Current Students

Daniel was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. He completed both his undergraduate and master’s degrees in economics at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. Before attending Princeton, he advanced his career by working at the Central Bank of Colombia, Scotiabank, the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce, and Colombia’s Tax and Customs Authority (DIAN). His professional journey has encompassed a variety of fields, including data science, economic analysis, economic research, antitrust enforcement, and risk management. He is deeply interested in economic development, the application of data science in public policy, and strengthening institutions for sustainable growth. At Princeton, he aims to delve into development and institutional policies that could bolster Colombia. During the summer of 2025, he interned at the Japan Economic Foundation in Tokyo, where he researched trade resilience and the service sector and contributed to the Foundation’s digital outreach strategy. Following his studies at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Daniel aspires to contribute to Latin America’s development policies through short-term roles at the IDB, World Bank, or IMF. In the long term, his ambition is to lead the National Planning Department of Colombia. Beyond his academic and professional pursuits, Daniel is passionate about soccer, electronic music, and enjoys attending festivals and concerts with his friends.

Originally from San Francisco, Fiona received her B.A. at the University of Chicago, in Law, Letters, and Society, with a minor in Democracy Studies. At UChicago, she participated in research projects on American political violence with the Chicago Project on Security and Threats, and did work on comparative democratic backsliding with the Democratic Erosion Consortium. She was a 2023-24 James Gaither Junior Fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., where she did research in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program on the intersection of technology, trade, and democracy. Prior to SPIA, Fiona worked as an international trade specialist at McDermott Will and Emery. At Princeton, she hopes to examine the impact of changing U.S. trade and economic policy on international politics and democracy (and also hopes to camp, hike, and explore the Garden State!).

Liz is from Raleigh, North Carolina, and attended Duke University as a Benjamin N. Duke Scholar, graduating in 2018 with majors in political science and global health and a minor in cultural anthropology. After graduating, she worked as a community organizer at the Community Empowerment Fund (CEF), a nonprofit providing financial services and housing counseling to individuals experiencing homelessness in Durham, North Carolina. Following her local work at CEF, Liz pursued federal policymaking experience at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, working in the Office of Consumer Education and Engagement and the Office of Enforcement. She then served as the Special Assistant for Economic Mobility and Racial Justice and Equity to the Domestic Policy Council at the White House, where she focused on childcare policy, tenant protections, and implementing the President’s day one Equity Executive Order. Following her studies at Princeton, Liz hopes to return to local-level housing work. In her spare time, she enjoys watching and reviewing movies and catching up on c-list celebrity gossip.

Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Sarah completed her undergraduate degree in international politics and Latin American studies at Georgetown University. Before graduate school, she worked for a D.C.-based global strategic advisory firm, where she researched political and economic trends in northern Latin America to provide market risk guidance to corporate clients and advance U.S. commercial diplomacy. Past experience as a research assistant for a database on Latin American institutions and as an intern at a refugee resettlement nonprofit affirmed her passion for public service, migration policy, and Western Hemisphere affairs. After her first year at SPIA, she joined the World Bank's Social Protection and Labor Global Practice to support a grant program on digital social protection and develop practice-wide portfolio and strategy documents. In her free time, Sarah enjoys running, trying new recipes, and collecting houseplants.

Though originally from Massachusetts, LT Michaela Caldwell spent the majority of her childhood in landlocked Pennsylvania. Drawn to the sea, she answered its call by attending the United States Naval Academy, where she earned a B.S. in Political Science and commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer in 2020. Prior to commencing her graduate education as a Navy Fleet Scholar, Michaela completed two tours of duty onboard USS BULKELEY (DDG 84), a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces Europe destroyer based in Rota, Spain. While stationed overseas, Michaela gained experience in the European area of operations, ballistic missile defense, and moped riding. Upon completion of the MPA program, she will return to the fleet and continue to serve onboard warships around the world.