Wondering what it's like to live and work in Washington, D.C.? Want to know about a day in the life of a Udall Intern? Ask one of our
alumni mentors. Salisha, Erin, Andrea, Roxanne, Diana, and Mellor are happy to share their experiences as Udall Interns with you.
We encourage you to contact them: their bios and information are below.
Salisha Old Bull
A Salish and Crow, I was born and raised in Montana and became a Udall Intern in 2007. After completing a master's degree in
Interdisciplinary Studies, focusing on the history of Indian Education and Curriculum & Instruction, I found myself wanting to pursue
a second master's and possibly law school. The internship allowed me to better observe the opportunities and possibilities that were
available to me through the more formal professions of Native people. The internship was a major prelude to the academic work I had
ahead of me, but it showed me that there are no boundaries to the extent that one can strive to improve issues in Indian Country. It
gave me a better sense of how to hold myself in a more professional manner as well as how to research the deep issues in Indian Country.
I went on to complete a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Montana in 2009 and started as Program
Coordinator for American Indian Student Services at the same school. Working in this position, I am basically a liaison and advocate for
the American Indian student body. Looking back at the Udall Internship helps me to remember how important it is to continue to encourage
and support further generations of Native people to succeed academically and professionally in their daily lives. Email me at
powowgrrl@yahoo.com.
Erin Dunnagan Oliver
I grew up in Miami County, Indiana and am an enrolled member of the Miami Nation of Indiana. I received a Bachelor of Arts in American
Studies from the University of Notre Dame, where I was a 2004 Udall Congressional Intern in Rep. Tom Udall's Washington, DC office.
Currently I am a 2L at Michigan State University College of Law specializing in Indigenous Law and Policy. I am secretary of the Native
American Law Student Association and a student representative for the Michigan State Bar Association Indian Law Section. I am a member
of my tribal language committee where I am active in language revitalization efforts. I also sit on our tribal scholarship committee.
Please feel free to contact me with questions concerning the internship program. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be
involved with the Udall Foundation and love to share my experience with others. I can be reached at
erin.n.oliver@gmail.com.
Andrea Sanders
Andrea Akalleq Sanders is a lively addition to the Alaska conservation community. Her Yupik heritage and close ties to southwest Alaska
have made her a natural advocate for sustainable living. A former Hoya, Andrea graduated from Georgetown University in 2008, receiving
her B.A. in Government, with special emphasis on international human rights. Also in 2008, Andrea participated in the Udall
Congressional Internship and worked for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Andrea encourages all intellectually curious and
motivated American Indian and Alaska Native scholars to consider applying for the Udall internship. If you have questions,
contact Andrea at alaskarenewables@gmail.com.
Roxanne Thomas
Roxanne (Dine'/Numa) is a tribal member of the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe. She was raised in Salt Lake City, UT and moved to the Navajo
Nation upon entering her freshman year of high school. She earned a BA in sociology/human services from Fort Lewis College, a master's
in social work (MSW) from Arizona State University, and a MS in public policy and management (MSPPM) from Carnegie Mellon University.
She is a licensed MSW (LMSW) in the state of Arizona and is currently working at Kayenta Service Unit Counseling Services in Kayenta
(AZ) and Inscription House (AZ)—both located on the Navajo Nation. She currently provides outpatient mental health services primarily to
Dine' adults, and has prior experience working with Dine' children, adolescents, and parents. Her maternal relatives are from the
Kayenta (AZ) area and her paternal relatives are from the Stillwater (NV) area.
Roxanne was a Native American Congressional Intern during the summer of 2007 and worked in the office of Congressman Mark Udall (D-CO).
She would like to encourage those who:
- desire to create long lasting friendships with peers from various tribal communities;
- seek to build their network of people/organizations working with indigenous people; and
- have the passion and desire to advocate for positive change within their area of interest
to apply for this wonderful experience. Roxanne can be reached at roxanneeeee@yahoo.com.
Diana Webster
I am an enrolled member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe from Northern Minnesota. In 2001, I decided to go to law school after a long
career in business. It was an ambitious goal for a mature student, but in 2007 I was sworn in to the California Bar as an attorney
after completing my undergraduate studies at Webster University and getting my J.D. from Southwestern Law School. It took a lot of
persistence to achieve this goal but equally important was the assistance and support I received, especially from the Udall Native
American Congressional Internship program. As a Udall Intern in the White House Council on Environmental Quality legal department in
2007, I gained not only outstanding work experience and tremendous confidence in my legal abilities, but also developed a network of
friends and mentors of the best and the brightest people in the country that just keeps on growing. I strongly encourage anyone, whether
you’re just starting out in college or going back to school after many years, to apply to be an Intern. It will change your life. If
you have any questions about the program, I'd love to talk to you. My email is:
law.webster@gmail.com.
Mellor Willie
Mellor C. Willie is the Executive Director of the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC). He directs the non-profit
organization's operations and programming, as well as publicly promotes and advances the American Indian, Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian housing policy agenda in Washington, D.C. and abroad.
Mellor is a member of the Navajo Nation, born and raised in Window Rock, Arizona. He was born into the Yei Dine' Tachii'nii clan and
born for the Tsenahabilnii clan. In 1998, he received his bachelor's degree in political science from Southern Utah University. As a
1998 Udall intern, Mellor worked for former Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ). In May 2009, he graduated from The George Washington
University's Graduate School of Political Management, being the first American Indian to graduate from the program.
Before NAIHC, Mellor served as director of development for the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) headquartered in Washington,
D.C. As the chief fundraising executive, he directed the fundraising efforts for NCAI. Mellor served on the faculty advisory board for
the Harvard University Native American Program and as a former alumnus, he continues to serve on the advisory board for the Washington
Internships for Native Students at American University. He can be reached at
mwillie@NAIHC.NET.