Mariah Canup | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

Mariah was born in Georgia and has spent half of her life in North Carolina. She is a double University of North Carolina "Tar Heel" with a bachelor of arts in economics in 2016 and a master of public administration in May 2024. Mariah has started her local government career as a budget and performance analyst for Apex, North Carolina. She plans to be a town or city manager one day.

Tiffany Crawford | North Carolina Central University

Originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, Tiffany resides in Durham, North Carolina. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2017 with a bachelor of arts in history and a minor in sociology. Tiffany received a master's of informational science with a concentration in health informatics in 2021 from North Carolina Central University. She recently completed her master's in public administration with a concentration in urban and regional planning and a nonprofit entrepreneurship certificate this May. Tiffany hopes to continue her education by attending North Carolina Central University this fall. 

Shane Digan | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

Originally from upstate New York, Shane earned his bachelor of sciences from SUNY Oneonta, majoring in geology and international studies. Before moving to North Carolina, he worked for Otsego County, New York, as a planner and solid waste coordinator for nearly three years. While attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Shane interned with Holly Springs, North Carolina, Budget, Innovation, and Strategy Office. He also served as an officer for his ICMA student chapter. Shane earned his master's in public administration with a local government concentration in May 2024 and is starting work as an assistant to the county manager in Craven County, North Carolina. 

Joseph Gallo  | North Carolina Central University

Joseph is originally from Long Island, New York, and was raised in "the triangle" for almost 16 years. He received his undergraduate degree in political science, and in May 2024 he earned his master's in public administration from North Carolina Central University. Joseph aspires to work in local government after graduation and continue the work that he has already done in sustainability practices across local, state, and federal government. He is a proud Eagle alumnus, hoping to do better in the world and leave it better for people like his nephew. 

 

Joe Laborie | The Ohio State University

Originally from rural Wood County in northwest Ohio, Joe came to Ohio State through the University Exploration program for undecided students, eventually finding his passion for local government at Glenn College. He graduated May 2024 from The Ohio State University's John Glenn College of Public Affairs with a bachelor of sciences in public policy analysis, minors in rural sociology, history, and local government, and a master's in public administration. After graduation, he will work full-time in his current position as community development coordinator for Jefferson Township in Franklin County, Ohio, a community of 15,000 people.

 

Juldich Louezi-Madingou | North Carolina Central University

Juldich is a Congolese-American who moved to the States when she was three years old and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has a bachelor's in justice studies, minoring in sociology from Winston Salem State University. Concurrently receiving an associate's in paralegal studies, she obtained her master's in public administration, specializing in law and society, focusing on policy analysis. While also working for the state government, Juldich is passionate about policy reform, and she has also demonstrated her commitment to social welfare and protection for the most vulnerable members of society by volunteering. Volunteering and giving back to causes dear to her heart keep her grounded.

Alana Lumar | Tulane University 

Alana is a lifelong resident of southeast Louisiana. She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Loyola University New Orleans and recently completed the master's in public administration program at Tulane University in May 2024. After graduation, Alana will continue her family’s community service tradition through volunteerism and local government work.

 

Shelby Ostrom | University of Kansas

Originally from Overland Park, Kansas, Shelby lives in Lawrence, Kansas. She received her political science undergraduate degree with a business minor from the University of Kansas. Shelby worked in various public policy and nonprofit capacities before returning to school to get her master's degree in public administration and public policy, also from the University of Kansas. She has a graduate public health policy and management certificate from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shelby authored a white paper on improving vaccine confidence through funding and motivational interviewing. The white paper was featured at a conference and was the basis for a vaccine confidence campaign with the Kansas Association of Counties.  After graduation, Shelby will continue her work as a policy analyst for Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.

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Scott Powell | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

After completing his undergraduate social work degree from Elon University, Scott joined the front lines of the homelessness response system in Florida for several years. While he worked with veterans experiencing crises, he increasingly turned his attention toward city hall and its leaders, often well-positioned to take ownership of such wicked problems as homelessness. This curiosity led Scott to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s public administration program to help him better understand how communities respond to emerging issues. After graduation, he will continue working as a budget and management analyst with Wake County, where his portfolio includes a growing housing department responsible for serving some of the county’s most vulnerable residents.

Reilly Stahl| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

Born and raised in the rural mountains of western North Carolina, Reilly holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She recently completed her master's of public administration at the University of North Carolina School of Government. Reilly has a passion for serving her community. During her time in the public administration program, she served on the ICMA student chapter leadership team, and as a graduate student senator, Reilly serves as a volunteer firefighter and a youth-faith instructor. After graduation, Reilly will begin as assistant to the town manager of Carrboro, North Carolina. 

Lauren Wilcox | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

Lauren grew up in Indiana and obtained a bachelor's degree in political science and Near Eastern studies from Indiana University in 2009. Following a decade of Army service, she now calls the "Triad" region of North Carolina home. She recently received her master's in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a concentration in local government management. After graduation, Lauren looks forward to combining new skills and knowledge with her experience to impact all residents of her community positively.