15
Feb
2013

Meet PAAIA’s Spring 2013 CHIP Fellows

 
 Spring 2013 CHIP Intern
Hadi Sedigh
 Spring 2013 CHIP Intern
Shahrooz Shahandeh

February 15, 2013, Washington, D.C. – There are two new Iranian Americans on Capitol Hill this spring. Hadi Sedigh and Shahrooz Shahandeh are PAAIA’s Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP) interns and are bringing the voice and contributions of Iranian Americans to both the House of Representatives and the Senate.   

The PAAIA CHIP program recognizes that congressional internships are often the inspiration and launching point for the careers of some of the most distinguished public servants in the nation. Serving as a congressional intern gives both Hadi and Shahrooz an important vantage point on American public life, valuable professional networking and communications skills, and an important credential to work full time as a congressional staffer or elsewhere in federal or state government.

Hadi Sedigh is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia’s School of Law, where he received his J.D. in 2011. He joined Representative Yvette Clarke’s Washington, D.C. office as a fellow in January, where his duties include research, writing, and communicating with constituents and interest groups. After gaining understanding of an issue, he writes one or more of a variety of documents, including memoranda outlining the issue for the legislative staff and talking points or speeches for the congresswoman. Prior to joining Representative Clarke’s office, Hadi was pursuing a University of Virginia Post-Graduate Fellowship in Indianapolis, where he performed pro bono legal services for indigent Indianapolis residents. Hadi had also previously served as a law clerk in the Office of House Employment Counsel at the House of Representatives.

Shahrooz Shahandeh is a graduate student at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where he is pursuing a Master of Science in Foreign Service. As a legislative intern in Senator Charles Schumer’s Washington, D.C. office, he focuses on foreign policy, technology and communications, and immigration reform. Before moving to D.C., Shahrooz also worked in governmental affairs in California, where he served as a local government liaison for The Energy Coalition, an environmental non-profit organization, and as Executive Assistant to the Mayor of the City of Irvine.

The purpose of the CHIP program is to promote increased civic participation among young Iranian Americans by offering college students or recent graduates of Iranian descent the opportunity to get a first-hand look at our nation’s legislative and political process. The program is enhanced by access to PAAIA D.C. events as well as opportunities to network with and be mentored by Iranian American staff on Capitol Hill, in the administration, and in non-governmental organizations throughout Washington, D.C. In addition to providing interns with highly desired experience in the public sector, this opportunity also allows interns to identify and secure career opportunities in public service that may be otherwise difficult to find.

CHIP is made possible by a generous contribution from PAAIA Member and IAPAC Board of Director member, Dr. Akbar Ghahary. The recipients of the CHIP program receive a stipend of $2,000 each.

Click here to learn more and apply to PAAIA’s CHIP program. The deadline to apply for a summer 2013 CHIP internship is March 29, 2013.

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