About
ONE Fellows
ONE Fellows is a bipartisan fellowship program to engage and educate congressional staffers on US foreign policy and development approaches in Africa. The goal of ONE Fellows is to increase knowledge of needs and opportunities across Africa, with focus on health and economic sectors.
Meet the inaugural class
Jack Berson
Jack serves as a Legislative Assistant to Representative Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), where he advises on policy matters and supports legislative initiatives. His prior experience includes working in government relations at the ONE Campaign and in policy and government affairs at U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he earned a degree in International Relations.
Spencer Collins
Spencer is a Professional Staff Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he contributes to shaping U.S. foreign policy and national security initiatives. Spencer earned a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations with a minor in Journalism and Mass Communications from the American University in Bulgaria, and recently earned a Master of Arts in US Foreign Policy and National Security at American University in Washington, D.C.
Jacob DePeralta
Jacob serves as a Professional Staff Member for the Subcommittee on Africa under the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. With over five years of experience in U.S. foreign policy and congressional affairs, he oversees a foreign assistance portfolio exceeding $65 billion—spanning development aid, security assistance, humanitarian relief, and economic support. Jacob currently focuses on geopolitical developments in Africa, advising on strategic implications for U.S. assistance and national security. He brings experience from both chambers of Congress and the think tank community, and holds a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University.
Flavio Corsi Mendez
Flavio is a Legislative Correspondent for Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), where he supports policy development and constituent communications. Prior to his work with Senator Schiff, he served as the Press Secretary for Congressman Correa and worked on the staff of the House Committee on Ethics. Flavio is a graduate of George Washington University with a B.A. in International Affairs and Political Science.
Earnestine Dawson
Earnestine is Director of Strategic Planning & Special Projects, Office of the Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. She began her career on President Obama’s re-election campaign and has since held roles with the Democratic National Committee, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Stacey Abrams for Governor, Rep. Yvette Clarke, and the House Democratic Caucus. She currently serves in the Office of Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, where she supports public officials in developing strategic messaging and leveraging social media to advance key initiatives. Earnestine holds a Master of Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Mass Communication from Tennessee State University.
Kevin Griffen
Kevin serves as a Senior Policy Adviser to Representative André Carson (D-IN), where he focuses on national security, energy, environmental policy, and foreign trade. His previous experience includes serving as a Staff Assistant in Senator Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) Washington, D.C. office, as well as work on state and federal electoral campaigns. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Wabash College.
Emmett Jamieson
Emmett currently serves as a legislative aide in the office of Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO), contributing to the development and implementation of policy initiatives. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University, where he earned a degree in Microbiology.
Jannie Kamara
Jannie is a first-generation Sierra Leonean American serving as the Legislative Aide to the office of Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan covering Education, Labor, and LGBTQI+ policy, and Africa Policy. She began her Capitol Hill career in 2022 as a Staff Assistant to then Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL) covering US-Africa Policy. Jannie currently serves as the president of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association. She is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio and holds a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in Black World Studies and Individualized Studies: Diversity in Leadership.
Oliva Kirk
Olivia is a foreign policy aide in the office of Senator John Curtis (R-UT), where she specializes in global humanitarian assistance. Prior to joining the Senator’s team, Olivia worked on domestic welfare policy and constituent services in the U.S. House of Representatives, gaining experience in legislative analysis, stakeholder engagement, and communications strategy. Olivia recently earned her Master’s degree in Public Administration from Brigham Young University.
Gala Loayza
Gala is currently a Policy Advisor for Congresswoman Linda Sánchez. Gala is the policy lead for the Congresswoman’s work as Ranking Member (lead Democrat) of the Trade Subcommittee of Ways and Means – the committee of jurisdiction on trade issues in the United States House of Representatives. Gala also covers labor, foreign affairs and defense issues for the Congresswoman, including her work as a delegate to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Team Sánchez, she worked as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Rick Larsen. In this role, she led his immigration and healthcare legislative portfolios and informed his work as Chair of the U.S-China Working Group in the House of Representatives. Gala is a graduate of King’s College London where she was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Political Economy.
Carter Thompson
Carter serves as Appropriations Director in the office of Sen. Coons, where he manages government funding priorities and budget strategy for the senator’s legislative agenda. He originally joined Senator Coons’s team in December 2019 and has served in various roles, including Staff Assistant, Legislative Correspondent, and Legislative Aide/Appropriations Coordinator. Carter earned his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology from West Virginia University, and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy Analysis and Evaluation from the University of Maryland.
Philip Oke-Thomas
Philip serves as a Legislative Policy Analyst on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, where he supports policymakers on global governance and security issues. He previously worked as an Africa Policy Associate at Search for Common Ground, focusing on democratization and conflict resolution across sub-Saharan Africa. Philip holds an M.A. in International Affairs from American University’s School of International Service and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Grace Utz
Grace is currently serving as a Staff Assistant for U.S. Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK-05) in Washington, D.C. In this role, she supports legislative operations and constituent services, contributing to the effective functioning of the office. Grace graduated from Rhodes College in 2025 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in French and Francophone Studies.