Fellows
Spring 2025 Fellows
Jai Abbott
My name is Jai Abbott, and I’m a sophomore at Bryn Mawr College. Majoring in Sociology despite the current job market, I’m passionate about urbanism, prison abolition, anti-imperialism, and the necessity of community ties. Born, raised (and perpetually loyal to) West Philadelphia, I’m a self-described musical tourist, expert arguer, and occasional creative writer. After graduation, I hope to become a public librarian and private menace. I’m currently the head of youth engagement for Peace Justice Sustainability Now, an anti-war non-profit. I’m excited to join this program because I’ve noticed an individual and systemic praxis problem among college students, who are politically engaged but rarely involved in concrete action. My project would focus on creating a prison pen pal program at Bryn Mawr College to educate about the conditions within the American Prison System and create material connections to reduce isolation and impunity within their walls.
Rachel Maselli
Rachel is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studies Peace, War, and Defense and Geography. Raised in North Carolina, she is an active member of the St. Francis of Assisi parish and excited to explore how Franciscan Catholic values of poverty and environmental conservation support Quaker values of social justice. She graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, where she developed a passion for public health and eliminating medical disparities. She has worked on research projects with the North Carolina Institute for Public Health for two and a half years, focusing on system needs across the state and country. She also spent a summer working at the International Rescue Committee, conducting women’s health classes and connecting refugee women and their families to healthcare. Her experience instilled a strong belief that religion, public health, and activism are closely intertwined. Her activism extends to voting rights, where she worked with the Workers Circle and Black Voters Matter on the 2024 delegation to Selma, Alabama, as well volunteering with the NC Harm Reduction Coalition. Rachel recently returned from Taiwan, where she studied Mandarin Chinese with American Council’s Taiwan Intensive Semester Language Program. In her free time, she enjoys reading and hiking, and is currently studying to become an EMT.
As NC grapples with the immediate and lasting effects of Hurricane Helene, Rachel’s project will work with her public health partners and focus on local and statewide recovery efforts.
Rachel Rosenstein
Hi! My name is Rachel Rosenstein. I am a Junior at Bryn Mawr College, majoring in English and Linguistics, and minoring in Political Science. Since childhood, I have been passionate about reforming the criminal justice system in the United States, particularly through nonprofit work and criminal defense law. Through the Benjamin Lay Fellowship, I created a project in which I got to speak with previously incarcerated people, listening to their stories in order to better understand the issues they had faced. I used previous experiences working with the Alliance for Incarcerated Women to frame my understanding of the injustices and violations women behind bars face, and I have since been able to use my work at Benjamin Lay to inform my work surrounding incarceration and detainment at other organizations, including the immigration legal nonprofit, HIAS.
As I continue through college, I look forward to gaining more experience and understanding of the issues occurring behind bars, and I will continue to build my future towards reforming our justice system.
Spring 2024 Fellows
Caelin Foley
Hi! I’m Caelin Foley, a junior at Bryn Mawr College pursuing an independent major in Global Health. I am especially passionate about educational equity because of my participation and, later, work, with TeenSHARP, a college access organization, as well as GripTape, an organization that grants youth 14 – 19 $500 to pursue their passion. Through my leadership at GripTape, I was able to implement the Ambassador model, which drastically expanded the number of low-income and rural youth who applied, and also provided professional and personal development opportunities for alumni of the program. Having spent much of my early years in the suburbs of Philadelphia and later teen years in Delaware, I hope to use my participation in the Benjamin Lay Fellowship to increase and further educational equity and opportunity locally within Philadelphia. I am also interested in learning more about social-justice oriented leadership within the context of Quakerism.
Josh Steen
My name is Josh Steen and I am a sophomore at Eastern University, double majoring in Social Work & Sociology. I currently work for the Prison Education Program at my school, a program that provides a path for incarcerated men at SCI Chester to earn their associates degrees and receive a college education. I have also worked as the first student research assistant for the Campolo Institute for Applied Research in Social Justice at Eastern. I’m returning from a semester away studying in Oregon at a program called the Oregon Extension, reading books in the Cascade-Siskiyou Monument and learning how to milk goats, live in community, and tend to an organic farm. This experience has opened my eyes to the need for greater community spaces, and how contemporary hyper-individuality leads to social injustice. I’ve always admired Quakerism’s values which I also hold strongly and currently attend the Radnor Meeting, a self-described Quaker novice. Spirituality is a core practice of mine and a love for the Divine leads me to practice justice as best I can. I’m particularly interested in the intersection between faith, social justice, and community. I love hip hop music, my house plants, writing, fashion, hiking, and reading sociology and theology books.
Sylvia Myers
Nasir Young
Nasir Young is a first-year graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice, where he is completing his master’s degree in clinical social work. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware where he earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology. He is also an alumnus of the William Penn Charter School, the fifth-oldest school in America and the oldest Quaker school in the world! A Philadelphia native, he is a big fan of Philly soft pretzels and all the local sports teams. In his free time, he enjoys spending quality time with family & friends, and perusing self-help books/podcasts. Nasir has a great interest in inclusion efforts and enjoys working together with diverse populations to boost harmony among group members. He is eager to begin working alongside his fellow cohort members as they bring about social change in their respective communities and beyond!
Fall 2023 Fellows
Andrew Cadwallader
My name is Andrew Cadwallader and I am originally from Mannington Township, New Jersey. I grew up in a Quaker family and continue to be an active attendee of meeting for worship. Currently, I am a sophomore at Haverford College planning on majoring in Political Science, and I am also leaning toward a minor in Environmental Studies. Something that I am really passionate about is the preservation and restoration of the environment. Growing up on a farm, I found beauty in the natural world and think it is our duty to be a good steward of the land we occupy. As a Benjamin Lay Fellow, I plan to focus on environmental concerns in the Philidelphia region.
Vera Castro
My name is Vera Castro; I’m nonbinary and use they/them pronouns. I am a second-year student at Saint Joseph’s University and am doing a double major in psychology and biology, learning how people work mentally and physically. Hopefully, with this knowledge, in the future I can work in counseling or therapy of some kind to empower others in understanding how they themselves function. I’ve been part of my local Quaker meeting since elementary school when my dad joined the community. At Quaker meeting, and Quaker gatherings in general, the strong sense of community always struck me. Part of this strong bond, in my belief, is due to the open minds and hearts we all keep when conversing. It is this respect, understanding, and peaceful conversation that I would like to incorporate in context to conversation and education about the LGBTQ+ community.
Chuol Gatkek
Hello, I’m Chuol Gatkek. I’m currently a graduate student at Villanova University studying business analytics. I’m 23 years old and was born in South Sudan right before immigrating to the United States as a refugee with my family in 2000. I’m one out of six siblings and grew up in central Iowa where I attended Iowa State University for my undergraduate education. At Iowa State University, I studied economics and political science where I was able to learn more about the world and its relationship with the fundamentals of economics. My interests include playing basketball, listening to music, and traveling. These hobbies provide a crucial refreshing balance to my academic and professional life. As a sports lover, I plan on entering a career in sports analytics for professional sport teams. As a results-driven individual who is passionate in achieving growth and efficiency to increase performance, I aspire to use my education and experiences in sports and data science for a career in athletic analytics. As a former war refugee, I’ve always been interested in helping other fellow refugees and shedding light on their plight. I firmly believe in working hard and helping life be better for others, and this perspective has guided me through the ups and downs of life. My journey has been marked by a passion for helping others, a commitment to respecting others, and a dedication to relentless tenacity. The Benjamin Lay fellowship will grant me an opportunity to advance these commitments. I’m excited to take this big journey in learning more about quakerism.
Lillian Austin
Steven Curfman
Steven is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing a double-major in Criminology and Economics with a Spanish minor. Raised in Whittier, CA, Steven graduated from Whittier High School with a 4.4 grade point average and a multitude of leadership roles, including within Academic Decathlon, Mock Trial, and Boys’ Volleyball. At the University of Pennsylvania, he remains an active contributor to the Mens’ Club Volleyball Team, Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, and was recognized as a member of the Dean’s List during his freshman year. Steven strives to attain better conditions for marginalized communities, demonstrated through his work with a West Hollywood MonkeyPox Vaccination Clinic in the midst of stigma surrounding the health of LGBTQ+ individuals and his current role as a #StopGBV Committee member with eGirl Power, a nonprofit organization focused on combating gender-based violence. Through the Benjamin Lay Fellowship, Steven is excited to continue on this path and learn more about Quaker values in the process.
Emily Kerimian
Emily Kerimian currently studies at Swarthmore College, majoring in Environmental Studies, with a focus in conservation and environmental justice, and minoring in Global Studies and German Studies. She is a prospective applicant to the Honors Program for Environmental Studies. In pursuit of environmental justice, Ms. Kerimian volunteers with Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT), planning actions to call attention to and condemn Vanguard’s environmentally-unsound investments, and Campus Coalition Concerning Chester (C4), to aid the citizens of Chester in fighting against environmental racism. She had the honor of interning with World Information Transfer (WIT) at the United Nations, where she attended ecological conferences, including the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), and wrote reports. On campus, Emily is a fellow of Swarthmore’s Writing Associates Program, where she peer-tutors in the Writing Center. In her free time, Emily plays Ultimate Frisbee on the Swarthmore WarMothers, goes birdwatching with Bird Club, and practices mindfulness in the Crum Woods. Emily Kerimian is delighted in accepting the Benjamin Lay Fellowship, where she is eager to delve into Quaker leadership and community engagement.
Hannah Li
My name is Hannah Li and I am a senior at Swarthmore College. I am majoring in Environmental Studies and Minoring in Education. I am Chinese-Khmer American and I was born and raised in Philadelphia and I would love to spend the rest of my life in this area! One important thing to know about me is that my family is the most important thing in my life and that is the reason why I am so invested in Environmental Justice and that is one of the things that interested me most about this fellowship! Something that I’m excited to learn about during this fellowship is Quaker stewardship and how we can implement it into our lives. In my free time I like to read, sew, hike and try new small businesses in the area.
