Labor Day marks the end of summer, the start of campaign season—and the time every year when we say goodbye to our summer interns! As we do every year, we asked each of them to create a personalized WomenCount slate of 2024 candidates that reflects their values, interests, and experience this summer.
Please read all about our interns and donate to their slates to support them and the candidates they are promoting. And a huge thank you to Anika, Arishka, Celia and Lara. We will miss you!
Anika Gupta
Anika is a junior at the Nueva School. She is an avid member of the debate team and the Diversity & Equity Rep on the Student Council. She became involved politically during the heavily gendered 2016 election and has been passionate about women’s rights and representation ever since. In her free time, Anika enjoys reading and painting.
A little more from Anika about her slate, Elect South Asian Women:
“As we celebrate the exciting nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris, we must also observe the disappointing lack of South Asians in American politics. South Asian Americans are a growing politically active demographic, despite stereotypes like the Model Minority Myth that attempt to deny that. The candidates on this slate are all of South Asian descent, across various levels of government.”
Check out Anika’s slate, Elect South Asian Women.
Arishka Jha
Arishka is a junior at the Nueva School, where she’s involved in parliamentary debate and mock trial. She is deeply passionate about policy, public speaking, and climate action, working with Project Super Plants, the Sunrise Movement, and her school’s environmental club to organize in support of a safer planet. In her free time, she enjoys being out in nature, exercising, spending time with her friends and family, listening to music, and eating açai bowls.
A little more from Arishka about her slate, Women for Environmental Justice and Disaster Relief:
“Climate change is one of the most pressing issues our country is facing right now, and helping those suffering from its effects is key to building resilience in an uncertain future. The candidates on this slate are champions of disaster relief, equitable resource allocation, and anti-pollution efforts especially in marginalized communities.”
Check out Arishka’s slate, Women for Environmental Justice and Disaster Relief.
Celia Frahn
Celia is a Junior at Lehigh University majoring in International Relations and Economics as well as minoring in Spanish. She ventured into the political realm in middle school during the 2016 election, knocking on doors in Colorado with her mother. Since then, she has written many letters to voters and wrangled her peers in PA to the polls. Outside of domestic and international politics, Celia enjoys a good cup of coffee, taking post-dinner walks with her friends around the hills of Bethlehem, PA (where she goes to school), and pickleball.
A little more from Celia about her slate, Pennsylvania Women for Reproductive Freedom:
“Living in a post-Dobbs reality has shifted every young woman’s, and even every young girl’s, view of what their country perceives them to be. Which prior to 2022, was being competent enough to make their own healthcare decisions. However, now the highest court in our nation publicly states that they don’t trust us to make our own decisions. With that being said, I wanted to focus on down-ballot women in the state where I go to school (Yay Pennsylvania!), because although we currently have abortion access, it was on the line in 2022, and with one bad election, that right could be taken away.”
Check out Celia’s slate, Pennsylvania Women for Reproductive Freedom.
Lara McDowell
Lara is a rising senior at the Nueva School. She leads the school’s Model United Nations team, which sparked her passion in international relations and public policy. Since 2016, she has been inspired to volunteer and phone bank for progressive issues and candidates who are fighting sexism. In her free time, Lara enjoys playing basketball with her sister and reading all the (semi-feminist) romance novels she can find.
A little more from Lara about her slate, Women for Criminal Justice Reform:
“The candidates I chose to highlight for this upcoming cycle are advocates for prison reform, fighting against mass incarceration by championing the shortening of mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenders, combating the death penalty, and protecting juvenile offenders from adult sentences where they’re often subjected to grueling, abusive work for close to no pay. I would be so grateful for your support for these Congressional and down-ballot candidates who will be progressive proponents of criminal justice reform, fighting the prison-industrial complex in states with the highest incarceration rates in the world.”
Check out Lara’s slate, Women for Criminal Justice Reform.
Thanks again to our interns. Have a great year!