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Through our College Fellows program, we’re training the next generation of Louisiana leaders. Since 2021, more than 30 college students from Southern University, Louisiana State University, Tulane University, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette have completed the program, and several of our Fellows have gone on to jobs in government and/or the nonprofit advocacy sector. 

We offer three, 12-week Fellows sessions per year, and they each include 4-6 students. Participants are paid a small stipend for their work and they gain meaningful, hands-on experience:

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  • Researching & writing legislation 

  • Planning & executing policy campaigns 

  • Community organizing

  • Developing persuasive communications 

  • Building leadership skills


If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Louisiana Progress College Fellow, please email peter@louisianaprogress.org. Only undergraduate students at colleges in universities can apply.

"Working with Louisiana Progress was an invaluable opportunity and experience. I learned about how our government works and how crucial it is to inform the community and encourage them to get involved.
Louisiana Progress has truly been a treasure in preparing me for my career in politics."

-Mary Smith, Southern University

Current Fellows

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Keya Chanda-Rastogi
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Keya is currently a sophomore at Vanderbilt University, majoring in Political Science and Mathematics. She is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a city whose recent experiences with climate-induced natural disasters have shaped her passion for environmental justice. She is particularly interested in how systemic inequities for low-income and minority populations are worsened by rising temperatures.

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Jaiden Hines​
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Jaiden is a senior at Louisiana State University, double majoring in Political Science and Social Work. She is passionate about child welfare, juvenile justice reform, and the intersection of law and social services. As a future child advocacy lawyer, Jaiden is dedicated to ensuring every child has access to safe environments, quality education, and fair legal representation. She currently serves as an office liaison for Butler Snow law firm and participates in bond hearings with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and the Office of the Public Defender in East Baton Rouge Parish. An active member of multiple campus organizations, Jaiden is deeply engaged in leadership, service, and advocacy work. Guided by the belief that systemic change begins with empowering the most vulnerable, she strives to use her education and experiences to create lasting impact in her community. She lives by the words of Marian Wright Edelman: “If you don’t like the way the world is, you change it… one step at a time.”

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Alexandria Scott​
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Alexandria is a senior at the University of Louisiana- Lafayette, majoring in Criminal Justice with minors in Political Science and Arab Studies from Zachary, Louisiana. On campus she is the epistoleus of the Prestigious Pi Epsilon chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and a yoga instructor at her university's gym. Alexlandria has shown a dedication to public service, gaining years of volunteer experience within organizations such as Americorps. Outside of work, Alex enjoys trying new coffee shops, meditating, and spending time with loved ones.

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Ivy Thornton​
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Ivy is a graduating senior from Southern University and A & M college, majoring in political science. On campus, she's involved in pre-law society, Model United Nations club, and jaguar haven. She's originally from Los Angeles, CA, a place that is built on diversity and activism. Ivy has spent her years at Southern networking with public servants, advocating, and being a change agent for out of state students. Ivy plans on attending law school where she later would like to pursue a career in civil litigation.

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Cameron Valdez​
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Cameron is a senior at Louisiana State University studying political science on the pre‑law track. Originally from Houston, Texas, she was introduced to advocacy through Students Demand Action, a national gun‑violence‑prevention organization. That early experience sparked her interest in how policy is made and how it shapes the lives of low‑income and minority communities. She has since shifted her focus toward issues of affordability, exploring how public policy can expand access, stability, and opportunity for the communities most affected by rising costs.

Fellows Alumni

Adam Aldahir

Tulane University

Ryan Castellon

Louisiana State University

Jaloni Fry

Southern University

Maggie Johnson

Tulane University

Jordan Martijn

Southern University

Jacques Ponthier

Louisiana State University

Evan Thomas

Tulane University

Charles Barjon II

Southern University

Elijah Crawford

Southern University

Andrelle Garel

Southern University

Maya Jones

Southern University

Niara Mims

Southern University

Aria Rife

Louisiana State University

Justin Thomas Jr.

Southern University

Drake Brignac

Louisiana State University

Dayla Darden

Southern University

Bryce Hudson

Southern University

Stella Kustra

Tulane University

Merrilee Montgomery

Tulane University

Amaya Rosser

Southern University

Briley Wilkerson

Louisiana State University

Jhalen Brown

Southern University

Nathaniel De La Pena

Louisiana State University

Aniya Ingram

Southern University

Clare Lee

Tulane University

Jaidyn Nix

Southern University

Mary Smith

Southern University

Keondra Carter

Southern University

Jalexis Edwards

Southern University

Valerie Johnson

Southern University

Elai Levinson

Louisiana State University

Trishita Paul

Tulane University

Alex Thibodeaux

Louisiana State University

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