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New Faces in the NCIV Office

by Jason Yarashes, NCIV Staff

Three energetic individuals, whom you may have noticed behind the registration desk or setting up for a session at the National Meeting, have joined the NCIV ranks. These recent additions to the office include one full-time staffer, Matthew Kinshella, program assistant, and two spring interns, Elise Boyson and Kaifi Jamil.

Matthew Kinshella graduated from the University of Redlands in spring 2007 and shortly thereafter decided to move away from southern California, his lifelong home. A summer internship opportunity brought Mr. Kinshella to Washington D.C. Having worked on both presidential and congressional campaigns, Mr. Kinshella shifted his focus to working with nonprofit organizations. This search, along with his strong personal interest in international relations, brought him to NCIV.

Mr. Kinshella received his Bachelor of Arts in Government, having studied subjects ranging from global political economy to constitutional law. During his junior year, Mr. Kinshella spent a semester in Salzburg, Austria, studying the European Union, art history, music, European literature, and German. His daily interactions with Austrians as well as citizens from countries throughout Europe sparked his interest in citizen diplomacy.
At the University of Redlands, Mr. Kinshella was a four year varsity letterman in baseball and an active member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. Now, in his spare time, Mr. Kinshella coaches a youth baseball team based in Northwest Washington D.C.  He also enjoys the study of art and history. He hopes to further his knowledge in both with future travels around the world.

Elise Boyson is a senior at George Washington University. During her tenure at NCIV this spring she has been working diligently as an intern while at the same time completing her International Affairs major and a double minor in Spanish and Sociocultural Anthropology. A native of Maine, Ms. Boyson participated in three international exchanges throughout high school and college. Choosing Latin America as her destination, Ms. Boyson lived with families and studied in Guatemala, Argentina, and Brazil. Complemented by her work with Environment Maine, the Organization of American States, and the Maine Audubon Society, Ms. Boyson has proven to be both a citizen and environmental diplomat. Throughout the spring, she has helped NCIV with website design, foundation research, and event planning.

Kaifi Jamil of Bowie, Maryland, comes to NCIV as a recent graduate of Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Jamil received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and graduated with Honors after earning the distinction of Dean’s List for several semesters. Having interned and volunteered at numerous distinguished institutions in the DC metropolitan area, including Public Citizen, the Office of the Public Defender (Baltimore, Maryland), and Circle K (Kiwanis) International, he brings a variety of experiences to the NCIV team. This spring, his contributions to ongoing publications and community partnership grant processing have been critical to organizational success.

PHOTO: (L-R) Kaifi Jamil and Elise Boyson, NCIV Spring Interns, and Matt Kinshella, NCIV Program Assistant

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