Alex Bishop ’26
Alex is from Durham, North Carolina. He is a sophomore transfer from the University of Toronto. He is planning to study mathematics at Claremont McKenna College. His internship with the Center for Death Penalty Litigation inspired him to study how public policy decisions can break the cycle of crime and poverty in American society. At the Rose, he wants to study how state and local governments can address the housing crisis and use housing policy to promote economic development. He enjoys skiing, literature, talking basketball, film, and philosophy.
Elisa N. Booth ’27
Elisa is a freshman at Claremont McKenna College majoring in Environment, Economics, and Politics (EEP), with a special interest in environmental policy and legislation. In high school, she was deeply involved with her local city council of La Cañada Flintridge, lobbying successfully for more than $300,000 to be allotted toward the implementation of a Climate Action Plan (CAP) for the city. She also managed a campaign for City Council that would go on to win over the incumbent of 11 years by a single vote. She interned for State Senator Anthony Portantino in high school and led the SoCal Chapter of the Junior State of America as the Speaker of the Assembly. In her free time, you can find Elisa singing in her acapella group, Blue and White, or join her in hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains as an Outdoor Initiative leader. She is also a lover of classical opera and mountain biking- though not at the same time!
Quinten Carney ’26
Quinten is from Boise, Idaho, and is majoring in Public Policy at Claremont McKenna College. In high school, his interest in government and public policy led him to work as a page for the Idaho State Legislature and participate in the US Senate Youth Program. He wants to study electoral data and political competitiveness, as well as learn about California’s top-two primary system, which has led him to join the Rose Institute. He competes on the CMS Cross Country and Track teams and occasionally does landscape doodling in his free time.
Aria M. Fafat ’27
Aria is a freshman at Claremont McKenna College studying Biochemistry and Public Policy. Her interest in public policy and government stemmed from her involvement in her high school’s law society. She is interested in public healthcare and education policy and is excited to hone her quantitative research skills further at the Rose. Outside of academic interests, she enjoys painting, watching sitcoms, playing badminton, and listening to music.
Joan A. Hanson SC’26
Joan is pursuing a major in Public Policy at Claremont McKenna College and a minor in Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean Literatures and Cultures at Scripps College. She grew up in Seattle, Washington, and now splits her time between Seattle and Charlotte, North Carolina, where her father moved a few years ago. Spending time in North Carolina, Joan has become passionate about many North Carolinian state and local issues. In particular, Joan is interested in various policy proposals aimed at mitigating the negative impacts of one of North Carolina’s most lucrative industries, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), that disproportionately affect marginalized communities in the state. In her free time, Joan enjoys cooking and (re)watching her favorite television shows, which include Silicon Valley, The Wire, and Gilmore Girls, as well as spending time with her friends and family.
Dhriti Jagadish SC’27
Dhriti is a Scripps student from Rocklin, California, and is planning to dual major in History and Public Policy. She began considering a career in law and politics early in high school by participating in Mock Trial and working on a NorCal State Senate campaign. She was first introduced to formal policy research at the NYU Division of Medical Ethics, where she helps study FDA guidelines. At the Rose, she hopes to further explore issues of criminal justice, homelessness, and healthcare. In her free time, she enjoys playing NYT crosswords, learning geography, and sneaking into CMC’s Cube.
Kahani Malhotra ’27
Kahani is a freshman at Claremont McKenna College studying Public Policy with a prospective dual major in PPE. She hails from New Delhi, India, but is a globetrotter, having lived in five different countries—India, Sudan, Russia, Malaysia, and the US—while being a Texan at heart. Her research into marijuana legislation under a Californian cannabis-infusion company and work in a congressional campaign in Saratoga drew her to conduct research for the Rose Institute. She is most excited about researching drug policy, investigating red vs. blue state politics, and uplifting South Asian voices and experiences through her work.
Maya Maranto HM’26
Maya Maranto is a Harvey Mudd sophomore who intends to major in government and physics and concentrate in Japanese. Raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Maya became interested in political ideology in elementary school while listening to her family’s frequent debates about politics, later exploring these areas further in high school history and philosophy clubs. Maya hopes to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze California politics at the Rose while learning more about how blue bubbles in red states (like her hometown) and similarly red ones in blue states impact politics. She is also interested in sustainability, comparative education, and comparative corruption. Outside of the Rose, Maya helps lead the East Asian Political Society, practices Japanese, reads (all genres), and watches anime with friends and family.
Anne C. McDonald ’26
Anne is a sophomore at CMC pursuing a dual major in government and data science. Her interest in politics began when she volunteered for the re-election campaign of a local congresswoman in high school. At the Rose, she is interested in researching the California court system and drug policy. Outside of the Rose, she works as a writing consultant at the CWPD and is co-president of Product Space. She hails from the rainy city of Seattle, WA and enjoys reading Kafka’s short stories, golfing, throwing pottery, jewelry making, and crocheting in her free time.
David E. Taylor ’26
David is a sophomore at Claremont McKenna College from La Habra, California, and is pursuing a dual major in Public Policy and Government. His passion for politics arose from the 2016 presidential election and was further inspired by the political, economic, and social climate during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has always found matters of state and local government to be intrinsic to understanding sociological and political climates as a whole. He is excited to learn about how state and local policies have tangible effects on the welfare of the average citizen. In his free time, David can be found watching sports (baseball, basketball, professional and college football), reading, or keeping up with American politics.
Rutvij Thakkar ’26
Rutvij Thakkar is a transfer sophomore from UT-Austin’s McCombs School of Business. With his fresh start at Claremont McKenna, he looks forward to advancing a more nuanced perspective of state and local government from the lens of commercial operators and businesses. This past summer, he interned at the Texas Permanent School Fund as an investment analyst for the $50B AUM K-12 endowment. He is currently an enlisted Air Force Reservist at NAS JRB Ft Worth working as an Air Transportation Apprentice (Forklift Certified!) and he plans to commission into Army Reserve Civil Affairs. Rutvij is currently planning to major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
Samuel L. Yao ’27
Sam is a Freshman at CMC from San Mateo, California who plans on majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). His passion for politics, business, and political economy first developed from listening to NPR’s Morning Edition with his mom on the way to elementary school every morning and inheriting his dad’s entrepreneurial spirit. Sam has a passion for all things sports, including water polo, swimming, and football. He also loves camping and being in the outdoors due to his experiences as an Eagle Scout. R&B and Jazz are Sam’s two favorite genres of music, and he loves to sing terribly and play the piano.
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