The CBCF Congressional Fellowship Program equips early career policy professionals who are committed to contributing to public policy with the necessary skills to become the next generation of leaders in public service. The program is an intensive 12-month policy training and leadership development program which enables fellows to receive hands-on public policy training as full-time legislative aides and policy analysts. Fellows are paid an annual salary plus benefits. Participants must reside in or relocate to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and are responsible for their own travel, housing, and other living expenses.
Marcel Akhame
Security/Defense Fellow
Marcel Ano Akhame is a Nigerian immigrant who moved to Dallas, Texas in 2006. He currently serves as a CBCF Energy Fellow. Marcel was previously employed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Program Analyst. In that role, he served as EPA HQ’s point of contact for the Public Water System Supervision Grant program—a $100+ million federal grant program. Marcel is a recent graduate of American University’s (AU) School of Public Affairs with a Master of Public Policy with concentrations in Comparative Public Policy and International Development. He intends to use the skills learned throughout the program and his time with CBCF to promote and incorporate racial equity and justice to the energy, environmental, and health policy areas.
Elijah Armstrong
Health Fellow
Elijah Armstrong graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education where he earned his Masters in Education Policy and Management. Following graduation, he worked as a Dean’s Education Fellow with Boston Public Schools. Elijah graduated with his Bachelors in Education and Public Policy from Penn State and while there, interned in the office of Congressman Ed Perlmutter and the office of Senator Bob Casey through the American Association of People with Disabilities. Before coming to the Congressional Black Caucus, Elijah worked as a Policy Fellow at the Future of Privacy Forum on the Youth and Education team. Elijah also founded Equal Opportunities for Students where he runs the Heumann-Armstrong Award, an educational award for students with disabilities.
Hilary Carruthers
Health Fellow
Dr. Hilary Carruthers (she/her), DrPH, MSW is a public health professional and social worker from Atlanta, Georgia. Her research areas include childhood obesity and physical education policy, where her findings highlight the association between socioeconomic status and physical education outcomes. Hilary aspires to improve child and maternal health while eliminating disparities. Her work experience includes youth development, non-profits, evaluation, and time spent in the United Kingdom where she advocated for children in foster care. She currently serves her local community as Board Chair of 7 Pillars Career Academy, an Atlanta area charter school that aims to destroy the school-to-prison pipeline. Hilary obtained her Bachelor of Social Work, Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, Master of Social Work, and Doctor of Public Health from The University of Georgia.
Paige Jones
Health Fellow
Paige Jones, LMSW is a professional MACRO social worker, who resides in Washington, D.C. Paige was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Paige earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Howard University and most recently, her Master’s in Social Work from UMD-Baltimore. As a social worker in public policy, Paige looks forward to expanding the scope of what social workers can do and elevate the way we are perceived. Having recently completed a year-long public policy internship with the National Association of Social Workers, Paige worked on federal policy, advocacy, and research with a focus on racial inequality regarding somatic health, behavioral health, and the social determinants of health. Paige is deeply motivated and passionate about racial equity, justice, and health-related policy.
Chase Moore
Judiciary Fellow
Growing up around various parts of Los Angeles, California such as South Central, Compton, and Watts, Chase Moore has defeated tremendous odds. Despite lacking fundamental resources like hot water, money, and food as a youth, Chase has never lacked hope. He never allowed the under-resourced schools he attended or that he was not taught how to read until the second grade affect his commitment to educational excellence. Chase is a 2x graduate from The University of Texas at Austin where he recently graduated with a 3.95 GPA, earned his Master’s in Educational Policy and Planning, and taught two undergraduate classes. He researched how Zero-Tolerance Policy perpetuates the School-To-Prison Pipeline for black male students and developed policy recommendations. He also helped African American studies legislation get passed in Texas.
Christopher Koya
Energy Fellow
Christopher Oluseyi Koya was born in Jos, Nigeria and grew up in Montgomery and Prince George’s County in Maryland. He is an economist and public policy practitioner who is passionate about making the policy process more accessible and understandable for vulnerable and underserved communities. His ambitions include the pursuit of a career that enables him the opportunity to be actively involved in the creation and implementation of policies that have a direct and positive impact on society, primarily through personal interaction and collaboration with those who stand to be most affected by policy solutions. His policy interests stem from witnessing the technical and regulatory challenges that exist whilst providing energy solutions to meet the demands of Africa’s most populous nation while with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as well as nearly a decade spent residing in the country.
Chloe Scott
Technology Fellow
Chloe Scott is a native of Frederick, MD, where her humanitarian efforts are recognized through dedication to civic engagement and being a fierce advocate for human rights. Her eagerness to serve her community, specifically disparate neighborhoods, has increased awareness and enhanced available resources for women, children, and families faced with numerous life insecurities. Chloe is a graduate of Hood College and holds a B.A. in Communications concentrated in Public Relations and a Master of Science in Sports Management. She has a diverse professional experience in policy, risk management, and public relations. Her prior work includes developing business and marketing strategies for local government, directing community engagement, managing fundraising and social media campaigns, writing RFPs, implementing social media strategies, and coordinating events.
Gabriel Smith
Health Fellow
Gabriel Smith serves as a Health Policy Fellow with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Previously, Smith worked with the National Community Action Partnership (NCAP) where he managed the execution of Community Services Block Grants designed to improve the national Community Action Network’s capacity to apply intersectional lenses to the causes of poverty in their respective communities. Topics explored under the community grant include: Health Intersections with Poverty, Homelessness Prevention, Trauma Informed Approaches, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and Social Determinants of Health. Prior to his time at NCAP, Smith worked with Learning for Justice at the Southern Poverty Law Center. In that role, Smith led the curation and dissemination of K-12 classroom resources for a national audience of educators.
Kyilah Terry
Cybersecurity Fellow
Kyilah Terry is a Chicago, IL native and her family’s immigrant roots serves as her motivation and advocacy for multiple policy agendas including immigration reform and human rights. Kyilah earned a B.A. in International Studies from UCLA in 2019 and an M.A. in International Relations with a concentration in asylum policy from Georgetown University in 2021. During her graduate studies, Kyilah also worked as an intern and research assistant at the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), and the Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), where she focused on forced displacement and migration management with a regional focus in Europe and Africa.