Current Interns
COLLIN GORTNER | INTERN | 2019
Collin Gortner is a rising senior studying at the University of Notre Dame. Collin is majoring in Political Science with minors in Constitutional Studies and Education, Schooling, & Society. He was born and raised in Monticello, a small town in downstate Illinois—this land was the traditional homeland of the Illini Confederation and Miami tribal nation. Collin is passionate about education and issues related to social justice. He has served as the charity commissioner for Stanford Hall for two years. Collin was a fellow in the McNeil Leadership program through the Center for Social Concerns. He has interned with Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the Public Defender for Juveniles in St. Joseph County, and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois. Collin will be an ACE Intern next school year and is excited to be a part of the ACE 27 cohort after graduation.
MIKAELA MURPHY | INTERN | 2019
Mikaela Murphy is a rising Junior at the University of Notre Dame with a major in American Studies. She is from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, which resides on the traditional lands of the Osage people and is the current capital city of the Cherokee Nation. Mikaela is a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and currently provides Cherokee language tutoring at the Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures. Mikaela is also the current vice-president of the Native American Student Association of Notre Dame, as well as previously serving as the Diversity Council Representative. She would like to use this role to promote the current existing Native cultures that exist on campus. Mikaela plans on using her education and experiences to improve the lives of the people in her community, focusing on ensuring that all Native American youth have the same opportunities to higher education that she did.
Former Interns
JULIA ALLPOW | INTERN | 2019
Julia is a rising senior at the University of Notre Dame, and is a part of the Breen-Phillips Hall community. She is majoring in American Studies and Peace Studies with a minor in Education, Schooling, and Society. She is involved in Student Government’s Gender Relations department, Harmonia A Capella, and Fighting Irish Scholars. She recently returned from studying abroad in Puebla, Mexico where she volunteered in English classes at a local school. She hopes to pursue a career in education, with greater goals of working toward increasing access to education, providing health services in schools, and bridging educational gaps through education policy or school leadership. She believes that education is the greatest tool for social change and hopes to make the world a better place for her dog, Miss Lillian.
ZADA BALLEW | SENIOR INTERN |2018 & 2019
Zada Ballew is a recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame where she studied Economics and Psychology. As an enrolled member of the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi, Zada is thrilled to have attended a university that is a part of her tribe’s history. Prior to her start with AICSN, Zada worked on a research team that created a fifth through twelfth grade United States history curriculum that includes American Indian history throughout the telling of the U.S. story - not just in the introduction and margins. This fall, Zada will be pursuing a PhD in U.S. History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she will be documenting her tribe's history.
KATHERINE GINSBACH | COORDINATOR OF LEGAL POLICY AND PROCEDURE | 2018
Katherine Ginsbach is a rising 3rd year law student at University of Notre Dame Law School. Kate serves as the Coordinator for Legal Policy and Procedure at AICSN. Born and raised in Hot Springs, South Dakota, Kate grew up next to Oglala Lakota County in South Dakota where her family has served as general counsel for Red Cloud Indian School for over 70 years. Her dedication to Tribal Law and Policy is rooted in the injustices she has seen growing up. Today her interests relate to health injustices facing reservations, particularly high tuberculosis and infant mortality rates. Prior to law school she received a Master’s of Science in Global Health where her thesis focused on vaccine regulations and pandemic preparedness. Outside from work and school, Kate spends her time training for endurance cycling events. Her accomplishments include winning her age group at the Leadville 100 and winning a national championship.
ALLYSON KEMPF | SENIOR INTERN | 2017 & 2018
Allyson Kempf is a rising senior at Indiana University, majoring in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Sociology. Last summer Allyson had the pleasure of working as an intern for the American Indian Catholic Schools Network, where she encountered passionate individuals who peaked her interest in Native American studies. This experience was so rewarding that she was inspired to return for a second summer. This year, Allyson has been involved in researching Native Catholic Schools and planning the Network’s annual conference, which will take place at the University of Notre Dame at the end of July. Daughter of two proud Notre Dame parents, she knew the fight song before even she knew her ABC’s. She has been a part of the university’s community since birth and is interested in carrying on her family’s legacy by applying to ACE this coming year.
MARY MADDEN | INTERN | 2019
Mary M
adden is a rising junior at the University of Southern California, where she studies Biomedical Engineering. She was born in South Bend, Indiana immersed in the Notre Dame community and neighboring the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Indians. Mary has attended Catholic school preschool through 12th grade. At USC, Mary is on the Executive Board of the Catholic Center, leading retreats and forwarding work on social justice. She is also involved with Engineers without Borders, STEM mentorship and Club Volleyball. In the past, Mary has done research with Dr. Brian Collier, analyzing curriculum used in history education throughout the United States with a focus on how the American Indian’s story has been told in the classroom. Mary’s experience has made her a strong advocate for Catholic schools. She believes Catholic schools create a strong foundation for children, integrating education, faith and family(community). In a singular way, Catholic education prepares students for a future of unlimited possibilities. In the future, Mary hopes to use health, education and innovation as instruments of change to make higher education and health equity a reality for all people, especially those traditionally on the margins of society.
MIKALEA RAMSEY | INTERN | 2018
Mikaela Ramsey is a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame. She is currently majoring in sociology with a minor in Education, Schooling, and Society. Also, Mikaela has a concentration in Spanish and will be studying abroad in Chile in the spring. Mikaela is from Findlay, Ohio which is a small city south of Toledo. She was recently voted Vice President of her dance team, TroopND and plays in various intramural sports. Also, just this past spring, Mikaela was inducted into the Doan Scholars Program. She has wanted to be a teacher since she was young and hopes to be part of ACE after graduation.
LAKSUMI SIVANANDAN | INTERN | 2018
Laksumi Sivanandan is a rising junior studying Political Science and American Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Born and raised in New York City, Laksumi checks off every New York stereotype—she does not know how to drive, bike, or swim. Laksumi has exclusively attended Catholic schools since pre-kindergarten, and she looks forward to expanding access to Catholic education through her internship with AICSN this summer. As a first-generation college student, Laksumi has a passion for alleviating educational inequity. She hopes to pursue a career in higher education administration or student affairs to ensure college students of all backgrounds have the necessary resources to thrive while receiving their education. Following her internship with AICSN, Laksumi will serve as president of Notre Dame’s Class of 2020. In this role, she will manage the planning and execution of social, fundraising, and service opportunities for the junior class.
