Ranking Member Risch Welcomes Foreign Relations Committee Summer Interns

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently welcomed seven new committee interns for the summer term.

“On behalf of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee minority, I’m glad to welcome a new group of talented interns for our summer term,” said Risch. “These students will experience firsthand how Congress handles major global issues like the COVID-19 pandemic, malign international actors, defending human rights around the world, and more. I am confident they will do an excellent job during their time with the committee.”

The SFRC interns this summer are:

Madeleine McLean

Boise, Idaho

Madeleine is an incoming senior at the College of William & Mary pursing a joint degree with the University of St. Andrews. Her primary interests are in Middle Eastern history, terrorist radicalization, human rights, decolonization, and racial power structures in the United States and abroad. She ultimately hopes to work for the State Department or the U.N. Refugee Agency.

Rhône Grajcar

Boise, Idaho

Rhône will graduate this winter from Whitman College with a bachelor’s degree in history, South Asian & Middle Eastern studies. He is interested in national security, Indo-Pacific strategy, South Asia, and common vulnerabilities and exposures. Rhône’s future goals include learning more about the formation of national security strategy, foreign policy, and the legislative process. He hopes to pursue a career on Capitol Hill or the State Department.

Zackariah BB. Crahen

Shelby, Ohio

Zack graduated from West Point in 2012 and was commissioned in the Army as an armor officer. Following six years of service and some time in the private sector, Zack is pursuing a master’s in public policy at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Following graduation, Zack hopes to transition into a career within the realm of foreign policy.

Bridget Toomey

Zionsville, Pa.

Bridget is currently an undergraduate student in the government department at Harvard College. Bridget is particularly interested in Middle East issues, religious conflict, U.S. international policy, and Conservative political thought. She hopes to be involved in both domestic and international politics and would like to pursue a career in the Foreign Service, especially in regions with emerging democracies.

Jacob DePeralta

Kansas City, Mo.

Jacob has a bachelor’s from Missouri State University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree from Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy. He is interested in law, policy, foreign relations and philosophy. Jacob plans to attend law school and hopes to one day open his own private practice or work in Congress.

Halle Sarkisian

Cleveland, Ohio

Halle attends Miami University in Ohio where she is studying diplomacy and global politics with a minor in French. Her areas of interest include foreign relations in Western Europe and Russia, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, human rights, and global women’s issues. She hopes to one day work for the United States government focusing on foreign policy, particularly on strengthening our alliances and creating better international relations to promote peace and cooperation.

Alex Green

Green Bay, Wis. 

Alex graduated from Christopher Newport University with a bachelor’s in political science, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Regent University. He is interested in international conservation, international democracy and development, and foreign policy. His particular geographic interests are in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Alex hopes to pursue a career in one of his areas of interest or in public policy, both inside of the U.S. government and in the non-profit sector.

Click  here to learn more about the SFRC internship program.

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