I was born and raised in New York City before briefly living in Cambridge, Massachusetts towards the end of high school.
Speaking both French and Spanish at home, I had always been interested in pursuing linguistics and integrating languages in my work. During the summer of 2023, I interned for Americans for Immigrant Justice, a non-profit in Miami, Florida. I was a legal assistant and helped with various forms and motions for court as well as interviewed clients over the phone and in person at Broward Transitional Center. All of our clients were detained immigrants seeking legal advice. I conducted one-hour interviews with each of them, often translating between French, Spanish, and English, before passing along their information to our staff attorneys who provided legal advice. Although fascinated by immigration law, I have had most of my experience working for organizations in the criminal justice system. I interned for the Emancipating Initiative, a non-profit in Boston with the goal of ending life sentences without parole. I was able to speak with our founder, Derrick Washington, who is currently incarcerated, about our goals and initiatives as an organization. I worked alongside staff attorneys who provided legal advice and aid to our clients behind bars. I also volunteered for a UCLA Law data project that helped track COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates behind bars in various ICE detention facilities during the summer of 2021.
On campus, I am the vice president of Princeton Students for Immigrant Empowerment (PSIE) and the French Language Head for the Princeton University Language Project (PULP). Through both of these organizations, I have been able to foster my passion for languages and immigration law. I am also part of the staff of our daily newspaper The Daily Princetonian and I copy edit for one of our campus literary journals The Nassau Weekly. I am also a student volunteer for a program called El Centro where I teach English to Princeton University staff and I volunteer with Solidaridad, an immigration organization that does similar work to my internship with Americans for Immigrant Justice.
Through these various experiences, I have learned the importance of communication and dialogue and I am thrilled to join the team. I was introduced to Sherman Teichman through my mother, who was in Sherman’s EPIIC class of 1994. I look forward to learning from my peers and colleagues through the impressive work of the Trebuchet team.
This is another wonderful intergenerational relationship. I have always desired to be sufficiently active and alert :) to work with, support, and mentor the children of my alumni. This is an excellent, productive working relationship. Knowing of Micki’s interest in human rights and carceral systems, she is working closely with Marc Asnin on his 578 project, Final Words.
Mata Wakefield
Intern
I am currently a sophomore in the screened fine arts department at Edward R. Murrow High School in New York City. Growing up in New York City has made me appreciative of people’s cultures and I’ve become conscious of how I’m constantly exposed to so much diversity. My parents both have jobs that focus on international affairs and I have grown up listening and participating in their conversations, which has created a sense of global awareness and curiosity about the world.
I am still figuring out and exploring what I’m interested in but right now I’m passionate about environmental issues and climate change. Outside of school, I enjoy printmaking and rock climbing. I also play soccer and recently started volunteering at a local non-profit organization. I enjoy learning about astronomy, history, and sociology but I’m especially interested in climate change and environmental issues. This summer I’m studying in Portugal to learn more about how humans are impacting our climate and ecosystems and what we can do to mitigate that impact.
My dad introduced me to Sherman, who was his professor when he was a student at Tufts University. I am excited to work with Sherman and learn more through working with him and being part of The Trebuchet.
One could not fail to be impressed by this young woman and knowing her lineage :) I know this is going to be a wonderful reciprocal working relationship.
Felix Bhattacharya
Intern
I am a current Junior at Tufts University pursuing a degree in International Relations and Civic Studies and have been selected for the 5-year combined BA/MALD at Fletcher. While I was originally born in Newton, Ma — I moved to Berlin, Germany when I was 6 and grew up there most of my life. I moved back to the US for high school, and lived in Pittsburgh, PA for those four years. Being half-German and half-Indian, I have always loved to travel and explore the world. Academically, I have found a profound interest in international law and its purpose, as well as AI and how we will have to assess both its potential and risks.
Outside of class, I play tennis, act on the stage, and compete on the Tufts Mock Trial team. This past summer, I worked in Berlin on a new global forum called Berlin Global Dialogue — which brought together leaders from the public and private sector. I love finding opportunities for dialogue across different opinions, and believe dialogue and collaboration can lead to a better understanding of the world and its primary issues.
My love for theatre and tennis, have taught me about teamwork and collaboration — the importance of trusting your partner, whether it be on the stage or courts with partners or in everyday life. My life experiences have taught me to never make assumptions about individuals and always trying to enter a conversation with an open mind.
Learning more about the IGL and its mission, through taking EPIIC (‘23) and being the Vice-President of Tufts Amnesty International, has shown me the power of a wide international network. I joined Trebuchet as an intern to learn more about the power of collaboration and dialogue, and how it can help make the world a better place.
I will be the wonderful opportunity with Felix for the next several years as he has been accepted to Fletcher in the highly competitive BA/MALD program. This will also be an intergenerational relationship for me as he has introduced me to his father Professor C.B. Bhattacharya, a mentor who will also be a lecturer at Sai University and helping me continue to honor the memory Bory Damyanova.
DAVID RUBIN
Network Coordinator
I am a rising Senior at Dartmouth College studying International Relations and Geography. My time in school has focused on subjects of nuclear non-proliferation and geopolitical conflict with my regions of interest being the Middle East and Russia. At Dartmouth, I have been named a War and Peace Fellow at the Dickey Institute of International Understanding.
These academic interests and a family connection led me to Sherman, who introduced me to Trebuchet and Student Pugwash USA. With Sherman’s guidance, I have created a Pugwash Student organization at Dartmouth with the goal of creating a community to reflect and discuss subjects of Nuclear and advanced weaponry technologies and their implications on geopolitics. Our meetings involve dissecting publications put forward by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists or the International Security Journal, in addition to exploring recent headlines surrounding International Security and WMDs. Our group is currently 25 strong and highly motivated!
I am also involved with the Dartmouth varsity Squash team. As a returning senior and 4 year varsity letter winner, I will be at the helm of the team next year as one of its captains.
As a dual citizen of America and France, the ability to navigate two languages and cultures is my strong suit. In the spring of 2021, I took a gap year to live in Paris, where I worked as a paralegal at Gobert et Associes, a French real estate law firm. My duties at the firm involved judicial research and the management of dozens of British homeowners in France participating in a class action suit. This opportunity provided me the opportunity to navigate a fully professional francophone environment.
With my head now geared towards the foreign service, being a member of the Trebuchet team is an honor. The Trebuchet’s goals of creating meaningful dialogues amongst people of various opinions and backgrounds is essential to tackling multinational issues. I look forward to furthering these dialogues and to growing the Trebuchets vast network of avid and like-minded individuals.
David is a really interesting part of a lineage. I first became aware of his parents, Anne-Marie Codoeur and Ron Rubin, when they were co-founders of the University of the Middle East alongside Keith Fitzgerald, then one of my students who I helped advise. I had the advantage of a sustained period of time because of the unique Dartmouth framework, and in the months that we worked together, he wonderfully touched every aspect of this web and its projects in a deliberate, organized, and effective manner. He was tremendous fun to work with. He introduced me to the world of squash and all the hidden parks and places of Brookline.
Rachel Svetanoff
Advisor, Archivist, “Avatar”
My educational and professional career is a harmony of different paths best narrated in my Convisero mentor profile. I joined The Trebuchet after serving my last Board term alongside Sherman at Student Pugwash USA. Due to our vast array of alignments, I became quickly integrated into the Convisero community. The opportunity to continue collaborating with Sherman as a colleague and become what we jocularly refer to as an “Avatar” (a title given to one who connects many Convisero community members together), has been a riotous yet sincerest joy in my professional journey. My roles with The Trebuchet have evolved over the growing years including working on accounting administration, archiving, and advising. Regardless of what I do in the moment, however, I am always learning from Sherman and as my professional capabilities grow, I always try to apply it here and give back.
Naomi Michaelson
I am currently an MPH candidate in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, with a certificate in Sex, Sexuality, and Reproductive Health. Before living in New York City, I spent the last four years in Washington, DC at George Washington University, getting my BS in Public Health with a double minor in Geography and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
I am deeply passionate about reproductive health – particularly abortion access, sex education, and reproductive healthcare delivery in fragile and humanitarian settings. I believe that access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare is a human right, and I hope to devote my career to securing that right for everyone. I am currently getting trained to be an abortion doula by Advocates for Youth, with the goal of getting involved in direct care and strengthening my practitioner toolkit to include holistic, emotional caregiving.
Prior to this focus on reproductive health, I specialized in the nexus of climate change and health from a feminist theoretical perspective. At the start of the pandemic, I worked for the MGH Center for Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health. I took graduate courses at Yale School of Public Health to get my certificate in climate change and health, diving deep into climate change adaptation, mitigation, and communication strategies – all through the lens of human health. My paper titled “The Impacts of Climate Change on Black Girl’s and Women’s Health” was eventually published and is available online! I also worked as a project manager for Seaside Sustainability, leading the Legislative Advocacy team in a campaign to lobby for stricter PFAS regulations in Massachusetts. This experience in policy led me to work for Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, TB, and Malaria (a lobbying arm of the Global Fund), through which I became entrenched in the world of DC politics.
One of my favorite parts of undergrad was the radio show I co-hosted with my best friend. Each week, we would pick a different disease and talk about its biology and history while playing music that (somewhat) related to the disease. Some of my favorites were Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men (for rabies), The Mosquito by The Doors (for malaria), and O Mary Don’t You Weep by Bruce Springsteen (for typhoid). Beyond public health, I have been shaped by years of performing improv comedy. It may sound silly, but improv is one of the greatest lessons in quick thinking, empathy building, speaking to a crowd, and working under pressure, allowing me to feel most comfortable in the uncomfortable and unknown. Comedy is deeply important, especially when working in an emotional field. I am also trained in Mental Health First Aid, so if you ever need someone to talk to I am just a phone call away.
Jonathan Talmor
I am a rising senior at Brookline High School, who has been on the football team and rowing team. I am part of my school’s Jewish Student Union club and participate in the film club. My interest in international relations is partially derived from my Israeli heritage. Every summer going to Israel as a kid, politics and war were always topics spoken about all around me. This being the case I have taken a keen interest in learning about them. In addition I also love learning foreign languages. I am fluent in Hebrew and take Chinese and Japanese as language classes at school. Outside of school, if I am on a shift at my part time job, I am either making music, playing basketball and soccer, or hanging out with my friends or family. I also enjoy reading when I am looking for a quiet time.
Sherman is my next door neighbor and has been a long time friend of my family and I. Sherman one day presented me with this internship opportunity and a chance to help build the community on the Trebuchet, while learning a lot about my personal interests. As for my future, I eventually either want to practice law or start a business. This being said, I believe building communities of people from all over the world and learning more about international relations are very important in contributing to this goal.
In the end international relations have a tie to everything in one way or another. It impacts so much of our everyday lives. The Trebuchet really helps this message become clear and helps make the best connections between many different people and places.
I am a rising senior at Tufts University pursuing a degree in International Relations and Arabic. I was born in Northern California, raised for the most part in Washington, D.C., but moved around a lot between the two, having lived in 13 houses by the time I graduated high school. Not quite ready to settle in one place for college, I took a gap year to move to Rabat, Morocco where I took language classes, lived with a host family, and volunteered to teach English, until COVID hit, forcing me to return home. Having played soccer my whole life, it wasn’t until one afternoon in a back alley of Marrakech when I stumbled upon a group of kids kicking around a soccer ball that I understood the extent of the global nature of the game and its ability to bring any two humans together. Since then, I have been interested in conflict resolution and the advancement of women’s rights through sports.
On campus, I am President of the Middle East Research Group (MERG) under the IGL and serve as captain of the Tufts University Women’s Football Club. With MERG I traveled to Cyprus to conduct research on education policies for refugee children. Additionally, I helped put on symposiums on Freedom of The Press and the United States’ pullout of Afghanistan, along with smaller panels and weekly current events discussions.
I just finished a semester at the University of Jordan on a full immersion program where I took classes, explored the country, and volunteered at Squash Dreamers, an organization that provides the opportunity for young refugee girls to play squash and learn English. I am currently an Oslo Scholar, working for the Centre for Applied NonViolent Action and Strategies, completing weekly country reports and researching fundraising strategies for global pro-democracy movements. Through the scholar’s program, I was able to attend the Oslo Freedom Forum in Norway this June, connecting with activists and dissidents from around the world.
I was connected with Sherman through Grace Spalding-Fecher, a recent Tufts alumni and former Trebuchet intern. I am honored to be a part of this community and excited to work with Sherman and the rest of the Trebuchet team on our many overlapping interests.
Josh Hirshberg
Intern
I am a rising senior at Newton North High School in Newton, MA, planning on pursuing a degree in International Relations in college. Ever since I was little, I was always fascinated by the intersectionality of the world. I would find myself diving down rabbit holes relating to history, geography, politics, astronomy, environmental issues, and other various topics that piqued my interest. Nowadays, I’m specifically interested in how governments use physical resources to gain leverage over others. For territorial, economic, and environmental reasons, the growing disparity in global resources is actively shaping the world we live in.
I am involved in my school community, where I am a varsity Nordic Skier, statistician of the varsity Football team, officer of the Film club, and am a member of the Plant Parenthood (gardening) and Trailblazers (hiking) clubs. I have attended Camp Becket for all of my life, where I am going to be working as a Leader in Training this summer. This LIT program includes a two week service trip to the Sioux Nation in South Dakota. In addition to this volunteer trip, I participated in DCEP West, a four week service trip—also through Camp Becket— to Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding regions, as well as locally assisting in food preparation and delivery through Lasagna Love and Yad Chased.
I know Sherman through a connection with my Uncle, who has been next door neighbors with Sherman in Cape Cod for decades. My interests align perfectly with The Trebuchet’s initiatives, and I know that the experience I’ll have and the people I’ll meet working on this project will be fascinating and resourceful. I am honored and ecstatic to become an active member of The Trebuchet community.
Josh was a pleasure to work with. He will be entering university next year.
Yoni Tsapira
Intern
I am a rising senior at Brookline High School. I am on the rowing team, where I am the captain of the varsity crew team and a three-year varsity athlete. I am also the vice president and co-founder of the economics club at Brookline High School.
My interest in international relations led me to take the Global Leadership class offered at Brookline High School, ultimately leading me to Sherman, where he was a speaker. Since my father is Israeli, my interest in international relations originated from the Israel-Palistinian conflict. In addition, this aligns with my interest in languages, as I am fluent in Hebrew and proficient in Chinese. I feel that international relations and political science relate to everything and everyone and are very interdisciplinary. They affect both peoples day to day lives and the way the world works. Not enough is known about other countries here in America, which is very near-sighted. I also enjoy traveling; I have gone to Israel several times and previously volunteered in Costa Rica over the summer, and I plan on going to many more.
I look forward to learning more about the Trebuchet and am eager to contribute in any way that I can.
Naomi Michelson
Ingyin Khine
Human Rights Intern
I’m a junior at Tufts University studying International Relations with a concentration in Global Health. On campus, I am a board member at Tufts South Asian Regional Committee (SARC) and Maternal Advocacy and Research for Community Health (MARCH). I also participated in the EPIIC Class of 2019-2020: Preventing Genocide and Mass Atrocities and learned about the complexities of Genocide studies and state atrocities.
I was born and raised in Yangon, Myanmar. For the past few months since February 1st, I have witnessed my country fall under dictatorship again for the 3rd time and the people fighting for freedom once again. While it breaks my heart every day to see the Burmese military and other oppressive institutions continue to terrorize the people, the unbent revolutionary spirits of my people continue to inspire me to keep fighting for freedom daily.
While I was still in Yangon over the past year, I worked with numerous organizations doing whatever we can to help maintain the resistance. Whether it is through fundraising or teaching kids who have been resisting the regime by refusing to go to school or through helping out with a campaign to memorialize everyone who has fallen during the revolution, I've been trying to keep my hopes up during what seems to be a very bleak time for my country.
During and after college, I hope to continue to fight for human rights and justice for all the oppressed groups of the world. I joined the Trebuchet to be involved with and learn from a community of like-minded individuals who are all so passionate about their work.
Liz Shelbred
Human Rights Intern
From a young age, my parents instilled within me the power of curiosity, and provided me with the resources to broaden my perspective. My travels to various parts of the world sparked my interests in human rights, migration, and conflict resolution, and led me to research the transformative power of critical pedagogy.
I am a senior at Tufts University pursuing a double major in International Relations and Civic Studies, with concentrations in Security and Peace and Justice Studies. Since my first year at Tufts, The Tufts Daily has provided me not only with a strong community but also a means of preserving the truth and mobilizing change on campus. I have served as Associate Editor, Executive Opinion Editor, and a member of the Editorial Board. Currently, I write for the Investigative section and am on the Journalism Education and Diversity Report Committees at the Daily. I have also been a member of Amnesty International at Tufts, where I have learned about practical ways to prevent human rights abuses and deliver justice. Additionally, as part of the Tufts Experimental College’s Explorations program, I am teaching a first-year course on the covert history of CIA involvement in Latin America.
I followed my interest in transformative education to Education for Employment (EFE), where I aided in assembling a global network of prominent influencers, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists to fund and promote EFE’s Fall 2020 Women’s Empowerment campaign across the MENA region. In the spring of 2020, I volunteered with the World Peace Foundation to track the spread of COVID-19 in prisons, jails, and ICE detention centers. With the Oslo Scholars program at the Tufts Institute for Global Leadership, I interned for Jamila Raqib and the Albert Einstein Institution this summer. There, I tracked nonviolent action in the news, researched the role of digital technologies and social media in nonviolent resistance, and aided in developing the AEI 2.0 platform. In October, I will be attending the Oslo Freedom Forum in Miami.
After college, I hope to pursue a career in human rights law and conflict resolution. I joined The Trebuchet to follow my belief in education and community to be the keys to dismantling systems of oppression and division.
Grace spalding-fecher
Human Rights Intern
I am a senior at Tufts University majoring in International Relations and French with a concentration in globalization. I chose this combination as a way to further explore my interests in human rights, international affairs and migration that have been inspired by lived and learned experiences. I spent a wonderful childhood in Cape Town, South Africa where I lived until my family decided to return to the US. My experience growing up there informs many of my current interests and choice in classes as a way to understand the society and system that surrounded me growing up. In my course that explored historical perspectives on crises in Africa I wrote a paper about the rise of Afrikaner Nationalism in South Africa and how that created the foundation for the Apartheid state. Other courses such as Political Violence in State and Society, and Race and US-Africa Relations have allowed me to explore the intersectionality of these interests.
Outside of my courses I am the leader of Amnesty International at Tufts, where we work to raise awareness of human rights abuses and host weekly discussions about current events. This past semester we worked with other student groups to put on a symposium on Preserving and Promoting Freedom of the Press, which brought together journalists and activists many who are Institute for Global Leadership alumni. We also hosted a screening and discussion of The Dissident and participated in Amnesty’s Write for Rights Campaign.
With the Oslo Scholars program, I interned last summer for Vanessa Tsehaye and One Day Seyoum, an Eritrean human rights advocacy organization. Through my work with them I learned about the role and positive impact that NGOs can have on human rights issues. I worked with them to track human rights abuses in Eritrea and develop a strong administrative foundation as a new NGO. As part of the internship, I attended the Oslo Freedom Forum in Miami, FL, where I listened to and met many activists, politicians, and dissidents. While they all came from different countries and backgrounds, I was inspired by the way they were united in their fight against oppressive regimes and political disenfranchisement.
More recently I finished my spring semester abroad in Paris, where I was fortunate enough to further my French studies and explore my love for art history through complete cultural and linguistic immersion. In addition, it gave me the chance to explore and observe the intersection of my interest in international affairs and human rights from a different vantage point. Learning how to discuss those issues in French and continuing those conversations in my courses and homestay gave me invaluable insight into a non-American perspective.
I am honored to be a part of the Trebuchet and join a community of passionate like-minded individuals. I am excited to become involved in the Trebuchet’s work and contribute to the meaningful dialogues within this community.
Shaheer Rahman
SaiU Global Challenges Intern
As an incoming junior at the Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po, I have spent the last two years in Menton, France, where I am studying Economics and Sociology with a concentration on the MENA region, and will spend the next two years in New York, where I’ll study Economics and Political Science. Originally from Dallas and a child of Muslim immigrants from Pakistan, I grew up in a diverse, multicultural, and interfaith community that instilled in me a desire to promote understanding and collaboration in my life and career.
Living in Europe has afforded me rewarding experiences that have significantly impacted my worldview. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to learn more about European culture and life as I’ve travelled throughout the EU, and I’ve also been able to learn French. Moreover, to delve into my interests in interfaith collaboration and peacebuilding, I had the opportunity to conduct a research project at the American University of Cairo, where I studied the common national identity and bonds between the city’s Muslim and Coptic communities. I am currently further exploring this interest at the Embodying Peace fellowship, where I am working with an NGO in the West Bank to help empower Palestinian women and learn about civil society peacebuilding in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I’ve also been able to make weekly visits to Italy to assist the migrant and refugee communities on the Franco-Italian border during the pandemic.
I was inspired to join The Trebuchet at Embodying Peace, where Sherman Teichman is a Senior Advisor to the fellows. There, I learned about the amazing work the Trebuchet does, and was also able to occasionally visit Convisero webinars. I am truly excited to contribute to and learn from the work that Sherman and The Trebuchet do and have started this by becoming a teaching assistant for his Global Challenges course at Sai University.
Ravi Patel
Global Affairs Intern
I am a rising junior at Tufts University majoring in International Relations, with a concentration in security. As a child of Indian immigrants with a multicultural upbringing, I was introduced to the importance of global citizenship from an early age. Paired with my interests in strategic affairs and language learning which I developed in part due to my background, I felt compelled to merge my passions into my current academic track.
My experiences at Tufts and with the IGL have allowed me to thoroughly engage with humanitarianism and international security. Through my Arabic courses, I was able to interview Middle Eastern refugees about their personal struggles and advance my comprehension of significant Middle Eastern political events, such as the Arab Spring, and their ramifications on the individual level. As the ROTC representative for ALLIES, I organized and participated in meetups between military fellows at The Fletcher School and cadets, and through these conversations I was able to better grasp the real-world applications of theoretical frameworks of international relations, along with the essentialness of incorporating diplomacy and soft power to advance national interests. I have also been involved with MERG as the IGL Liaison and Outreach Coordinator, where I have been able to greatly deepen my understanding of Middle Eastern humanitarian and security affairs, organize panels with highly esteemed speakers, and truly discover the impressive network of IGL alumni.
I was drawn to The Trebuchet due to my eagerness to collaborate with Sherman and the rest of the Trebuchet team in their inspirational work. My journey has began here with becoming a teaching assistant for Sherman’s Global Challenges course at Sai University. I hope to contribute to an outstanding community and bridge divides across all groups and cultures.
Grace Patrice
Intern
I am a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where I double concentrated in Marketing and Management and was a part of its varsity swim team. While my degrees have landed me a corporate marketing job, most of my interests up to this point have been within healthcare, specifically producing and publishing research that compares the cost effectiveness of various cancer treatments with the intent of informing the proper allocation of finite treatment resources.
I know Sherman through my parents and their Cape Cod circle, which brought us together as friends initially but has led to a wonderful mentor-mentee relationship. His eclectic interests, experiences, and community has given me the space to try to find a place for my intrinsic desire to do something more socially impactful, which cannot be fulfilled through my current position. He has let me into the Trebuchet community, which is one I am honored to be a part of and hope to contribute to in a meaningful way.
Ashleigh Mahabir
Marketing & Events Intern
I was fortunately born and raised on the multicultural island, Trinidad, where I was exposed to many different backgrounds, cultures, and traditions. I, myself, am a product of many different racial, and cultural fusions as I proudly identify as a half Lebanese, half mixed West Indian. My home country, personal identity and world exposure from travel has deeply instilled in me a passion for learning about and working with people stemming from different communities. With this passion, I am on a journey to do work regarding human rights, migration, and conflict resolution.
I am currently a senior at Tufts University, where I am working toward a major in International Relations, with a concentration in Globalization, and a minor in Spanish. My life at Tufts thus far has granted me with amazing opportunities to further my passions in human rights, migrations, and conflict resolution. I have conducted research on topics such as the Syrian refugee crisis, gender violence in Latin American countries, and the development of many global cities. In my Spanish classes, I have been able to advance my understanding in, not only the language, but also developments of the social, cultural, and political formations in Spanish speaking countries as well as I have engaged with many native speakers about many interesting topics such as discrimination against minorities. Beyond the classroom, I have elevated my interest in working with a range of different people, including children, through my engagement with the Tufts Peace Games club. There, I visit elementary schools to educate young children about mindfulness, mental health, and peace.
My life experiences to date have sculpted me into an individual who really hopes to get to know, work with and help as many people as I possibly can. After I graduate, I hope to work with minority groups, such as refugees, residing in the United States through making sure that they are receiving the resources and opportunities that they have rights to. For this reason, I am truly exhilarated to work with The Trebuchet, an incredibly intelligent and passionate community that will aid me on my journey to become a well-informed, responsible global citizen.
Alessandra Torres
Intern
I am a Junior at Tufts University studying Psychology and Food Systems and Nutrition. While I am truly fascinated by a shockingly widespread range of topics within the social and behavioral sciences, I often find that these subjects are more integrated than they initially appear. With this combination of interests, I am excited to learn more about the intersection of brain health, environmental exposures, social pressures, and other distinctly human problems.
I am from Chicago, and grew up sailing on Lake Michigan. At Tufts, I am a member of the Varsity Sailing Team, and right now am enjoying racing in as many new venues and fleets as I can. This past summer, I drove a chartered boat cross-country from the East Coast to San Diego to compete on the Mexican border, where we ranked second place nationally.
In high school, I was fortunate enough to have a pretty spectacular early singing career with the Voice of Chicago, where I had the opportunity to perform with Yo-Yo Ma, Bobby McFerrin, Chance the Rapper, Common, and several other acclaimed musicians internationally.
As someone who can hardly remain static, I have always harbored a passion for global exploration and immersion. Most recently, I have acquired a newfound love of scuba diving, and am extremely excited to continue traveling after I graduate and deepen my ventures.
I was introduced to Sherman Teichman through my parents, who were in Sherman’s EPIIC classes of ‘93 and ‘94. I am incredibly grateful to have been welcomed into this community, and am constantly awed and inspired by everyone who I have met within it. As such, I am extraordinarily proud and excited to join the Trebuchet and contribute to its mission.
Lomax Turner (2020-2021)
Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, I was raised by Russian immigrants and a resilient queer community. This upbringing sparked a desire to help communities suffering under systemic forms of oppression and conflict around the world; hence, studying International Relations and Russian at Tufts University was a natural continuation.
My education has allowed for a number of worthwhile experiences, such as competing in rigorous competitions all across America with Tufts Varsity Swim & Dive, navigating the complexities of collectivist culture by living in Moscow, and providing psychosocial and educational support to asylum seekers on the Greek Islands.
But it was the life-changing class EPIIC I took at the Institute of Global Leadership (IGL), that changed the way I thought about education right at a time when I was struggling to find my way in academia. Feeling burnt out from years of repetitive, short-term-based learning, this experimental class single-handedly brought my love of learning back. Not only did I acquire an arsenal of nuanced knowledge in the field of forced migration, I also organized an international symposium with renowned speakers, mentored high school students, and was also able to tap into an incredible network of brilliant IGL alumni.
I joined The Trebuchet to continue my journey with the IGL and to give back to a community that has already graced me with so much.
Julia Shufro (2020-2021)
I am a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) Candidate at The Fletcher School (Class of 2024), with concentrations in International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, as well as International Law. Additionally, I was the Exchange Student Representative for Fletcher at Sciences Po - the Paris School of International Affairs, where I studied coercive diplomacy and humanitarian law for Fall 2022. During my graduate studies, I was selected for Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation, in which I gained advanced diplomatic negotiation skills. I was an undergraduate at Tufts University (Class of 2022), majoring in French and in History. On campus, I was the President of La Société Française, on the board of the Tufts Tap Ensemble, and an active member of the Tufts History Society. I participated in the EPIIC Class of 2019-2020: Preventing Genocide and Mass Atrocities, in which I immersed myself into the theory and practice of genocide studies and learned about the complexities of preventing mass atrocity crimes.
Currently, I work for the Department of State, in foreign service, focusing on public diplomacy and European and Eurasian Affairs. My past research pertains to the creation of an international court of environmental justice, the failure to prevent the Rohingya genocide in Rakhine State, Myanmar, and how to alter international policy to allow for greater intervention without the Security Council Veto. I have always loved the study of history and human rights, and I am passionate about cultural immersions, travel, and foreign languages. My most recent publication was an Op-ed about the coup in Myanmar and about an idealistic end to mass atrocity crimes ensuing there. Additionally, I was an Oslo Scholar for the Human Rights Foundation’s Oslo Freedom Forum. With this program, I interned for the Ufolo Studies Center for Good Governance in Angola. There, I worked with Rafael Marques de Morais on civic engagement and human rights and nonviolence education for police officers.
I believe in the potency of personal anecdotes in teaching tolerance, respect, and the courage to care. My goal as a future educator and humanitarian is to teach and inspire altruism and to understand the world around me to the best of my ability.
Jérôme Krumenacker (2016-2021)
Jérôme joined The Trebuchet at its founding in 2016, transitioning directly from his Tufts undergraduate study and the final EPIIC year under my direction, The Future of Europe. The Trebuchet being a startup, he, from the beginning, took on an evolving role encompassing all aspects of our work until his departure in 2021. From the very inception of The Trebuchet, he was a brilliant and insightful critic and a greatly valued intellectual colleague.
I joined The Trebuchet with the goal of learning how to design and structure an educational program and approach like EPIIC, so successfully mentored students in embracing complexity and thinking entrepreneurially. I had been inspired by two key lessons I absorbed. First, students can consistently rise above expectations - even their own - when they are given ownership of and responsibility for outcomes beyond their isolated learning. Second, by flattening the distance between students and experts, not only did our education benefit immensely, but many who taught and mentored us deeply appreciated the value of the experience as well. In many cases, they took EPIIC students on in mentoring relationships.
I’ve witnessed in the past years the community created by three decades of EPIIC and other Institute programs. Both of the lessons I learned were integral to the nurturing of that community, and now describe The Trebuchet's approach. The two aspects of this mission are inextricably linked - we can only confront global issues as part of a community with a shared ethos. By mentoring the next generation, that community will remain vital and resilient.
Cody Valdes (2008-2016) (2021-)
Cody Valdes received his MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History from Cambridge University and his BA in Political Science (Suma, Phi Beta Kappa) from Tufts University in 2013, where he engaged in many of the programs of the Institute for Global Leadership. These included its EPIIC colloquium, Empower Program of Social Entrepreneurship, Discourse Journal, Poverty and Power Research Initiative, Solar for Gaza/Sderot, and Synaptic Scholars. Working with Engineers without Borders counterparts from the U.S. Air Force Academy, he created the Mango Tree Project, an Engineers without Borders initiative for the Agahozo-Shalom Orphans Village in Rwanda. In Kenya, he was co-founder of an organization Sisi Ni Amani, which in Swahili means “We are Peace,” a peace-mapping initiative. After graduating, he served as a Teaching Assistant in Tufts' Department of Political Science and for the IGL during its year on the Future of Europe. He later worked with a team of therapists in Srinagar, Kashmir under the leadership of Justine Hardy to introduce a mind-body integration programme for youth in schools across the Kashmir Valley.
Cody was the critical detonator and in many ways the inspiration for The Trebuchet community effort. This wonderful relationship will continue as Cody has been named Senior Tutor for SaiU and my colleague in creating an EPIIC colloquium for the International Relations and Global Affairs program of which I am a Professor of Practice.