Washington and Lee Students Selected for Congressional Hunger Center Internships Sai Chebrolu ’26 and Valentina Giraldo Lozano ’25 are among 13 students chosen for the Zero Hunger Internship program.
Sai Chebrolu ’26 and Valentina Giraldo Lozano ’25.Washington and Lee University students Sai Chebrolu ’26 and Valentina Giraldo Lozano ’25 have been selected as Zero Hunger Interns through the Congressional Hunger Center.
The Zero Hunger Internship is an immersive 10-week program where college students and/or recent graduates are placed with anti-hunger organizations in Washington, D.C. Participants gain work experience and develop professional and leadership skills through on-the-job training, leadership development curriculum and a summer seminar series. When the program is complete, the goal is for interns to return home as powerful advocates for effective anti-hunger programs and policies.
Chebrolu and Lozano will join 11 other interns in the program’s seventh student cohort this summer. They were chosen from more than 800 applicants and will receive a stipend of up to $7,500 to cover expenses incurred through their work and training in Washington, D.C. The program officially begins June 5 and runs through July 31.
A politics major with minors in education policy and poverty and human capability studies, Chebrolu will be placed with the Food Policy Division of the D.C. Office of Planning. This division conducts research, engages with residents and collaborates with other D.C. agencies to create a more just, healthy and sustainable food system in the District of Columbia. Chebrolu expects to work specifically on food access needs among migrants, with a focus on those who have recently arrived in D.C.
“I am incredibly grateful to have been selected for the Zero Hunger Internship,” said Chebrolu, a Johnson Scholar from Richmond, Virginia. “This opportunity deeply aligns with my passion for using public policy as a tool to address global poverty. I am particularly interested in education policy and seeking solutions that address the causes and consequences of inequities in the education system. Over the past year, my involvement with Veggie Brigade, a nutrition awareness program in Rockbridge area elementary and middle schools, has inspired me to explore the vital role of health and food policy within educational systems.”
Lozano, who is currently studying abroad at the London School of Economics, is pursuing degrees in global politics and sociology & anthropology with a minor in women, gender and sexuality studies. A native of Medellin, Colombia, she will serve her internship with FHI 360, a global organization that mobilizes research, resources and relationships so that people everywhere can access the opportunities they need to live full and healthy lives.
Lozano will work on FHI 360’s 1,000 Days project, a program that strives to improve the health and well-being of women and children through improved nutrition during a critical developmental time lasting from pregnancy until at least age two. Through targeted and strategic partnerships, communications and advocacy, the project strives to influences policy, practice and public awareness to improve the well-being of women and children around the world.
“Growing up in Colombia, a developing country, I was able to experience and explore the importance of human rights firsthand,” said Lozano. “I became a leader from a young age, always passionate about all the intersectional ways in which diverse voices can bridge inequality gaps. I am honored to be taking part in a prestigious program that allows diversity and inclusion to be at the forefront of advocacy work and social justice. Being a Zero Hunger Intern will provide me with the necessary tools to strengthen my knowledge of domestic policy and human rights, allowing me to become an agent of change in spaces where hunger can be alleviated through policy work and leadership. It is exciting to represent Colombia, other women of color, first-generation students and underrepresented communities in the fight for social justice.”
The Congressional Hunger Center is a global nonprofit organization founded in 1993 by a bipartisan group of members of Congress and is dedicated to the principle that access to nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food is a basic human right. The organization seeks to develop, inspire and connect leaders in the movement to end hunger, and advocates for public policies to create a food-secure world.
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