The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs’ SPIA in New Jersey initiative has named three recent graduates as its first cohort of Garden State Fellows.

Lauren Aung, Madison Linton, and Olivia Ragan, all of whom graduated from Princeton in May, are the inaugural participants in a fellowship program that was created to enhance capacity in New Jersey’s public interest sector, to address critical statewide issues, and to launch young practitioners into public policy careers.

The fellowship will support Aung, Linton, and Ragan for the next year as they work within a New Jersey-based policy organization or government agency that is of strategic importance to the future of the Garden State.

“I am delighted to see this trio of talented, curious, and hard-working Princeton graduates setting out into the world of policymaking here in New Jersey,” said Princeton SPIA Dean Amaney Jamal. “At SPIA, public service is central to our mission, and the GSF reflects that commitment. We know the Fellows will do great things.”

Aung, a politics major, has joined the ACLU of New Jersey, where she is working on criminal justice reform.

“I am extremely excited to apply and grow my knowledge of the intersection of racial justice and the criminal justice system,” she said.

“Partnering with SPIA in New Jersey speaks to our shared mission of building a better future for all who call our state home,” said Rhea Beck, ACLU-NJ’s director of people and culture. “Congratulations to the inaugural class of Garden State Fellows. We look forward to working together in the courts, in the legislature, and in our communities.”

Linton, a Princeton SPIA major, has joined the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice.

“GFS resonated with me because of the opportunities to develop and expand equity and quality of public service,” Linton said. “As a New Jersey local, I have experienced injustice both in my communities on campus and in my hometown. I believe in using empathy and interpersonal communication to build bridges among people of different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.”

"As the state's largest immigration coalition, we are thrilled to be chosen as a host site for Princeton's inaugural Garden State Fellows cohort,” said Erik Cruz Morales, the orgnization’s policy and advocacy manager. “Madison will not only gain hands-on policymaking experience with our coalition's leading advocates, but she'll enhance NJAIJ's advocacy with her knowledge and lived experience on the issues we fight for.”

Ragan, also a SPIA major, is spending the year with the Fair Share Housing Center.

“Princeton helped me develop a strong set of values, and I'm drawn to public service because it seems like the best path for putting my values into action,” she said. “I'm looking forward to learning from people who are transforming the world one neighborhood at a time.”

“We are thrilled to be hosting a Garden State Fellow this year and are grateful to Princeton for their commitment to educating and supporting the next generation of policymakers,” said Katherine Payne, Fair Share Housing’s managing director of operations  and senior planner. “We are excited to have Olivia join our team as we continue our efforts to address racial and economic disparities in New Jersey.”

Linton, Aung, and Ragan enter public service during a period of significant flux in New Jersey: From the abolition of the ballot “county line” to pathbreaking legislation governing affordable housing and environmental justice to next year’s gubernatorial election, there are numerous opportunities to study and influence policymaking in the state.

“Princeton graduates have long contributed to the practice of democracy in New Jersey,” said SPIA in New Jersey Director Anastasia Mann. “Lauren, Madison, and Olivia carry forward the tradition of public service at the School of Public and International Affairs; they have much to offer and much to learn.”

SPIA in New Jersey launched in spring 2023 with a robust commitment at the School to engage with government and nonprofit partners statewide to generate data and analysis, convene around opportunities, celebrate success, and learn best practices consistent with multiracial democracy. To learn more about the initiative, click here.