One dozen students at Princeton University have been selected to join the Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative (SINSI), which funds graduate fellowships and undergraduate summer internships within the U.S. federal government. The 2021 SINSI cohorts are announced as the initiative marks its 15th year at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA).

SINSI encourages, supports, and prepares high-achieving students to pursue careers in both internationally and domestically focused federal agencies. The initiative aims to provide students with the professional skills needed to succeed in the public policy arena. Eight students were selected for the SINSI internship program, which awards fully funded, 8- to 10-week summer internships.

Alejandro Garcia ’22, of Miami, Florida, is a politics concentrator pursuing certificates in Latin American studies and American studies. A member of the second group of transfer students admitted to Princeton, he holds an associate in arts degree from the Miami Dade Honors College in political science. Prior to transferring, Garcia was recognized as the top transfer student in Florida and among the top ten transfer students in the nation as a Hites Transfer Scholar, Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, All-USA Academic Team Scholar, and New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar. Garcia’s interests lie in the intersection between law and political institutions, as he aspires to improve access to civil rights, education, and professional opportunities for underdeveloped and underrepresented Hispanic communities. On campus, he serves as a co-founder and president of the Princeton Transfer Association, a student organization focused on representing this non-traditional student population. Garcia has also volunteered for the Pace Center for Civic Engagement’s ESL El Centro program where he taught several weekly English classes to Spanish-speaking members of the Princeton community, and held research assistant positions with Professors Rosina Lozano and Melissa Lee. Garcia is the 2021 Frederick P. Hitz ’61 Scholar.

Ashley Morales ’22, from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is concentrating in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and pursuing certificates in Latino studies and Latin American studies. Her focus is on international law, human rights, refugee and migration issues, and transnational coalition-building, especially in the Americas. Domestically, her interests lie in civil rights issues facing women and Latinx communities. During summer 2019, Morales received a Community Action fellowship to facilitate service projects for the incoming Class of 2023’s orientation. In summer 2020, Morales interned with Cristosal, a human rights nongovernmental organization based in Central America, completing a comparative transitional justice research project that has now developed into a year-long course module connecting social justice activists around the world. On campus, Morales is involved in the Pace Center for Civic Engagement, serving as a Student Volunteers Council executive board member, Service Focus program member, Recognizing Inequities and Standing for Equality student facilitator, and Community Action fellow. Morales has also served as team captain, co-recruitment chair, and co-tournament director of Princeton Mock Trial, and is a member of the Office of Religious Life/UN Women Faith and Gender Justice and the Más Flow Latin dance company. Morales is the Class of 2021 Frank C. Carlucci ’52 Scholar.

Read more about the 2021 cohort on the School of Public and International Affairs website: