Meet our 2014 Summer Fellows
The Office of Public Witness believes that the formation of servant leaders and advocates is vital to the public policy ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
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| 2014 Summer Fellows (left to right) Anne Fyffe, David Clifford, Alissa Rashid, and Kyle Cristofalo wait in Georgetown to hear President Obama speak. |
Kyle Cristofalo recently received his Master of Divinity from
Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. He spent his
last semester participating in Wesley Theological Seminary’s National Capital
Semester and interning with us in the Office of Public Witness. Upon
graduation, Kyle stayed on as a Summer Fellow. With a M.Div. concentration in
Justice, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Transformation, he has spent much of his
time thinking through how religious communities can engage in creative practices
of peacemaking that work to overcome systems of injustice. Kyle hopes to serve
the church through work in the non-profit or private sector in organizations
committed to peace and justice issues. Of his time with us, Kyle said, “I am
beyond grateful for my six months of service to the Office of Public Witness.
From my start in January until finishing my service, I had the chance each day
to be immersed in the world of faith-based justice and political advocacy--work
that is at the heart of our Reformed faith. As I embark on the next part of my
journey, I am confident that my time at the OPW has equipped me with the skills
and resilience to serve the church and all of God's creation. I am honored to
be a member of a denomination so committed to bringing God's justice and
wholeness to our society and the world.”
Anne Fyffe hails from Dayton, OH, and finished her OPW Summer
Fellowship just in time to return home and graduate from The Ohio State
University with a degree in Public Affairs, with a specialization in Community
Organization and Civic Engagement. Anne’s Summer Fellowship was the capstone
project for her Public Affairs major. She plans to spend the coming year
working and traveling before beginning seminary in 2015. Anne is particularly
interested in issues surrounding poverty and inequality, including hunger,
housing and homelessness, incarceration and recidivism, and education. During
her time in the office, she worked primarily on domestic policy issues with a
special focus on childhood hunger. She says, “I am thrilled to have had this
experience to combine my faith and my passion for public policy. I have so
enjoyed learning more about how the faith community advocates for change in
Washington, DC, and how the PC(USA) is part of that.” This summer has also been
an opportunity to discern further God's call on her life.
Alissa Rashid is originally from Neenah, WI, and is entering in
her third year at Vanderbilt University. She is pursuing a major in Cognitive
Studies. At school, Alissa is very involved in campus life serving on UKIRK
council (Presbyterian campus ministry), Alternative Winter and Spring Breaks,
Alternative Gift Fair, and is looking forward to serving as Head Resident of a
first-year residence house beginning in August. Alissa was led to OPW thanks to
the encouragement of Alan Bancroft, her UKIRK campus minister at Vanderbilt. During
her Summer Fellowship, Alissa primarily worked on environmental and immigration
issues while continuing to learn about the magnitude of work and issues the OPW
covers. Alissa is extremely grateful for this opportunity to work and learn
alongside the OPW staff this summer and for opening her eyes to honestly
speaking truth in love to power.
A native of Louisville, KY, David Clifford is
entering in his third year at Maryville College in Maryville, TN. He is a
Political Science major with a History minor. David also plays baseball for
Maryville and is a Bonner Scholar, a service-based scholarship. David met OPW
Director Reverend J. Herbert Nelson when he came to speak at Maryville, inspiring
him to pursue a Summer Fellowship with the OPW. Service in the OPW helped him
fulfill commitments to his Bonner Scholarship and provided the financial
support for him to serve. While at the Office of Public Witness, David worked
on the issues of disability, labor rights, campaign finance reform, and
immigration, gaining valuable experience as well as exposure to everything that
the OPW does to advocate on behalf of the PC(USA) and speak truth in love to
power.
For more information on Service Learning Opportunities at the Office of
Public Witness, or to learn how to apply, please visit www.pcusa.org/washington/internship
or email opw (dot) intern (dot) info @ pcusa (dot) org.
Our fundraising efforts for service learning are ongoing. YAV
Placements contribute a portion of Volunteers’ living expenses to the
Presbytery. In addition, each Summer Fellow receive a modest stipend to help
defray the cost of living expenses, which are considerable in DC. We need your
help to continuing offering these opportunities! Your gift could make the
difference between a vocational dream and a lived reality. Please give
generously to support our YAVs, Interns, and Summer Fellows. Give online here.
