Luz Vazquez (2024)

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Luz Vazquez, a senior at Michigan State University, worked with the National Consumers League (NCL) and the Child Labor Coalition (CLC) as a summer intern. Her major is in Public Policy with a minor in Leadership to Organizations. Luz’s experience interning with NCL and CLC secured co-sponsors for child labor bills while gaining a deep understanding of the legislative process and enhancing her outreach skills.

In the future, Luz is committed to advancing advocacy for farmworkers, with the aim of becoming a leader and policymaker who champions the needs of her community.

Tesa Hargis (2024)

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Tesa Hargis is entering her third and final year of law school at American University Washington College of Law, with a focus on labor and employment law. Before law school, Tesa earned a BA in International Studies from the University of North Texas and an MA in Human Rights from University College London. After completing law school, Tesa plans to work as a labor lawyer within the government or at a plaintiff-side firm.

Tesa’s summer at NCL was incredibly enriching—she gained valuable insights into the intersection of nonprofit organizations, advocacy, and government regulations. This experience allowed her to further develop the skills she acquired through her education and previous roles, while also learning about the inner workings of a nonprofit organization.

Tesa had the opportunity to engage in research and advocacy efforts, which was both challenging and rewarding. She is deeply inspired by the work of NCL and by leaders like Sally Greenberg, NCL CEO and Child Labor Coalition Director Reid Maki, both of whom have dedicated decades to protecting consumers and ending child labor. Their passion and commitment to these causes are truly motivating.

Eric Feigen (2022)

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Eric Bo-wen Feigen was a health policy intern at the National Consumers League in 2022. During his internship, he found a mentor in NCL’s former Health Policy Director, Jeanette Contreras, who taught him the nuts and bolts of policy advocacy and the power of coalition building to organize broad support for issues that impact the average American. He then had the opportunity to apply what he learned by writing policy statements and providing background research to support NCL’s advocacy efforts.

Eric’s experience at NCL led him to his current position working for the Immune Deficiency Foundation’s policy team as their Regulatory Affairs Manager. In his role, he engages with government agencies, patient coalitions, and legislators on policy to improve access to treatments and encourage the development of new therapies for those affected by primary immunodeficiency disorders.

Eric received dual degrees in International Global Studies and LatinX Studies from Brandeis University, with minors in Economics, Social Policy, and Politics. He keeps in contact with Jeanette who remains a mentor and friend.

Rasheed Christian (2021)

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Rasheed Christian graduated from the University of Virginia in 2022 with a double major in Media Studies and Public Policy at the Batten School. In 2021, Rasheed interned at the National Consumers League, where he assisted the public policy, telecommunications, and fraud team. During this internship that perfectly combined his areas of study in college, he contributed to several projects and research surrounding anti -fraud campaigns, organized a national anti-fraud conference involving various stakeholders and legislators, and co-authored several editions of NCL’s Fraud Alert & Data Insecurity Digest.

Currently, Rasheed is a Strategic Communications Senior Associate at FGS Global, a leading global strategic communications and public affairs consultancy, where he focuses primarily on the film and entertainment industry – a dream come true for him!

While it’s a bit different from his work at NCL, Rasheed continues to apply the skills he honed at NCL, such as concise memo writing and efficient research on unfamiliar topics. He is grateful to have had the opportunity to work with an advocacy group as his experience underscored the importance of effective communication in bridging the gap between consumers, businesses, and government, a principle that inspires him daily and remains central to his work today.

Evan England (2021)

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Evan England graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2024 with a BA in Public Policy Leadership. He interned with the LifeSmarts division of NCL in the Summer of 2021 after his freshman year of college.

Evan currently works for Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) at Western Kentucky University.

Working for NCL helped Evan improve his communication and research skills. He also learned how to work as a team in a professional setting. He finds inspiration in his faith and in leaders who have supported him when he faced adversity.

Talia Zitner (2020)

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Talia Zitner is a graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, where she majored in English and Environmental Studies. Her interest in event planning led her to the Aspen Institute, where she works as an Event Coordinator for the Financial Security Program.

Talia worked for NCL in 2020, where much of her work surrounded the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout. While she was an intern, she would meet up with NCL staff for socially distant walks since everyone was online.

Talia’s current work focuses on increasing the wealth of middle and low-income Americans through private and public financial services. She is inspired by the power of convening, community, and a really good meal.