2017 Scholars and Interns
CAPAL Public Service Interns
CAPAL Public Service Interns are typically placed in internships within the organizations in Washington, DC. Interns may also be placed in regional offices throughout the country. These internship positions provide students with real-world public service experience in a range of topics and areas. CAPAL has partnerships with Federal Agencies including Forest Service, Rural Housing Service, and the National Credit Union Administration.
CAPAL Public Service Scholars
CAPAL Public Service Scholars are undergraduate and graduate students who serve in unpaid public service internships (non-profit or government) in the Washington DC area for the summer. The scholarships are intended to enable outstanding Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students with leadership potential to work full-time and learn about ways to influence public policy in their local communities.
CAPAL Public Service Interns




Neil Decenteceo
From West Palm Beach, Florida, Neil Decenteceo is a first-year, graduate student pursuing his Master’s degree in Political Science, along with a Public Affairs Certificate, at the University of Florida (UF). He also received his BA in Political Science at UF (Go Gators!). Prior to becoming an intern with CAPAL, Neil worked as a public speaking instructor for the UF Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication and as an assistant coach for the UF Speech and Debate Team. He has previously interned for the Borgen Project, a non-profit organization that advocates for global poverty-fighting legislation and a stronger International Affairs Budget. In his first year of graduate school, Neil has served as a graduate student senator, as well as a member of the Mental Health Committee for the UF Graduate Assistants Union, which seeks to improve mental health resources for all UF students. When he is not reading up on current events and contemplating different public service career paths, he enjoys singing Frank Sinatra songs, eating, and catching up on great Netflix shows.


Richard Fu
Richard Fu is a rising sophomore studying biochemistry and computer science at Vanderbilt University. His first exposure to issues regarding Asian Pacific-American representation in public service came from his early volunteer service with the Boy Scouts of America. Despite the fact that he represented a minority race as an individual, Richard performed more volunteer service and eventually attained many leadership positions and accolades. During the school year, he participates in the Asian American Student Association, which aims to promote diversity and awareness of Asian-American customs and plays in the Vanderbilt Commodore Orchestra. Richard also works works as a high school student mentor and ACT/SAT tutor with CollegeVine, which specializes in college admissions and standardized test preparation. Outside of academics, Richard enjoys backpacking, playing sports with friends, and playing cello.

Ariel Higuchi
Ariel Higuchi is a Junior majoring in History at Brown University. Her field of focus is in modern US history and 20th century Japanese history. Most of her work outside of her classes is focused in direct service and advocacy work through Brown University’s Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE), an official organization through the Swearer Center for Public Service. This coming year Ariel will be one of the advocacy chairs for HOPE and continue fighting for structural change for those experiencing homelessness. She will also continue her night-time outreach work to provide services for people in downtown Providence. Prior to this summer, Ariel was a legal intern for the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless. Last year, she also interned with Matanya’s Hope, a nonprofit, working to provide access to education for children in rural regions of Southwestern Kenya. Before that, Ariel interned with Best Buddies Nevada which focuses on social inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; her work was focused within their adult job placement program. Ariel is committed to exploring different modes of social change. This summer, via CAPAL, Ariel will work for the Department of Sustainability under the US Department of Forestry in Juneau, Alaska.

Crystal Im
Crystal is a rising senior at the University of California, San Diego. She is currently studying Public Health with a minor in Business. On campus, Crystal is the VP of Finance for a pro-bono consulting organization, Cornerstone Community Consultants, Customer Information Associate at UCSD Student Business Services, and Undergraduate Advisor of an innovative humanitarian engineering program, Global TIES at UCSD. She is interested in pursuing a career in the field of Health Administration and Management with hopes of creating more equal opportunities in access to proper health care. In her free time, she enjoys cooking new recipes, traveling, and trying out popular foods in the local area.

Farjana Islam
Farjana is a recent graduate from Hunter College at the City University of New York with a BA in Psychology with a Certificate in Public Policy and concentrations in Human Rights and Asian American Studies. She became captivated by the issues affecting the AAPI community after attending the NYC Asian American Student Conference. Farjana credits her passion to the Asian American Studies Department at Hunter College and her fellow members of CRAASH (The Coalition for Revitalization of Asian American Studies at Hunter). As a daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants from Brooklyn, she recently completed her Public Policy Capstone discussing the unmet health needs of Bangladeshi Muslim women in New York City. In addition, her previous experiences at the National Park Service, Peer Health Exchange, BOOM!Health, and VOCAL-NY have sparked her interest in a career intersecting public health, public policy, and social justice. She is excited to gain more experience in public service at the U.S. Forest Service this summer.

Vivian Kim
Vivian Kim ’19 is a rising third year at the University of Virginia, pursing a double major in Chinese and Foreign Affairs. Having spent three years abroad in China, she is interested in the implementation of international public relations and its challenges cross-culturally. At UVA, she expresses her passion for fostering community and serving her peers through her involvements in Housing and Residence Life and the Alumni Association; in addition to serving as an Resident Advisor to first-year girls, she is also very active in event planning and marketing for her Class Council. This summer she will be interning for the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in their Grants Division.

Justine Kim
Justine Kim is a rising junior studying Social Policy and Asian American Studies at Northwestern University. Growing up as an Asian American in the Midwest has informed her experience as an AAPI and ultimately led to her passion for AAPI advocacy. This past year, Justine served as the Outreach Chair of the Korean American Student Association (KASA) and served as a Senator for the Associated Student Government (ASG) representing the interests of the Korean American community. She is passionate about engaging her communities in civic engagement through voting and the arts and been a part of various initiatives through MAASU, Kollaboration Chicago, and KACE. Justine is currently a Communications Intern at the Center for the Study of Social Policy in Washington D.C.

Richard Li
Richard is a recent graduate from the University of Florida, holding a B.S. in Computer Science. At UF, he was an active member of the Asian American Student Union, and later a board member of the Chinese American Student Association. Having a flair for storytelling, he directed two cultural shows during his tenure which conveyed Chinese American cultural values and pride through skits and performances. Additionally, he was a member of the Asian American Activism Initiative, a program closely affiliated with UF’s Department of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs that presented seminars relating to Asian American activism throughout the United States. Outside of activist work, he also volunteered for various science-educational initiatives such as SwampHacks and the regional Science Bowl alongside completing coursework towards his degree. This summer, he will be interning for the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission in Washington, D.C., assisting the office with its technical needs and goals.











CAPAL Public Service Scholars





