Talented Mayoral Fellows Dedicate Summer to Improving Quality of Life in Providence

Program generously funded by Cox Communications, Dimeo Construction and other local businesses.

Eight current college students or recent college graduates who spent the summer working as Mayoral Fellows for the City of Providence completed important work to improve the quality of life in Rhode Island's capital city.

The Mayoral Fellows program is generously funded by local businesses, including Cox Communications and Dimeo Construction.

"I thank this outstanding group of Mayoral Fellows for their service to the City of Providence and look forward to witnessing their professional growth in the coming years," said Mayor Angel Taveras. "We are grateful to Cox Communications, Dimeo Construction and all of the businesses that made their work this summer possible by generously supporting the Mayoral Fellows program."

• Emily Koo spent the summer working alongside the City of Providence's Director of Sustainability to promote the City's new recycling challenge and to support the development of the City's first-ever sustainability action plan. Emily is a rising senior at Brown University where she is majoring in environmental studies.

• Maria Jimenez provided policy and legislative research to the Mayor Taveras' policy office, with a focus on supporting the work of the Open Providence Commission for Transparency and Accountability. Maria is a rising senior at Brown University where she studies political science and sociology.

• Sam Chafee has been working closely with the city's communications office where he wrote a series of features profiling local businesses, catalogued the current administration's news database and attended events with the team. Sam is a rising senior at Roanoke College in Virginia where he is majoring in English.

• Aarti Kathuria worked at the Department of Planning and Development, where she contributed to projects ranging from the HUD Sustainable Communities Challenge Planning Grant to planning for the redesign of Kennedy Plaza. Aarti recently graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a master of arts in architecture. Aarti comes to Providence by way of India, where she is a licensed architect.

• Marisa O'Gara supported the Tobacco Free Providence Campaign of the Mayor's Substance Abuse Prevention Council. She recently graduated from the University of Rhode Island where she majored in English and French.

• Doreen St. Felix worked with both the Minority and Women's Business Enterprise Procurement Task Force and the City's education leaders in creating informational materials for businesses interested in working in Providence, building relevant communications channels, and participating in initiatives to improve childhood literacy. Doreen attends Brown University where she is majoring in English non-fiction.

• Daniel Sorger supported the Mayor's policy office by conducting research, managing constituent communications, and supporting several transit related projects. Daniel will finish his studies in political science and philosophy this fall at McGill University.

• Jacqueline Paolino worked alongside Mayor Taveras' deputy chief of staff to help with scheduling and constituent outreach. Jacqueline attends Hobart and William Smith College where she studies political science and media studies.