Knight Foundation has six summer interns who bring with them experience doing volunteer work for the homeless and arts groups, and academic backgrounds in international politics, philosophy and economics, among other areas. Below is a little about each of them, and what they are contributing to Knight Foundation.

Claire Austin, a rising junior at Georgetown University, recently began her second summer internship with Knight Foundation’s Journalism Program. She is studying international politics with a focus on development, environmental policy and women’s rights. During the school year, she teaches English as a Second Language, works to make her school greener and runs a meal donation program. Before coming to Knight, she interned at an antiques and collectibles guide, where she wrote for its online newsletter. This summer she is using Knightblog to connect grantees to each other, show how grantees are meeting the goals of the Knight Commission on Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy as well as assist with grant reports.

Hannah Berkeley Cohen, a rising junior at the University of Pittsburgh, is interning in the Communications Department. She studies politics, philosophy and economics. Hannah recently returned from a semester abroad in Havana and has interpreted for the International Medical Alliance in Haiti. During her summer at the foundation, Hannah is focusing on communicating the impact of the Communities Program grantees on Knightblog as well as interacting via Twitter and Facebook.

Raquel Villagra, a rising junior at Columbia University, is spending her second summer in the Communities Program assisting with the Miami Knight Arts Challenge and’Knight’s newly launched national arts program. An art history major, she is a 2008 graduate of New World School of the Arts’ music program. Last spring, she interned with Free Arts NYC, a nonprofit organization that provides arts programming and mentoring to underserved children and families throughout the city. During the year she is deputy copy editor at the Columbia Daily Spectator and co-coordinator for Earth Coalition, an environmental activist and community service organization.

Justin Gitlin is a rising senior at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey and is interning in the Communications Department. Justin is the editor of his school newspaper, The Lawrence, and has experience directing other student-created literary compilations. He also plays tennis and volunteered at a tennis camp for underprivileged youth. At Knight, he is focusing on writing blog posts and creating an internal foundation wiki.

Michelle Black, daughter of former Knight Foundation CEO Creed Black, is interning with the Communities Program. Michelle is a rising junior at Miami’s Ransom Everglades School where she has been involved in the Thespian Society and tutoring program’Breakthrough Miami. Michelle is on the board of the local community service organization Twenty Little Working Girls and has volunteered with Community Partnership for the Homeless, collecting and donating children’s books to the center’s library.

Adrian Diaz-Granados will be attending Cornell University as a freshman this fall, where he plans to study economics and policy and continue his work with Habitat for Humanity. While at Knight Foundation, Adrian will be collaborating with Donors Forum of South Florida to create a database of philanthropic projects that will eventually be part of a social networking site available to forum members.