2021 Student Profiles

Samantha Bohannon
Hi, my name is Sami Bohannon. I’m a student at The College of Idaho majoring in Political Economy and History with a specialization in Pre-Law. I am also an Ambassador for the college and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. I love being outdoors, hiking, swimming, hammocking, etc. I am super excited to meet everyone and have conversations about my favorite thing; politics.

Lindsay Campbell
Hello! My name is Lindsay Campbell and I am a student at Boise State University seeking a Political Science major, Criminal Justice minor, and a Human Rights certificate. I have never had the opportunity to attend college, until the age of 38, due to choosing to raise children and build my own successful company. I had a change of life occur in the Summer of 2019 and decided that college was finally in the cards for me that fall. I am now fulfilling a lifelong dream! There truly is no limit to when we stop learning. I live on a farm with horses, chickens, dogs, cows and many more animals. I rehab ill or injured animals, mentor others in business and during challenging times in their lives and enjoy traveling in my free time. Although I consider my life extremely blessed and live my dream life, I seek additional fulfillment on a different level. College has afforded me that opportunity. I graduate in the Spring of 2022 to go onto attend law school. I am a mother, wife, entrepreneur, mentor, animal enthusiast/rescuer, student, friend, engaged community member, and future attorney.

Brighten Critchfield
I was born and raised in Southern Idaho and moved to Boise in 2018 to attend Boise State University where I study Political Science with an emphasis in American Government and Public Policy. I work for the Registrar’s office as a student assistant, and I am also a member of the university’s student government body, ASBSU. I enjoy the great outdoors and all of the great recreational activities that go with it such as hiking, camping, and sightseeing. I hope to someday work in the intersection between law and public policy and a lifelong goal of mine is to contribute to creating a more equitable, robust, and accessible education institution in the United States.

Natalia Cruces
My name is Natalia Cruces, I use she/her/hers pronouns. At a young age, I immigrated from Mexico to Idaho, I have been living here ever since. I am now a queer woman studying Political Science and Criminal Justice. With my education, I hope to attend law school afterward. My mission is to be able to provide legal representation to marginalized communities disproportionately affected by the legal system. Crime and limited access to essential resources are interlinked, because of this fact, I also want to work to create sources of community connection and material resources within these communities.

Cameron George
My name is Cameron George and as of May 2021, I am a recent graduate of Boise State University with a B.S. in Political Science and a B.A. in Spanish. From the age of 13 years old, I knew I was going to study politics when I “grew up” and someday work in the field trying my best to leave a positive impact on communities I would get the privilege to work with. I am proud to say that I am halfway to reaching that goal now that I’ve graduated and I look forward to starting my career in government by moving back to my home state of Nevada and working directly in the communities that raised me.

Charlotte Hobson
My name is Charlotte Hobson and I am so excited to be a part of this program. I am native to Idaho. I went to high school in Nampa and now attend the College of Idaho in Caldwell. I am a political economy major, hoping to go to law school at the end of my undergraduate program. Some things that I enjoy doing outside of school include: hiking, playing soccer, and traveling. I love meeting new people and making new connections. I am excited to learn from the people around me and grow as a person and a leader through this process.

Secilia Lopez
Hello! My name is Secilia Lopez, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a sophomore studying Biology and Medical Sciences with an emphasis in Pre-Med. I am an ASUI Senator at my university whose mission is to represent the interest of all students. I am also a sister of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Soroity Inc. which is a multicultural sorority that aims to empower women. I also have held positions in the Association of Latinos Professional of America, Moviemento Activista Social, and the Multicultural Greek Council. I am an active volunteer with the ASB (alternative service break) and have worked with the Latah Recovery Center. Outside of my academics and organization I am very passionate about politics and activism and love staying informed on what is occurring locally, in the state, and federally. I am excited to be able to participate in such an amazing program!

Shyanne Massey
My name is Shyanne, and I am a double major in economics and political science at Boise State University. I was born and raised in Wasilla, Alaska where I grew up playing in the mountains, fishing, and ice climbing glaciers. Community service has always been a large part of my life. For the past seven years I have worked closely with foster children as well as assisting in the fundraising process for a foster care kid camp. My goal is to align with local levels of government to advocate for displaced youth.

Josephine McDonald
I am Josephine McDonald. I am introvert turned extrovert from the Miss America Scholarship Program and FIRST Robotics. I am currently a communications major at the College of Southern Idaho and member of the Forensics Team. I live for community service and devote myself to speech and debate. I was fortunate to win third at interview for the Phi Kappa Delta National tournament and take home a win for my college. I have a wonderful twin brother who roped me into the world of STEM and I have made new teams within my community to expand the opportunities of more young girls pursuing STEM careers. My life has become a great mix of technology, hairspray, and pursuit of knowledge.

Katie McInally
I am non-traditional senior at Boise State University in Urban Studies and Community Development. I was recently admitted to the accelerated Master of Public Administration program at BSU. My areas of academic interest include policy, public lands, housing, urban food systems, and transportation. I was born and raised in Boise County, Idaho and moved to Boise in 2006 to attend Boise State University. Prior to re-applying to Boise State in 2019 I spent 10 years working in home healthcare, retail, and banking. In my non-academic life I am an artist who dabbles in several mediums including woodworking, painting, textiles, guitar, singing, creative writing, and fire dancing.

Katarina Teebken
Hello! My name is Katarina Teebken and I am a Senior majoring in Political Science here at Boise State University. I am 22 years old and was born and raised in Temecula, CA before moving to Boise to pursue my bachelors degree. I have an amazing one year old daughter who keeps me motivated each day and she has given me even more reason to continue my education and continue working towards achieving better representation of women in political positions. My goal in life is to work for the government so that I can make a difference and help the people in my community. I fell in love with Idaho because of all that it has to offer and I thrive when I am able to get outside and enjoy nature.

Yasmine Tovar
Hi, my name is Yasmine Tovar. I am majoring in International Studies and Political Science with a minor in Spanish. I am a sophomore attending the University of Idaho. I am currently a sister of Kappa Delta Chi, the Director of Diversity for Associated Students of the University of Idaho, and lastly, I am currently a member of two clubs Kiva and Movimiento Activista Social. Within all my positions I strive to advocate for the minorities at our campus! I am a Latinx, first-generation woman and I am looking to represent all those who are minorities in all aspects of my work.

Kimberly Van Maren
I am a Junior at Boise State University, obtaining my Bachelors degree in Political Science with an emphasis in American Government and Public Policy. In addition, I wanted to challenge myself further so I am also double minoring in Criminal Justice and Mathematics while staying in the Honors College. I have been able to have some experience at the Idaho Capitol as an intern for a House Representative, which has furthered my understanding of local politics. Politics and its systems are very interesting to me, and I hope to continue to be involved after I graduate from BSU.

Aryana Woodyard
Hi there! My name is Ary (she/her) and I am entering my senior year at Boise State. I am studying Political Science and Narrative Arts, and after college, I plan on attending law school. I am also really passionate about storytelling and I hope I can continue to write stories/plays/films too. When I am not studying, I enjoy hiking, soaking in hot springs, and visiting weird roadside attractions (Idaho definitely has a few, I mean a potato museum and a bed and breakfast shaped like a dog!?) I am really excited to have a semi-normal summer again *fingers crossed*. I can’t wait to meet everyone!