Frances graduated from Washington University with a B.A. in sociology in 2019. Since, she has worked in policy research at Decriminalize Sex Work, people operations, and talent acquisition at Propel, a government-tech company focused on improving the social safety net in the United States, and social impact communications at Nespresso USA. Her passion for understanding social systems and building resource equity within them has been a primary motivator throughout her career. While living in St. Louis, she interned for Arch City Defenders, working to combat the criminalization of poverty through the abolition of the city's cash bail system. She was a founding member of Cultivating Connections, a club at Washington University that partnered with the International Institute's Global Farms Program to build urban farms for immigrant communities in North St. Louis. In Brooklyn, she volunteered as a rape and domestic violence crisis advocate for survivors receiving care in the emergency department. She spent the summer before SPIA wrapping up work and volunteering and backpacking with her sister. This past summer, she worked as a research assistant at The Lab @ DC in Washington. Upon graduation from SPIA, Frances hopes to work on increasing financial resource access for low-income Americans, making our social safety net more efficient, effective, and human-centered.

Possessing a long-standing commitment to public service, Delanya has driven social impact and development initiatives across the globe. Through her work at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, Delanya supported engagements in international development focusing on entrepreneurship, maternal health, agri-finance, climate, energy, international education, and accountability. While completing her undergraduate studies at Harvard, Delanya championed public service initiatives engaging K-12 students in roles with Project Rousseau, Harvard’s Griffin Financial Aid Office, and the City of Birmingham’s Office of Innovation and Economic Opportunity. Notably at the City of Birmingham’s Office of Innovation and Economic Opportunity, Delanya supported the realization of the Birmingham Promise, creating funded pathways to in-state colleges and apprenticeships for over 20,000 Birmingham City School students. She has continued her contribution to impactful education initiatives as a strategy consultant at Crimson Education, supporting students from a wide range of backgrounds and lived experiences. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Delanya holds a bachelor's degree in government, minoring in philosophy with a citation in Spanish. She has received numerous recognitions, namely, the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship where she will support the Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer. As an MPA candidate at Princeton SPIA, Delanya has a continuing interest in exploring how transitional justice tools can address instances of historical injustice in the global community.

Michiko majored in law and politics with a concentration on public law at University of Tokyo from 2017-2021. Upon graduation, she joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and worked in the Status of U.S. Forces Agreement Division for two years. For her MPA internship, Michiko worked as a research intern at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C.

Rafael graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a degree in political science after writing an honors thesis on how representatives can partner with constituents to combat misinformation. While at Lewis & Clark, Rafael interned for the U.S. Senate and Mercy Corps. After graduation, he joined the Peace Corps and served in Cambodia as an English teacher. The onset of the COVID pandemic brought his service to an abrupt end and he returned to the Senate to support Senator Merkley’s office in providing constituent services to Oregonians suffering from the economic instability. Prior to graduate studies, Rafael spent three years with Mercy Corps where he managed leadership and team development programs. He took advantage of his cross-country move to Princeton to camp at and hike through national parks. Rafael completed his MPA internship working as a Planetary Politics-Future Frontlines Intern at New America in Washington, D.C. Rafael calls Portland, Oregon, home. He is an avid climber, runner, and gamer. 

A proud St. Louisan, James began his public service career teaching Algebra in his home school district, St. Louis Public Schools, through Teach for America. Driven by a passion for educational equity, he became a John Lewis Fellow with Humanity in Action, joining a community of activists and organizers dedicated to championing social causes in the spirit of ‘Good Trouble.’ After teaching, James transitioned to systems change work as a policy advocacy fellow with Forward Through Ferguson, a racial justice organization founded in the aftermath of the Ferguson Uprisings. In this role, he advocated for a city-wide plan for education and supported the Racial Healing Justice Fund, a community-governed grant fund for regional BIPOC nonprofits and businesses. Before joining Princeton SPIA, James served as a Strategic Operations Manager at the St. Louis Treasurer’s Office for two years. During his time there, he oversaw financial empowerment efforts across the city, most notably leading the city's inaugural guaranteed basic income program, which distributed $6 million to support St. Louis families. Motivated by a commitment to social justice and community empowerment, he continues to seek impactful solutions to social issues. In his free time, James enjoys running, tackling overly ambitious DIY projects, and being mediocre at ping pong.