2006 ELI Interns

Lissett Babaian is a rising senior from Manhasset, New York, majoring in public policy studies. As a freshman, Lissett participated in the Forging Social Ideals FOCUS program, which introduced her to service-learning. During her sophomore and junior years, Lissett served as the program coordinator for LEAPS, a student-run organization that supports service-learning courses. Lissett has created a mentoring program focused on fostering leadership development in adolescent girls through the arts at John Avery Boys and Girls Club. She also helped create SEE! the World, a three stage program that gives students who go on traditional study abroad programs a comprehensive service-learning experience. Lissett will be a participant in SEE! the World this fall during her study abroad in Brazil.

As an ELI intern this summer, Lissett is working with Mercado Global, a non-profit agency that promotes fair trade by working with economically-disadvantaged women’s cooperatives and providing both fair wages and investment in local educational projects. Her internship focuses on designing and implementing an online market place through EBay and Overstock which could significantly broaden Mercado Global’s consumer base and buying power.

Taylor Jacobson is a rising senior from Newton, Massachusetts, majoring in economics and public policy studies. Taylor, a tri-athlete in training, is president of the Ski Team and vice president and active participant in the Sports Clubs Council. He recently co-founded Holy Crêpe!, an on-campus crepe vendor which donates its profits to promote local education and provide grants for socially responsible student ideas.

As an ELI intern this summer, Taylor is pursuing his interest in social entrepreneurship and economic development through his internship with Next Street Financial, a start-up located in the Boston inner-city neighborhood of Roxbury. Next Street Financial is a merchant bank which combines investment banking and consulting services for small inner-city businesses.

Shian-Ling Keng is a rising senior from Alor Star, Malaysia, majoring in biology and psychology with a minor in political science. As a freshman, she participated in the FOCUS Humanitarian Challenges at Home and Abroad program. She has been an intern with the National Academy of Science Committee on Human Rights and is president of the Buddhist Community at Duke. Last summer, Shian-Ling participated in Dream Corps, an NGO that sends volunteers to rural China; she conducted research examining elementary education frameworks and their effects on the rural community.

As an ELI intern, Shian-Ling is co-founding Partners in Learning, a Duke student-employee exchange partnership that pairs students and hourly wage employees at Duke to improve their reading, writing, computer, and mathematics skills.

Howie Liu, a rising sophomore from College Station, Texas, is dual majoring in public policy studies and mechanical engineering. He is currently involved in two organizations he helped to start at Duke: ArtsConnect and Saved to Go. Saved to Go, launched in Fall '05, collects, transports, and delivers leftover food from local eateries at Duke to a local soup kitchen. ArtsConnect is an after-school arts enrichment program for children in local community centers.

This summer, Howie will work with a local barbecue restaurant to help create a marketing strategy and materials for franchise development. Founded by a Duke alumnus, the restaurant has six locations and is in the process of expanding to a national chain.

Brint Markle is a rising junior from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, majoring in public policy studies with a minor in economics. This past year, Brint co-founded Rival Magazine, a collaborative Duke-UNC student publication geared to students, faculty, administrators, and members of the surrounding community. Brint is also president and captain of the Water Polo Club at Duke.

As an ELI intern this summer, Brint is working for Accion Emprendedora, a non-profit in Santiago, Chile. Accion helps micro-entrepreneurs develop and strengthen their business models by offering basic and advanced business classes, technical assistance, and, ultimately, micro-financing of the enterprises. Brint will help the organization as a teaching assistant and grant-writer, and will also conduct IRB-certified research by investigating microfinance as a viable solution to indigenous poverty in Chile.

Elle Pishny is a rising senior from Stilwell, Kansas, majoring in public policy studies and pursuing a markets and management certificate. She became interested in social entrepreneurship and non-profit organizations while working with teammates Elliott Miller and Jessica Palacios to found Summer of Service (SOS) in Tony Brown’s Enterprising Leadership class. SOS helps students find and pursue meaningful service-based summer internships in cities across the country, and matches students with an alumni host family to live with during their internship.

As an ELI intern this summer, Elle is an SOS participant, interning for Harbinger Partners in Cambridge, MA. Harbinger Partners helps other non-profits become more effective by matching skilled corporate employees with non-profits in need of technology, HR, or marketing assistance. Elle is working on a variety of projects to enhance the marketing efforts of Harbinger Partners and expand its base of corporate volunteers. During her internship, she will live near Boston with Duke alumni hosts, Ken and Bonnie Kornman.

Anna Raven-Hansen is a rising senior from Arlington, Virginia, majoring in public policy studies and African and African-American studies. Anna is co-president of Duke’s Center for Race Relations and is a 2006 member of Duke’s Inter-Campus Council. She has studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, and Copenhagen, Denmark.

As an ELI intern this summer, Anna will intern at the D.C. office of Ashoka, a non-profit organization that develops and supports social entrepreneurship around the world.

Colin Tierney is a rising sophomore from Wellesley, Massachusetts, majoring in public policy studies and pursuing a certificate in markets and management. This spring at Duke, he co-founded Small Town Records, a student run record label, and will be booking bands for the Duke Coffeehouse.

As an ELI intern this summer, Colin in working with V2 Artemis Records in New York City.

Hasnain Zaidi, a rising junior, is a dual citizen of Pakistan and Canada and grew up in the United Arab Emirates. He is a public policy major and intends to focus on global development. Hasnain is president of the class of 2008 and active in a number of other student government organizations. As an emergency medical technician for Duke EMS, Hasnain spent last summer in Karachi, Pakistan, working with the world’s largest volunteer ambulance service.

As an ELI intern this summer, he is working for Holy Crepe!, a student-owned and operated not-for-profit business he started with classmates from Tony Brown's ELI/Hart Leadership Program course. Holy Crepe! opens for business in August 2007 as a food vendor on Duke’s Bryan Student Center Plaza. Holy Crepe! will use its profits to support the work of a partner charity and to fund socially responsible student initiatives. Hasnain is in charge of summer operations and preparing Holy Crepe! for its grand opening.

Emily Znamierowski is a rising senior from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, majoring in literature, with a minor in history. Emily has pursued her passion for education by tutoring elementary school students in reading and writing with the America Reads program, and spent a semester leading a weekly ESL tutorial for preschoolers in the Hispanic Education Initiative, a local non-profit organization. This past school year, she helped co-found Rival Magazine, a collaborative Duke-UNC publication focusing on all aspects of undergraduate life.

As an ELI intern this summer, Emily is working at Duke DonAid, an on-campus organization that promotes the habit of philanthropy in college students. Every dollar donated to Duke DonAid is given directly to teachers in Durham Public Schools to fund classroom needs and specific educational projects. During her internship, Emily will reevaluate and redevelop Duke DonAid’s social model, maintain and strengthen relationships with DonAid stakeholders, and develop a marketing plan for the 2006-2007 school year.