Nine outstanding undergraduate students at the University of Florida earned spots in The Bob Graham Center for Public Service’s Global Interns Fellowship program.
The 2025 cohort includes a range of dedicated, innovative, and highly successful students with diverse backgrounds and regions of study that include Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
Evan Anja Anzano
Evan Anja Anzano is a sophomore majoring in international studies focusing on Asia and minoring in art. Anja is proficient in two Filipino dialects, Cebuano and Tagalog, and continues to learn more languages such as Spanish and Chinese. With her experience in tutoring her peers, she is looking for opportunities in education and research about Southeast Asia. She mainly chooses topics prioritizing the arts and culture and takes on the anthropological approach to research.
Elena Ashburn
Elena Ashburn is a junior majoring in Political Science and International Studies (Europe), with minors in Philosophy, African Studies, and Family, Youth, and Community Sciences. She is a student assistant at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, a Florida Cicerone, and an ambassador for the Center for African Studies. Elena is actively involved in the Women’s Student Association and the Center for Undergraduate Research Board of Students and has served as a research fellow for the Political Science Department and the Center for European Studies. Her diverse internship experiences include roles with Open Primaries, the National Military Family Association, the American Political Science Association, and the Department of State in the Bureau of African Affairs. A self-proclaimed Euro-Africanist, Elena is proficient in Spanish and Swedish, and she plans to learn Swahili next.
Leila Barq
Leila Barq is a junior majoring in Political Science, Arabic Language, and International Studies with a focus on the Middle East. She enjoys her time as a teaching assistant in the Arabic Department and is the President of the Arab Students’ Association at UF. Leila is proficient in Arabic and has extensive experience volunteering with Syrian refugee relief organizations. Her interests lie in foreign policy, law, refugee assistance, and social justice.
Ellery Burgess
Ellery is a junior majoring in International Studies with a focus on Europe. He has experience in grassroots organizing and volunteers with humanitarian aid initiatives. Conversational in Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German, he is eager to expand his experience with international advocacy groups and collaborative organizations working toward global equity and social justice.
Isabella Castro
Isabella Castro is a sophomore majoring in International Studies with a Europe concentration. She plans to double major with Dual Languages. She is proficient in Spanish and French and is currently learning Russian. Isabella is a Peer Leader for First Year Florida, a volunteer English teacher with the non-profit Latina Women’s League, and an intern for UF’s Samuel Proctor Oral History Program. She is interested in government, diplomacy, foreign affairs, languages, and the nonprofit sector.
Viviana Gimon
Viviana Gimon is a junior majoring in international studies with a focus on Asia and political science. She speaks Spanish and is proficient in Japanese. This semester, Viviana participated in a program aimed at young Hispanic American leaders in Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Center. She is also involved in UF’s Student Legal Services’ Shadow & Professional Mentorship Program and volunteers in local schools through the organization MentorGNV. Viviana is looking for hands-on opportunities associated with foreign affairs, diplomacy, and the legal sector.
Maria Igarza
Maria Igarza is a junior majoring in Political Science and International Studies with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean on the pre-law track. She is involved in organizations and programs such as the Hispanic Student Association, Women’s Student Association, Future of Florida Summit, and participated in the Tallahassee Internship Program under the Bob Graham Center as well as the Junior Fellows of Political Science program. Maria is fluent in Spanish and is interested in immigration law and international politics, specifically Latin America, human rights, diplomacy, and conflict-resolution.
Angel Perez
Angel Perez is a sophomore majoring in Political Science and International Studies with a focus on Europe. He is proficient in Spanish and is actively working on Russian language acquisition. Previously, Angel has interned at the State Attorney’s office for Palm Beach County. Angel is looking for opportunities in Foreign Policy, Migration, and Government Agencies.
Andrew Touzard
Andrew Touzard is a junior majoring in Japanese, Political Science, and International Studies with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. For two years now, Andrew has been working at the George Smathers Special Collections Library as a student assistant, often handling rare and sensitive archival materials. They have reached the intermediate level of Japanese and are also proficient in Spanish. Andrew is looking for opportunities to develop his Japanese language skills through working in Japan, in diplomatic, government, or even possibly creative work.
The Global Interns Fellowship program will be offered to International Studies majors again in Spring 2026. Read more about the International Studies major at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.