Associate Spotlights of the Week

Junior Associate: Sydney Paige Thomas

Where do you come from?

I was born and raised in San Diego, CA. I recently graduated from Duke University, located in Durham, NC, where I was a Public Policy major and an African and African American Studies minor and I’m moving to New York City in the fall to participate in the NYC Urban Fellows Program.

Why did you choose UELIP?

I chose UELIP because I wanted to get more exposure to education policy. I spent last summer working with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. for Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-09) and felt that I was dealing with a whole bunch of issues and never really got a handle on any of them. So I wanted an internship where I was able to focus on one policy area. And Michelle Rhee seemed pretty awesome.

What are you working on during your time here?

Right now I’m working on an enrollment campaign to help get high school students registered for school prior to the first day of classes. DC is such a transient city that it requires students to re-enroll every year. A lot of high schoolers don’t end up enrolling until the first day of school which messes up school budgets, makes the first day of classes chaotic, etc. So my supervisor and I are trying to rectify this situation. If any UELIPers want to volunteer on this campaign please let me know!

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I was a competitive dancer from age 3 to age 15. I did jazz, tap and ballet. Hated ballet, but the dance studio I went to made me stick with it in order to continue with jazz (which I loved) so I sucked it up.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I have always been indecisive. I never had an answer for that question, lol.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Ms. Zoref. She brought her standard poodle to school everyday in 4th grade which helped quell my fear of dogs. And she thought I was hilarious so class was always fun.

Where would you take your dream vacation?

Santorini, Greece! Or Colombia – one of my best friends is from there and she’s always talking about how gorgeous it is, so I want to be able to see it for myself.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I was actually just asked this question! I want to be able to multiply things. Like if I have 4 french fries in front of me, I want to be able to instantly create 4 more.

Senior Associate: Jordan Rosen

Where do you come from?

I am a rising second year law student at Washington University School of Law, originally from Highland Park, Illinois.

Why did you choose UELIP?

Chancellor Rhee. I first heard about the Chancellor’s work as a Teach For America corps member in Chicago and followed DCPS in the news. Based on my experience as a Chicago corps member, I felt that Chancellor Rhee was making all of the right moves, from attacking the seniority system to implementing merit pay. I was also fascinated by the story of Jim Sandman, the DCPS general counsel who chose to take a break from his work with Arnold & Porter for the chance to work with Chancellor Rhee. DCPS was becoming a lodestone for passionate and talented leaders. I chose to submit an application to UELIP with the hope of seeing DCPS in action every day.

What are you working on during your time here?

Primarily, I am working with the Office of the General Counsel on various legal issues. The legal issues confronting schools are far more fascinating than I would have thought. They range from answering typical discovery questions to challenging First Amendment issues. The OGC provides an exceptionally interesting view into the inner workings of DCPS. I also joined a whole host of committees available through UELIP and DCPS. Through the committees, I am mentoring high school students, developing school policy, and more.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I have a streak of extremely blonde hair. Barbers always ask me if I want to dye it to a “normal” color. Others assume it’s already dyed and I have a weird sense of style. Sometimes in law school lecture halls, when I am especially bored, I use my blonde streak to blind eighty of my peers.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I wanted to be a philosophy professor when I was younger, but then I figured out what philosophy professors actually do. I panicked and then joined Teach For America.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Besides myself, of course, I have three:

Mrs. Dershowitz: She inspired me to write.

Professor Malacinski: Chronically angry with his students. Chose favorites. Malacinski inspired students by adopting only the highest standards for them.

Professor Bose: Too liberal for her student population, but she didn’t care. Professor Bose was a passionate activist for atheists and other marginalized groups.

Where would you take your dream vacation?

Bon Temps, Louisiana.

Forks, Washington. (Real men sparkle.)

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

If other people had super powers too then I would be Rogue from X-Men. She was the strongest member of the X-Men because she could steal the superpower of anyone else. Rogue would probably say I don’t want her powers because I would not be able to touch anyone, but cry me a river.