Sanford Students interested in Social Justice
Rachel Bojanski
rachel.hews@duke.edu
Rachel Bojanski is a dual MPP/MBA student who aims to leverage policy analysis and business strategy to make nonprofits more effective. Rachel’s background is in philanthropy, where she worked with large institutional funders and nonprofits to amplify their impact in operations and compliance roles. Rachel holds a certificate in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine Law, has lived in Argentina and Uganda, and enjoys spending weekends with her husband and their rescue dog, Arlee.
Zac Contreras
zac.contreras@duke.edu
Zac is originally from Boerne, Texas, but moved to North Carolina to complete his undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University. He received a B.A. with a double major in Politics & International Affairs and Sociology (with a concentration in Crime and Criminal Justice) and a minor in Middle East & South Asia Studies.
Zac’s experience spans non-profit fundraising, business development, and project coordination, including roles at a humanitarian aid organization, a civil rights organization, and a think tank. Most recently, he interned for two terms with the ACLU National’s Program & Strategy Team, where he supported multi-state initiatives like the Border Humanity Project and the 2024 Battleground States Initiative. Previously, he worked on a state-wide political campaign in Texas, developing digital communication strategies and researching immigration policies related to border surveillance technology.
At Sanford, he intends to concentrate in social policy with a focus on immigration, human rights, and social justice; outside of school, he enjoys backpacking, thrifting, ink drawing, community organizing in Durham, and drinking lots of coffee!
Aysia Gilbert
aysia.gilbert@duke.edu
Aysia Gilbert was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. She attended the University of Florida (UF), where she majored in History and minored in African American Studies. At UF, Aysia served on the Presidential Task Force for Honorary Namings, supporting the university’s racial equity initiatives encompassing the honorary naming process of campus buildings. After graduation, Aysia moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where she became an educator and community activist. Aysia is the Co-Chair of the Jacksonville Community Remembrance Project’s Research Committee in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative. As Co-Chair, she worked diligently to uncover her communities history of racial terror and to educate civilians. Aysia also serves as a board member for a non-profit called 904Ward, which has a mission of creating social justice and fostering racial reconciliation within the community.
Aysia is excited to join the Duke community and plans to use her Master of Public Policy to fulfill her life purpose of community advocacy and social justice. Aysia’s interests include education/social policy, creating racial equity, and poverty alleviation. In Aysia’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, watching movies, and, most things, nature, and plants!
Caitlyn Leary
caitlyn.leary@duke.edu
Caitlyn grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, and attended the University of South Carolina, where she graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications and a Graphic Design minor. Caitlyn worked in several marketing roles in sports and entertainment, financial services, and telecommunications before shifting her focus to public policy. Caitlyn is a dual-degree student at the Sanford School and Duke Law School and is interested in environmental and social issues. Caitlyn is passionate about animals and regularly volunteers to foster senior dogs from her local animal shelter. In her free time, Caitlyn enjoys exploring the outdoors, doing yoga, sewing, reading, and relaxing with her husband and their dog, Toby.
Jasmine Lorenzo
jasmine.lorenzo@duke.edu
Jasmine is from Miami, Florida and received her B.A. in Political Science with distinction from Yale University. In that time, she has worked on various marketing and public relations consulting projects while volunteering with domestic violence nonprofits. Through this, she grew an interest in areas of social policy and advocating on behalf of women’s and children’s rights. In her free time, she enjoys working out, watching romantic comedies, and painting.
Carla Naranjo
carla.naranjo@duke.edu
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Carla Naranjo (she/her/ella) is a first-year MPP Student at the Duke Sanford School for Public Policy. Prior to Sanford, Carla was a community organizer and policy advocate with experience managing political campaigns related to fair housing, racial justice, and economic equity. She most recently was the Strategic Partnerships and Campaigns Coordinator for Unemployed Workers United, a national grassroots organization dedicated to empowering workers and building the largest multiracial working-class coalition in the United States.
Carla holds two Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and Justice Studies from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, where she was a Spirit of Service Scholar, Congressman Ed Pastor Civic Leadership Medallion Awardee and Moeur Award Recipient.
Kalysta Strauss
kalysta.strauss@duke.edu
Kalysta is a JD/MPP dual degree student. She graduated magna cum laude from Florida State University in 2021 with a B.Sc in psychology, a minor in statistics, and a certificate in SAS Programming and Data Analysis.
Kalysta has professional experience as a projects and data analytics coordinator for a start-up hedge fund, the development coordinator for ReThink Energy Florida a 501(c)(4) organization, a recruiting manager intern at ISGF, a caregiver for a woman with special needs, and a legal assistant at a criminal defense firm. She has spent time volunteering as a Guardian Ad Litem, an adult literacy tutor, and a data analyst for the Florida Restorative Justice Association.
Kalysta hopes to pursue a career as a legislation consultant for nonprofits, political organizations, and advocacy groups.
Demia Tucker
demia.owens@duke.edu