2024 to 2025 Scholar Cohort
Shreya Joshi
Shreya is an IT professional with over four years of industry experience. She holds a Master’s in Management from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor’s in Information Technology. As a Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Shreya offers a distinct blend of technical expertise and managerial acumen. Her experience includes leading teams in software implementation and data management projects. I have a robust background in project management, having collaborated with clients across the telecom, supply chain, e-commerce, and international banking sectors. Shreya is placed with the Department of Innovation and Technology.
Marissa Leal
Marissa graduated from University of Illinois Chicago with both a B.A. and M.A. in Criminology, Law, and Justice. As a student, Marissa was heavily involved with the LARES (Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services) office and is an advocate of the Latino community. During the program, Marissa created two research posters, which she presented at the 26th & 27th Annual ILACHE Conferences. After this, she went on to join UPPF as a student for the 2019 to 2020 cohort; she returned as a UPPF Graduate Assistant during graduate studies. In her spare time, she volunteers as an Election Judge, assisting on election day with the check-in and registration of voters. Her long-term goal is to enroll in law school and practice in the legal profession with hope to teach or advise at the college level. Her hobbies include painting and creating digital art. Marissa is placed with the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus / Caucus Foundation.
Vyshnavi Jetti
Vyshnavi has a background in engineering, technology, and management, coupled with a passion for improving people’s quality of life. Throughout her academic and professional journey, she has consistently sought opportunities to positively impact society. By leveraging diverse roles, Vyshnavi has developed a well-rounded skill set in research, decision-making, problem-solving, and leadership. Her long-term goal is to work on leveraging technologies like AI and cloud computing to enhance the standard of living for people, using these advancements to drive meaningful and lasting improvements in society. Vyshnavi is placed with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency - Office of Homeland Security.
Mary Ojoma
Mary is a Nigerian licensed lawyer who completed her LLM degree at University of Illinois’ College of Law, concentrating in Corporate and Commercial Law. In addition to working as an associate at a top-tier law firm, Mary volunteered with a literacy foundation, advocating for education and providing mentoring and tutoring to out-of-school children. She also collaborated on the Tolerance Means Dialogue initiative, which fostered public discussions aimed at finding constructive approaches to living together in a pluralistic society. Mary is interested in policy issues around equality and the development of underserved and underrepresented communities. Mary is placed with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus / Black Caucus Foundation.
Samantha Pierce
Sami completed their master’s in public administration (MPA) at UIS. Sami has had a long-standing passion for public service, equity, and community engagement. While completing their MPA, they produced research on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment of veterans with psychiatric disorders and wrote a textbook chapter on the function of genre in writing. They have a passion for understanding and addressing the unique socioeconomic issues facing rural populations from food insecurity to the opioid epidemic. Outside of career and academics, Sami spends time with friends, reads about social and political history, and works on various creative endeavors. Sami is placed with the Congressional Office of Representative Nikki Budinski.
Stephanie Schnaufer
Stephanie has a bachelor’s degree in food science and human nutrition from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and a master’s of business administration from Dominican University. During her MBA, she created the first student consulting business at her university which paired marketing students with developing small businesses to improve their website and social media presence. To connect to her nutrition background, Stephanie has partnered up with another fellow dietitian to lead free nutrition education events for underserved communities in Chicago. Her current hobbies include: long walks by the lake, open mic nights, and painting. Stephanie is placed with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Broadband.
M. Alex Sprinkle
Alex earned a master’s degree in community health from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has strong experience and passion for ensuring that all individuals, no matter their age, race, gender identity, or SES, have equitable access to community resources to maintain and improve physical and mental well-being. Alex supports his community as a public-school educator and through community service initiatives. In his spare time, Alex enjoys the outdoors, cooking, reading, and writing. Alex is placed with the Illinois Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Juliana Stratton.