Welcome New Interns

Draven is a second year student at Dakota County Technical College currently enrolled in the welding program. He is also a Campus Liaison and member of student senate. Draven graduated in 2014 from Kennedy High School in Bloomington. While in high school he played Lacrosse and participated in show choir and theater.

Since he lives in Minnesota, Draven loves to play around in the snow! But also likes to wood burn, do puzzles, play video games, hang out with friends, and be outside skate boarding, and going on hikes or walks. One of his favorite things though is meeting new people!

Nidhi Jariwala is an undergraduate student at Hamline University studying Economics and Global Studies. She has interned at the Minnesota State Capitol as an advocate for Rethos, a local nonprofit organization that works for the preservation of historic buildings and sites. Nidhi is also a head delegate for Hamline University’s Model United Nations team and a student worker for the study abroad office at Hamline. She is passionate about solving local and global issues and collaborating with others from different backgrounds.

Outside of school and work, Nidhi enjoys reading, painting, and playing the cello.

Abi is a current student at Carleton College expecting a Bachelor of Arts in History in June 2021. In addition to Arabic language and world history, her studies in public policy and political economy have focused on community development, poverty economics, and feminist geography. 

In addition to her work on political campaigns at the local, state, and national level, Abi spends her free time facilitating both one-on-one and group tutoring sessions for learners of English as a second language. She also works with campus organizations to combat sexual violence on Carleton’s campus. 

As a Get Out the Vote intern, Abi will work to engage campus communities to use their voice to make positive change. She hopes to gain critical skills in community outreach and engagement that will impact her graduate studies in Urban Planning and Development.

Thi is currently a fifth year student at the University of Minnesota (U of M) Twin Cities, majoring in Communication Studies. Her identities include being a Vietnamese-Chinese American child of immigrant parents from Vietnam, first-generation college student, and student leader.

Over the past three years, Thi has been an active student leader and representative on campus. She served as one of the Activities’ Coordinator for the Korean Student Association board in 2017, which as a result, sparked her interest in event planning. Then, in 2018, she served as the Secretary for the Asian-American Student Union board. She is passionate about serving and advocating for the Asian-American community population on campus and the wider Asian-American Pacific Islander Desi community in the Midwest. She is currently serving as one of the Executive Directors for the Midwest Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Students Union Fall Conference planning committee where she oversees the Leadership, Registration, and Volunteer committees. 

Beyond student organization work, Thi worked in the office of Orientation and Transition Experiences at the U of M and held many positions including, Orientation Leader, Welcome Week Student Program Coordinator, and Commuter Success Program Intern. These opportunities have allowed her to grow and develop individually as well as equip her with skills and experiences that will help her future career in programs and events. One day, she hopes to become her own Program Director that helps develop and support young student leaders. 

In her free time, Thi likes to dance, travel (dislikes airplanes), fashion, binging shows, eating and trying new foods, and mini canvas painting!