Braven and Rutgers–Newark’s CPRA place students in paid internships to build future civic leadership.
Launched by Braven and CPRA in 2024, the national program now includes students from San José State University and The City College of New York, placing Fellows in paid Congressional internships to jumpstart public service careers.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
David Terry
Braven, david.terry@bebraven.org
WASHINGTON, DC (June 25, 2025) – Originally launched in 2024 by the national nonprofit Braven and the Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America (CPRA) at Rutgers University–Newark, the Capitol Hill Policy Fellowship Program has expanded nationally in its second year. The program has doubled in size and now includes eight undergraduate Braven Fellows from Rutgers–Newark, San José State University, and The City College of New York, all placed in paid internships in Congressional offices in Washington, D.C.
Designed to address the early barriers that prevent many students who are first in their families to go to college and/or from low-income backgrounds from accessing public service careers, the Fellowship provides a comprehensive nine-week experience. Fellows receive fully covered housing, transportation, a professional wardrobe stipend, and a generous living allowance. They also receive personalized coaching, mentorship, and career development support from Braven and university partners.
“Our partnership with Braven is a natural extension of CPRA’s mission to explore and expand political participation among communities historically excluded from pathways to leadership,” said Dr. James Jones, Director of CPRA. “In just one year, we’ve seen the tangible impact: one of our inaugural Fellows is now a full-time Congressional staffer.” Jones, an expert on Congressional staff diversity, continued, “In my research, I have examined the barriers to access in politics, specifically on Capitol Hill—and through this program, we are working to remove them.”
Braven’s national leadership sees the fellowship as a critical extension of its broader goal: supporting students as they pursue economic mobility and leadership roles.
“At Braven, we believe that our nation is strongest when its leaders reflect the rich tapestry of its people,” said Aimée Eubanks Davis, CEO and Founder of Braven. “This fellowship is a natural extension of our work to help college students secure strong first jobs or gain admission to graduate school. We’re proud to support these Fellows as they explore careers in policy and government, build their networks, and prepare to lead with purpose.”
For Braven’s policy team, the program is also a way to ensure earlier access to influential opportunities—particularly in public service.
“For many students, this is their first exposure to policymaking as a career pathway,” said Shannon Hossinger, Managing Director of Public Policy at Braven. “By providing early access to paid internships in one of the most influential institutions in the country, we are cultivating the next generation of leaders who will shape the policies that impact their communities.”
This year’s Fellows are interning with members of Congress including Representative Lois Frankel, Representative Herb Conaway, and Representative Nydia M. Velázquez. Alumni of the inaugural cohort have already gone on to roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New Jersey Department of Health, and on Capitol Hill.
Fellows in the 2025 cohort include:
Rutgers University–Newark
San José State University
The City College of New York (CCNY)
Aliyah Saleem, a 2024 Fellow and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration graduate who interned with Rep. Velázquez (NY-07), reflected: “Being a legislative intern wasn’t just a title—it was a responsibility I carried with deep purpose. Working under Representative Velázquez was both humbling and empowering. She showed me what public service can and should be. As I look ahead, I’m inspired to build on the legacy she’s shaped and continue the work of lifting up the voices of those often unheard.”
The program is generously supported by Johnson & Johnson, which contributed $100,000 in 2024 to fund internship stipends in honor of the late Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, a trailblazing public servant. These funds help support the Rutgers-Newark students.
About Braven
Founded in 2013, Braven empowers promising young people with the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks necessary to transition from college to strong first jobs or graduate school. Braven is embedded within institutions of higher education and partners with employers to build cutting-edge career education into the undergraduate experience for rising college goers and provides students with a network of supporters. Braven Fellows are persisting in college and achieving exciting levels of internship and job attainment. For more information about Braven, visit braven.org.
About CPRA and Rutgers University-Newark
The Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America at Rutgers University–Newark explores the intersection of race and politics through research, education, and leadership development. Learn more at cpra.rutgers.edu.
Rutgers University–Newark (RU-N) is a diverse, urban, public research university that is an anchor institution in New Jersey’s cultural capital. It is exceptionally well positioned to fulfill higher education’s promise as an engine of discovery, innovation, and social mobility. It has a remarkable legacy of producing high-impact scholarship that is connected to the great questions and challenges of the world. It is in and of a city and region where its work on local challenges undertaken with partners from many sectors resonates powerfully throughout our urbanizing world. Most importantly, RU-N brings an incredible diversity of people to this work—students, faculty, staff, and community partners—making it more innovative, more creative, more engaging, and more relevant for our time and the times ahead.
