Meet CFYJ's 2014 Fall Interns
From left to right: Samantha Phillips, Courtney Thomas, Dayana Morales Gomez, Reneeta Polson
The Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) is pleased to introduce our 2014 Fall Interns.
Samantha Phillips – Tiffin University
Samantha was born and raised in South Haven, MI; a tourist town in southwest Michigan with spectacular views of Lake Michigan. She found her way to Ohio where she attends Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio. She is a senior and is studying forensic psychology and forensic science. She plans on graduating in December of 2014 and furthering her education by starting a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology program in the fall of 2015.
As a product of small town USA, Samantha has never ventured to a big city. Therefore, she is more than eager to be a part of this important organization advocating for youth in the criminal justice system all the while living in beautiful DC! During Samantha’s free time, she enjoys hobbies such as softball and beach volleyball.
Courtney Thomas – Northeastern University School of Law
Courtney is currently a second year student at Northeastern University School of Law. She received her undergraduate degree from Tufts University where she studied Sociology and Media & Communications. After graduating from college she worked as an English/Language Arts teacher at Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corp., a secure residential treatment center for youth who have a history of criminal behavior. This experience sparked her interest in youth justice. She also worked as a paralegal in both Boston and San Francisco before entering law school. Courtney was a member of the lacrosse team at Tufts and now coaches youth lacrosse. Her interests include sports, travel and art.
Dayana Morales Gomez – Georgetown University
Dayana is a junior at Georgetown University. She is a student in the School of Foreign Service majoring in Culture and Politics with a concentration in education and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. She is passionate about social justice issues, and is very excited to be working with the CFYJ, having previously interned for DC Lawyers for Youth. She enjoys drinking tea, writing stories, and porch-sitting. She was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Reneeta Polson – Michigan State University
Reneeta was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI, and is currently attending Michigan State University. She is a senior majoring in Political Science- Pre Law. Growing up in an urban community she has always had a passion for youth advocacy work. During her time in college she volunteers at inner city schools to assist in the prevention of youth and teenage delinquency and promote college readiness. Reneeta comes to CFYJ eager to expand her knowledge of juvenile justice reform and bring awareness to youth injustices. Post-graduation she plans to continue her work in juvenile justice, and eventually go on to law school and become a juvenile defense attorney. Outside of her fight for youth justice she enjoys being a role model to her nieces because she knows the battle starts at home. She also enjoys shopping, lots and lots of shopping!