The work behind the titles
Across these roles, I investigated difficult policy questions, built verifiable evidence bases, translated research for public use, and supported a congressional office with timely analysis.
Brigham Young University
Research Assistant
Organized-crime research, fieldwork planning, systematic reviews, and original evidence bases.
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Brigham Young University
Research Assistant
Organized-crime research, fieldwork planning, systematic reviews, and original evidence bases.
At BYU, I worked across organized-crime research and executive-succession studies, turning broad questions into documented methods and evidence that could support defensible conclusions.
Organized crime, communities, and fieldwork safety
For a proposed Ballard Center study, I examined how cartel control affects children and educational access in rural and underserved Mexican communities. I assessed organized-crime activity in potential field sites, explored local receptivity to cartel authority, and helped design interviews that would not increase risks to participants. Although the collaboration ended before fieldwork, I completed the preliminary security assessment and fieldwork plan.
Systematic reviews and original evidence bases
For Dr. Breck Wightman, I built a systematic review of nonprofit executive succession from search design through final coding. Using a PRISMA process across Scopus, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar, I screened several thousand records and coded the 51 qualifying studies by succession phase, research design, and variable type. I maintained the central Excel dataset, used VBA to support the workbook, and created a dashboard that exposed gaps in the literature. I later adapted the method to university-president succession and used Codex-assisted workflows to prepare audio and video material for qualitative coding.
- PRISMA
- Scopus
- Wiley Online Library
- Google Scholar
- Excel & VBA
- Qualitative coding
Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute
Global Leaders Fellow
A paid fellowship encompassing placements at the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute and the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute
Global Leaders Fellow
A paid fellowship encompassing placements at the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute and the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute selected and employed me as a Global Leaders Fellow, placing me first in a congressional office and then at the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute. The two placements showed me how policy is developed inside government and examined by a research institution.
Mentorship and professional development
CHLI also organized mentorship, policy discussions, institutional visits, and symposia with public- and private-sector leaders, giving fellows direct access to professionals across government, policy, and business.
CHLI host placements
Wilson Center · Mexico Institute
Staff Intern
Independent firearms-trafficking research, election publication editing, and public-facing policy work.
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Wilson Center · Mexico Institute
Staff Intern
Independent firearms-trafficking research, election publication editing, and public-facing policy work.
I joined the Mexico Institute before Mexico’s 2024 presidential election and developed a focused research question for its broader series of election publications and public conversations.
Firearms trafficking across the U.S.–Mexico border
I conducted an independent study of how firearms moved across the border and into cartel-linked networks. I analyzed six years of records from ATF, GAO, Mexico’s Fiscalía General de la República, and UNODC, using government reports, news coverage, and other open sources to test emerging patterns. The final infographics explained source patterns, trafficking routes, straw purchasing, and small-scale or “ant” trafficking.
From research to public use
The work was published under my name by the Wilson Center and later republished by Mexico News Daily. It was cited in an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, a European University Institute thesis, and a Naval Postgraduate School publication. Project staff confirmed that Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne presented the infographic in briefings with officials from the Departments of State, Commerce, and Homeland Security. I also helped edit Mexico’s Next President: Challenges and Recommendations and supported election-related events.
- Government data
- Open-source research
- Policy editing
- Data visualization
- Events
U.S. House of Representatives · Office of a Member of Congress
Congressional Intern
Media monitoring, constituent service, hearings, legislative research, and Member-facing writing.
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U.S. House of Representatives · Office of a Member of Congress
Congressional Intern
Media monitoring, constituent service, hearings, legislative research, and Member-facing writing.
I supported a congressional office through media monitoring, constituent service, hearings, legislative research, and writing for staff and the Member, often during fast-moving budget and foreign-policy developments.
Daily intelligence and legislative support
Each morning, I prepared a news brief and used Cision to monitor coverage of the Member. I tracked legislation and policy developments, attended hearings, and produced concise notes for staff. I also summarized an Operation Lone Star information session and a policy meeting held as the Israel–Hamas war developed.
Constituent and Member-facing work
Using IndiGov, I handled congressional email and telephone messages, recorded constituent positions and requests, and followed the office’s approved language. I also drafted a floor speech for the Member and assisted with an early draft of the Promoting Reduction of Emissions Through Landscaping Equipment Act. The role required frequent movement between constituent concerns, legislative language, media coverage, and staff analysis.
- Cision
- IndiGov
- Legislative tracking
- Briefing notes
- Speechwriting