US-Colombia Congressional Fellowship

Connor Pfeiffer is a policy advisor for US Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA). He was previously policy director for McCormick’s 2024 US Senate campaign and director of congressional relations at FDD Action. Earlier in his career, Pfeiffer was national security advisor to US Representative Will Hurd (R-TX), for whom he was an associate staffer for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Appropriations Committee, and executive director of the Forum for American Leadership. He graduated magna cum laude in history from Princeton University and is a sixth-generation Texan, born and raised in San Antonio. Pfeiffer’s writing on national security policy and US foreign policy priorities in Latin America has been published in the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Foreign Policy, and other publications.

Clare Ribando Seelke is a specialist in Latin American affairs at the Congressional Research Service. Seelke joined the Congressional Research Service in 2003 as a presidential management fellow. As part of her fellowship, she completed rotations with the State Department in the Dominican Republic and with the US Agency for International Development in Washington, DC. She currently focuses on Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia, with a particular focus on security issues and migration. Seelke holds a Master of Public Affairs and Master of Arts in Latin American studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to graduate school, she obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and served as a volunteer in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Cristian Figueredo is the legislative director for US Representative Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2). He has a strong interest in economic development, security, and strengthening ties within the Western Hemisphere. Figueredo is a native of Bogotá, Colombia, and later settled in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. He earned his government and international relations degree from George Mason University in 2018. Figueredo began his career as an intern with the House Judiciary Committee in 2017, then served as a California member of Congress from 2018 to 2021.

Andrea V. Valdés Valderrama is the legislative director for US Representative Darren Soto (D-FL-9), where she advises the congressman on a variety of issues including insular affairs, data privacy, economic policy, energy, and the environment. She staffs the congressman for his assignment on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Sean Smith has been a legislative assistant with US Representative María E. Salazar (R-FL-27) for two years. He primarily works on healthcare, environment, natural resources, and veterans’ issues but also assists with global health and occasionally immigration matters. After visiting Quibdó and Bogotá, Colombia, last summer, he developed a deeper interest in US-Colombia relations. Originally from New Jersey, he attended Coastal Carolina University and enjoys playing golf.

Max Price is a senior legislative assistant for US Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, advising her on policy issues including foreign affairs, homeland security, immigration, and trade. Previously, he was a professional staff member for the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere and worked in the office of US Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA-6). Price is a Foreign Policy for America NextGen fellow and an alum of the Wilson Center Foreign Policy Fellowship Program. He graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in defense and strategic studies at the US Naval War College.

Gabriella Ghandour currently works for US Representative John James (R-MI-10) as a legislative aide, focusing on international affairs and legislative processes. She graduated from Texas Tech University and is pursuing a career that bridges consulting, law, and economic reconstruction, particularly in the Middle East. As a Syrian American, she brings a unique perspective to her work and is passionate about cultural diplomacy.

Ryan Murguía is the legislative director and chief counsel for Senator Joe Manchin III (I-WV), where he supports the senator through policy development, managing legislative relations, crafting communications, and providing legal counsel. An experienced former federal prosecutor, Murguía most recently worked as an O’Melveny fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union where he represented civil immigration detainees held in federal detention facilities. Before that, he maintained wide-ranging litigation practices at O’Melveny & Myers LLP and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP. Previously, he clerked in the US District Court for the Central District of California and served as a trial attorney in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division at the US Department of Justice. In 2022, Murguía was recognized by the Hispanic National Bar Association as one its top lawyers under the age of forty. He is a proud graduate of Yale University and the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

Lisette Linares currently serves in a dual role as a scheduler and legislative aide for US Representative John James (R-MI-10, )where she plays a crucial role in supporting the daily operations of the office and helps track key policy issues, contributing to the success of legislative initiatives. Being a first-generation Latina, Linares proudly embraces her Mexican heritage, shaping her strong work ethic and dedication to her community.

Stephanie Angel currently serves as counsel to Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL) on the Senate Judiciary Committee, focusing on executive and judicial nominations. Prior to joining the committee, Angel served as counsel to US Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on judiciary policy issues and nominations. Before transitioning to the Hill, she worked on state-level immigration and criminal justice issues as a policy fellow at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. Angel earned her JD from Emory University School of Law and her BA in philosophy and international affairs at Florida State University. She is a South Florida native, with familial roots in Colombia.

Victoria Rivas is the national security advisor for House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and focuses on national security, foreign affairs, and immigration policy. Rivas previously worked for former Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, handling her homeland security appropriations and immigration portfolios, and former Congressman Xavier Becerra. A California native, Rivas graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. Passionate about building a diverse congressional workforce, Rivas is a former president of the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association.

Roland Hernandez currently serves as a subcommittee staff director on the House Committee on Homeland Security (CHS). Previously, he was a senior professional staff member serving simultaneously on CHS’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence and the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection. In these roles, he was responsible for oversight, policy, and legislative activity related to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, the US Secret Service, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and countering unmanned aircraft systems. Before joining the House Committee on Homeland Security in 2022, Hernandez spent four years working for the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. In October 2024, Hernandez co-founded the Congressional Staff Association on Artificial Intelligence (CSA.ai), where he currently serves as managing director. CSA.ai is a nonpartisan, bicameral organization dedicated to educating and engaging congressional staff on the policy implications of artificial intelligence and fostering discussions with experts from government, industry, and academia. Hernandez earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and business management from Texas Tech University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in data science at Brown University.

Nisha Thanawala is the senior policy advisor to US Representative Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-9). In this role, Thanawala manages a wide legislative portfolio, including foreign affairs, immigration, health, housing, education, women’s issues, child welfare, animal welfare, and veterans. She also leads Clarke’s immigration and foreign policy initiatives in her capacity as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Caribbean Caucus, and the House Haiti Caucus, along with her work on the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls. Nisha earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of South Florida in May 2019. After graduation, she began her Capitol Hill career as an intern for US Representative Lois Frankel (D-FL-21), where she gained valuable experience in the legislative process. Working closely with policymakers, Thanawala is committed to addressing disparities and advancing inclusive, equitable legislation. As a first-generation Indian-American immigrant, she is passionate about promoting diverse representation and perspectives within Congress and in her work.