CNAS Make Room Mentorship Program Announces the Spring 2025 Mentees

Washington, January 23, 2025—Today, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) announced the spring 2025 cohort of the Make Room Mentorship Program. The Make Room initiative aims to identify, empower, and amplify the voices of underrepresented communities in the national security and foreign policy spheres. This is the initiative’s second cohort, created with the intention of carrying out CNAS’s commitment to develop a diverse cadre of talented individuals dedicated to preserving and strengthening U.S. national security.

After a highly competitive process, CNAS selected 19 mentees with different backgrounds and experiences who will build knowledge bases, networks, and skills that will help better prepare them for careers and professional opportunities in the national security space. The mentorship program will include mentor-mentee sessions and a professional development workshop aimed at enhancing skills needed to succeed in this field.

The complete list of the spring 2025 mentees is below.

• Amina Ahmed, Howard S. Brembeck Fellow (2024)
• Muhammad Fateh Ahmed, Senior Finance Analyst, Turner & Townsend
• Nicholas Ayrton, Program Assistant and Researcher, Economic Statecraft Program
• Carson Billingsley, Regional Business Relations Partner, Novonesis
• Joshua Brown, Grants Compliance Coordinator, Environmental Investigation Agency
• Alexis Chavez, Graduate Student, Carnegie Mellon University
• Cary Dornier, BA Candidate in Political Studies, Pitzer College
• Olivia Dul, Graduate Student, George Washington University
• Kaitlyn Hasegawa, Analyst, U.S. Department of Treasury
• Ingrid Izaguirre, Climate Solutions Fellow - Office of Representative Chrissy Houlahan, Climate Solutions Foundation
• Jennifer Lee, Senior Associate, The Scowcroft Group
• Bianca Leon, Secretary, NextGen Scholars for Change
• Tanya Lim, Graduate Student, Columbia University
• Sarah O’Connell, Graduate Student, Columbia University
• Rehana Paul, Reports Editor, U.S. Department of State
• Kiara Royer, Coro Fellow in Public Affairs, Coro New York Leadership Center
• Kelly Tang, Recent Graduate, University of Maryland
• Megan Thomas, Student Attorney, Georgetown Law Center
• AJ Ulwelling, Project Coordinator, Encompass LLC

For questions concerning the mentorship program, please contact [email protected].