Mayor Benjamin welcomes new Mayor’s Fellows for fall semester

Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin welcomes 11 students for the fall semester of the Mayor’s Fellows program. The program provides both undergraduate and graduate-level students the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of how a high-energy local government operates. The fellowship caters to students seeking course credit or to those simply wishing to gain public service experience.

The Mayor’s Fellows assist with research in various areas and provide aid to the Mayor’s staff. To date, the Mayor’s Fellows program has had more than 200 students participate.

This fall’s fellows are:

DeKayla Aiken (Augusta, Georgia) is a senior at Benedict College. She is a criminal justice major and upon graduation, Aiken plans to work in a juvenile correctional facility in her hometown as a probation officer. She hopes to instill knowledge and power back into her community by helping youth offenders regain stability in society. Her future plans are to attend graduate school at another HBCU to gain her masters in psychology. Aiken aspires to be a criminologist so that she can help children that are being exposed to criminal behavior at an early age. She is excited about the endless opportunities that come with being a Mayor’s Fellow.

Ariyana Gore (North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) is a senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in public relations and minoring in social work and political science. After graduation, Gore aspires to work in the public relations field on behalf of a state agency and continue on to attend law school. Her passion for people, justice and politics are what lead her to the career path she has chosen to follow. Gore hopes to one day evoke a positive change in the world and believes that her time as a Mayor’s Fellow will provide her with the skills, experience and connections necessary to do so.

Asia Green (Bluffton, South Carolina) is a senior at Benedict College majoring in sociology. She plans to travel and learn about different societies and cultures after graduating in December. Green is excited about the opportunity to intern in the Mayor’s office. She loves working with and being around people who are impacting the community in a positive way. Green plans to attend graduate school at another HBCU to get her masters in social work and become a licensed social worker. She desires to be a medical social worker or an adoption caseworker.

Jacquetta Heckstall (Columbia, South Carolina) is a student at South University majoring in criminal justice. Upon graduating in December, Heckstall plans to work in the community relations sector of law enforcement. She would like to use her experience as a Deputy Sheriff and in the Army to help advocate for victims. Her career goals are to work with victims and the community through the criminal justice system. Her focus is on domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking. Heckstall hopes to learn more about city government and community programs as well as how to communicate professionally in government and throughout city organizations. Heckstall is passionate about being a mother, dog owner and nature lover.

Jereme Hines (Fort Mill, South Carolina) is a senior at the University of South Carolina double majoring in history and political science. He has worked with student activist organizations on campus to help enact change and worked as a page for the state House of Representatives. Hines is interested in learning how policy initiatives are implemented as well as in cooperating and working with the public to make a city a better place. His hobbies include critiquing and listening to music, film acting and playing video games.

Shaunessy Long (Charlotte, North Carolina) is a senior at Benedict College majoring in criminal justice with a court concentration. Long has been a recording secretary for the Criminal Justice Club for two years while attending Benedict. Upon graduating, Long plans to attend graduate school to obtain her masters in criminology. Long spends her spare time jogging, perfecting bilingual linguistics, cooking and catching up on a thriller novel by James Patterson. She would like to gain knowledge of policy administration, city management and how her skills within criminal justice can contribute to the City of Columbia.

Claudia Lucciola (New Providence, New Jersey) is a sophomore at the University of South Carolina majoring in international business, global supply chain and finance with a minor in German. Claudia is an active member of Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity on campus as well as Relay for Life’s Colleges Against Cancer Committee. Lucciola’s career goal is to work for an international consulting firm so she can explore the world. Lucciola hopes to spend her time as a Fellow developing her communication and professional skills as well as learning more about and giving back to the City of Columbia.

Taylor Lundy (Atlanta, Georgia) is a junior at the University of South Carolina majoring in psychology and women’s and gender studies with a minor in leadership studies. After graduation, Taylor plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in industrial-organizational psychology. Through the Mayor’s Fellows program, Lundy hopes to gain hands-on experience in the operations of a municipal government office. At USC, Lundy serves as a research assistant for the USC Project to Learn about Youth and as an intern for the Dressember Foundation, a non-profit organization advocating to end human trafficking. In her free time, Lundy enjoys kayaking on Lake Murray and SCUBA diving.

Carlos Osorio (Newberry, South Carolina) is an international MBA candidate at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business. Before business school, Carlos attended USC where he received a degree in criminal justice and has been living in Columbia ever since. Throughout that time, he has worked for local small businesses and volunteered on political campaigns. Upon graduating next May, he wants to continue his education in law school and then work for companies looking to invest in developing countries. Through the Mayor’s Fellows program, he hopes to gain firsthand experience on the inner-workings of government at the local level.

Youstina Rezkalla (Greenville, South Carolina) is a junior at the University of South Carolina majoring in social work and minoring in criminal justice. Rezkalla dreams of becoming a child advocacy lawyer to help create better policy for the disadvantaged. During the school year, she is involved in different student organizations on campus. This year, she will be president of Collegiate Curls, USC’s first natural hair organization. She hopes to gain firsthand experience on how to create policy as a Fellow and to network with people in the Columbia area.

Malek Salmene (Tunis, Tunisia) is a senior at Benedict College majoring in political science with a concentration in international relations. He is a student athlete on Benedict’s tennis team, a member of Benedict’s School of Honors and president of honor society Pi Sigma Alpha. Salmene plans to attend law school to study business law and later get his PhD. Professionally, he wants to work for a large law firm in D.C. and become a leading member of his country’s Worker’s Party. Salmene is excited to gain experience working in Mayor Benjamin’s office and sees it as an opportunity to understand politics from a more practical point of view.