Our third stellar Leadership Intern of the summer is Ella Hutchinson! Ella grew up in Las Cruces, NM and graduated from Centennial High School where she served as a member of the Student Advisory Council to the LCPS School Board and a reporter for Centennial Student News. Ella then attended St. John’s College in Santa Fe where she earned a BA in Liberal Arts and received the Dean’s award for community service. While attending St. John’s she was the student representative of the Santa Fe campus for the College History Task Force, which was created to research St. John’s history with slavery. Ella will be taking a gap year before applying to law school, after which she plans to work on civil rights and constitutional issues in New Mexico. (fb)

We are delighted to welcome Jay Choate as another of our summer 2025 Leadership Interns! Jay graduated from Organ Mountain High School and began their higher education studying Computer Science and Cyber Security at New Mexico Tech. Jay transferred to New Mexico State University and graduated with a BA in Political Science and a Minor in Public Administration in May 2024. At NMSU, they served as the Attorney General for the Associated Students of NMSU and as the Vice President for the Graduate Student Council. They also received the Joyce L. Smith Memorial Endowment and Jose N. & Joan T Uranga Law Endowed Scholarship. Jay is now pursuing a double major MA in Political Science and Public Administration at NMSU. Jay previously interned with the City of Las Cruces, canvassed for nonprofits including the New Mexico Dream Team, and campaigned for candidates ranging from City Council to the state legislature to Congress. They have also been involved in political party work, serving as President of NMSU College Democrats and working with people across the state to start the New Mexico Forward Party. After graduating, Jay intends to work as a policy advocate, doing research into effective solutions and advocating for them via nonprofit work and public office. (fb)