West Windsor residents Deborah Brodsky, Tanika Raychaudhuri, and Dana Sievers are serving as interns in Congressman Rush Holt’s office this summer. Each of the WW-P High School graduates applied for the intern positions in February with an application, a writing sample, and a letter of recommendation. An interview followed. They each work with one staff member.
“We all answer the phones and take down comments and concerns from constituents,” says Sievers. “I’ve also had the opportunity to draft letters to constituents and have done some legislative research. Every day is something different.” Brodsky helps to organize and attend events for the congressman. Raychaudhuri works with grants, and workshops, and searches for press clippings both about Holt and news items he may be interested in.
“It has been a pleasure to welcome these outstanding interns to my staff,” Holt says in a press release. “As a former educator, I am deeply impressed by their intelligence, willingness to learn, and commitment to public service. They are serving the people of central New Jersey.”
Brodsky was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and moved to West Windsor when she was six years old. A graduate of High School South in 2009, she is a rising junior majoring in Middle Eastern studies at Brandeis University.
Her father, Charles is a commercial real estate lawyer in Princeton. Her mother, Karen, works in the state office of managed care and medicine in Hamilton. Her sister, Rachel, a 2004 graduate of South and Muhlenberg College, is an assistant editor in New York City for Parents Magazine.
“I’m interested in government relations, how government works, and an understanding of how members of Congress relate to constituents,” says Brodsky.
Raychaudhuri is a lifelong resident of West Windsor. A graduate of South in 2010, she is a rising sophomore majoring in political science at University of Michigan.
Her father, Dipankar, is director of WINLAB at Rutgers University. Her mother, Aru, is a professor of math at the City College of New York in Staten Island. Her brother, Mayukh, a 1999 graduate of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School and University of Michigan, is a lawyer in Philadelphia.
“I’ve been interested in politics since taking an AP government course in high school,” says Raychaudhuri. “I’m interested in how government works and what happens in a congressman’s office.”
Sievers was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and has lived in West Windsor for close to 14 years. She graduated from High School North in 2010. A rising sophomore at Georgetown University, she is transferring into the School of Foreign Service to major in science, technology, and international affairs.
Her father, Mark, is an attorney, and her mother, Barbara, works from home. Her sisters are Caroline, who graduated from North in June, and Stephanie, a sophomore at North.
After finding courses in U.S. political systems and international relations interesting, she decided to apply for the internship program. “I especially liked learning about public policy and how politicians interact with their constituents, and I thought Rep. Holt’s office would be a great place to see how government works on the inside,” says Sievers.
