Fellows and Interns Programs

Home » What We Do » Fellows and Interns Programs

The King Center Fellows Program

The King Center Fellowship Program offers scholars and practitioners from around the world the opportunity to advance research and scholarship related to King, religion, social justice, and public life. Fellows advance knowledge around Dr. King’s life and legacy and provide insight into how his philosophy and methodology can be applied to present day issues. Selected fellows spend a tenure in-residence conducting research, producing scholarship, and receiving seasoned mentorship.

Interns and Fellow Overview

The Interns and Fellows Program began in September 2024. Since then, the Interns and Fellows have completed the NV365 Online Master Class and attended 5 NV365 Training Sessions with Dr. Vonnetta West, Dr. Elizabeth Rosner, and Captain Charles Alphin and submitted a reflection on the course. They have also met with the Program Manager for 4 additional sessions to discuss paper topics, volunteer work, and program deliverables.

In December, Interns and Fellows will have the following sessions:

“Letter From Birmingham Jail” discussion with Captain Charles Alphin

Nonviolence in Practice with Dr. Vonnetta West

“My Pilgrimage to Nonviolence” discussion with Dr. Lili Baxter

Nonviolent Leadership with Dr. Lewis Baldwin

Senior Fellows, Fall Cohort 2024

Dr. Joi Orr

Dr. Joi Orr (she/her/hers) is the Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA. Working at the intersection of Black religious studies, social ethics, and environmental justice her scholarship argues for African American land security and food sovereignty as a necessary component of social justice and Black liberation. Dr. Orr teaches, writes, and presents on the history of African American land dispossession, radical politics, Black utopian imaginations, and food justice.

Sandra Switzer

Sandra Switzer is a career educator in her 29th year at The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to her role as K-12 Religion Curriculum Coordinator, Sandra is also a faculty member in the Upper School Religion and History departments. As a result of her lifelong passion for peace, justice, and sustainability, Sandra developed and teaches Honors classes on the History of American Nonviolence and History of Global Nonviolence. Before earning a Master’s of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Sandra lived and studied in India as part of her undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Religion, and Women’s Studies from St. Olaf College. She is married to her high school sweetheart and has two sons.

MA Fellows, Fall Cohort 2024

Ayomidotun Olugbenle

Ayomidotun Olugbenle is an MA student in Political Science at Georgia State University. One of her current passions is on the interrelations of culture, tradition, religion and politics, particularly as it pertains to gender disparities and violence against women and young girls.

Mariam Qureshi

Mariam Qureshi was raised by her Pakistani parents in multicultural London, Mariam Qureshi now calls Atlanta home since immigrating from the United Kingdom. She divided her undergraduate years between the College of Charleston, SC, and the University of Georgia where she received her BA. A proud alumna of Georgia State University, Mariam earned her MA with a concentration in literary studies from the Department of English. Her research interests include postcolonial literary theory, the intersection of colonialism and architecture, and film studies.

Safia Azungah

Safia Azungah is a second year MBA student in Business Analysis at Georgia State University. She is passionate about using data-driven solutions to drive economic empowerment and community development, especially for marginalized groups. Safia believes that equal resources and leadership opportunities can promote inclusive growth, improve communities and drive systemic change. She envisions the long-term economic impact of her work, including improving economic outcomes for underserved populations in Ghana and around the world, ultimately contributing to social and economic equity.

Mansura Adam

Mansura Adam is an emerging scholar and professional with a rich background in business analytics and research. Currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Georgia State University, Mansura’s research is centered on the impact of early childhood education (ECE) on long-term outcomes for students from disadvantaged communities. Growing up in a disadvantaged community herself, she has firsthand experience of the challenges that arise from unequal educational opportunities. Her research aims to highlight the transformative power of high-quality ECE in shaping the future success of children from marginalized backgrounds. Inspired by the social justice principles championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mansura’s work seeks to advocate for equitable access to quality education, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Valina Beauvoir

Valina Beauvoir is a 2023 graduate from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Global Studies. Currently, she is serving in her second year as an AmeriCorps VISTA, contributing her talents to the Volunteer Services Department at The King Center. Valina is excited for the opportunity to deepen her understanding of Dr. King’s philosophy and how to apply it to today’s issues and enhance her passion for service and community engagement.

Jada Reed

Scholars Interns, Fall Cohort 2024

James Gallagher

James Gallagher is a second-year student at The George Washington University who is very grateful to have the opportunity to partake in the King Center fellowship. Studying International Affairs with a concentration in International Development at the Elliott School of International Affairs, he enjoys learning about politics, history, and economics. Additionally, James is pursuing a minor in Business, and plans to use his degree to work in the field of International Politics or Business. James has gained valuable professional experiences working in his home state of Pennsylvania, and in Washington D.C.

Satina Chen

Satina Chen, from Brooklyn, NY, is a sophomore at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. She is pursuing a double major in International Affairs and Data Science. With a keen interest in artificial intelligence, socio-economic development, ethnic migration, and American and Chinese history, Satina is actively involved in her community, both inside and outside of the classroom. At GWU, Satina is the Director of Finance for the China Affairs Forum, a member of the International Affairs honor society Sigma Iota Rho, and a Research Assistant for ethnic migration studies.

Halen Toney

Halen Toney is a Junior Music Therapy major with a minor in Education at the College of Wooster. She is there as a part of the prestigious Posse Foundation on a full-tuition scholarship. On campus, Halen is very actively involved. She is a Resident Assistant, the Vice President of the Black Students Association, a part of the Wooster Symphony Orchestra and an active member of the Cleveland Student Music Therapists. Outside of campus, Halen also teaches piano lessons with the K-Piano Music Learning Foundation. She is adamant about making a change in her community, whether that is through activism, teaching or just being an active member of the community.

Kalen Toney

Kalen Toney is a freshman communications major at Tennessee State University. I play trombone in the grammy award winning “Aristocrat of bands”, some of her favorite hobbies include reading, writing, singing, playing instruments and cooking. In her spare time, she loves to research and study topics from history so she can constantly educate herself.

Christian Frye

Christian Alexander Frye was born on a bright Monday morning on August 28, 2006 in Kennesaw, Georgia. His parents, Amber Frye and LaBarren Jame are Atlanta natives. Christian’s birth was the product of 76 hours of labor and that stubbornness to enter this world has never quite left his soul. His mother saw an innate strength and strong will early in his growth and thus he was christened Christian Alexander Frye – “follower of Christ and Protector of men”. It was evident that he was smart and intuitive. This became very clear when he took his first steps at 9 months old and first words spoken at 11 months. Christian’s first steps into education started at Appleton Early Education Center and Doctor Daycare where he completed his Pre-Kindergarten days. Christian would attend A. Phillip Randolph Elementary school where his gifts would be quickly noticed and he was moved into the Talented and Gifted program in the third grade. He remained in advanced classes throughout his academic career. Chrisitan pushed his way through elementary school with a perfect record of all A’s in every grade, finishing with a perfect 4.0.

Bryson Handy

Bryson Handy is a scholars-intern at the King Center, as well as a sophomore and Posse Scholar at The George Washington University. Originally from Lawrenceville, Georgia, he studies International Affairs and Economics concentrating in International Development. He is interested in the relationship between human development, economic growth, and democracy. He currently serves as Secretary of the Young Black Professionals in International Affairs, an organization committed to sustaining the pipeline of diverse talent into careers affecting global affairs. Recently Bryson returned from a study abroad in Senegal, where he examined how foreign influences in the country impacted its development and social structure.

Michael Hampton

Michael Hampton is a third-year student studying Biology, Pre-Medicine at Florida A&M University. During his time at Florida A&M thus far, Michael has participated in the Honors Student Association, National Association for Music Educators, Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, NAACP, as well as the Marching 100. In his spare time, Michael enjoys cultivating his talents on the saxophone, learning new baking recipes, and hanging out with friends. Following the obtainment of his baccalaureate degree, Michael plans on attending graduate school to obtain his Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology, then going on to study at either Morehouse School of Medicine or The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Nnamdi Orjioke

Spring 2024 Fellows Cohort

The Fellowship program welcomes scholars and practitioners from diverse backgrounds and academic fields to contribute to a growing corpus of literature on Dr. King’s philosophy and methodology of nonviolence, and his theological methods and praxis with the goal of enhancing current dialogue on a variety of contemporary social challenges.

Our fellows are from: United States, Nigeria, India, South Sudan, Bhutan, Cameroon, Ghana.

Senior Fellows, Spring 2024

Donnell Williamson

Donnell A. Williamson, Jr. is a fifth-year PhD Candidate in Religion and Critical Thought at Brown University. He is a philosopher of religion whose work focuses on the ways faith and suffering overlap and inform each other in Black American Protestantism. His teaching and research are at the intersections of modern religious thought, religious ethics, and the Black intellectual tradition, with a particular interest in the writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglass, and Søren Kierkegaard.

Anjana Prewitt

Anjana is currently serving as the Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the American Red Cross, National Headquarters. In addition to the American Red Cross, she has had the opportunity to work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and Save the Children US in various leadership positions in the last two decades. She has worked in over 30 countries in humanitarian settings affected by disasters and armed conflicts, where she designed and managed complex programs and budgets, and led high performing teams.

Junior Fellows, Spring 2024

Hannah White

Hannah White is a 2021 graduate of Howard University with a B.B.A. in International Business. While attending Howard, Hannah served as the School of Business Senior Class President for the 2020-2021 academic year and commencement speaker for the 2021 graduating class. Post-graduation, she worked for FOX Sports as an ad sales associate in New York City. She currently works in Washington, D.C. as a community engagement coordinator for PRR.

Tomia Zongkazih

Tomia Zongkazih Eka Chu is a Cameroon national with a Master’s Degree in International Relations. She was one of The King Center’s first Community Engagement Exchange Fellows in 2022. She is a social entrepreneur and co-founder/president of Children’s Fate, an NGO dedicated to advocating for the rights of internally displaced children and youth in Cameroon. Tomia has over 7 years of experience working with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Council for Youth Empowerment (UCYE), International Medical Corps, and other international organizations.

Raina Brown

Raina Brown is a graduate student at Georgia State University, set to graduate in December. Following graduation, her goal is to attend law school with the desire to become a civil rights attorney.

Leslie Garrett

Leslie Garrett is an MA student in Cultural Anthropology at Georgia State University She has a BA in Anthropology from Emory University, a BS in Nursing from Mercer University, and an MA in Social Work from the University of Georgia.

Omotola Oladapo

Omotola Oladapo Elizabeth is a second-year public policy student with a concentration in global affairs at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. She is passionate about education policy and believes that quality education can lead any country toward a more civilized society. She envisages the long-term economic impact of education, which includes increasing the GDP and per capita income of a country and influencing the world at large, ultimately eradicating poverty.

Onome Ambrose-Igho

Onome Ambrose-Igho is a visionary master‘s student in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexualities Studies Department at Georgia State University. She is deeply committed to unraveling the intricate web of intersectionality within the experiences of African women.

Ayeshwini Lama

Ayeshwini Lama is a development worker who is passionate about working for positive changes in her community. Currently in Canada, she has completed her graduate studies in International Development and Project Management. Ayeshwini considers herself an advocate for her community, with 6+ years of experience working with young people in her country Bhutan and the Asia Pacific region in areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender, and meaningful youth engagement.

Kearney Quillen

Mandela Washington Fellow, Spring 2024

The King Center has partnered with the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI), a program of the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administered through IREX.

Elizabeth Yokwe

Elizabeth Biniya is a Mandela Washington Fellow from South Sudan. She has a professional background in the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. She is also passionate about working with children, youth, and vulnerable groups in the community.

Community Engagement Exchange Fellow, Spring 2024

The King Center has partnered with the Community Engagement Exchange Program, a program of the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administered through IREX.

Felix Nketiah

Felix is a passionate community activist & leader dedicated to promoting community development, social justice, and civic engagement in Ghana. His experiences in underprivileged communities have driven his passion to advocate for policies that prioritizes the needs of marginalized people. He seeks to build a society where everyone has access to equal opportunities & resources irrespective of their socioeconomic background.