Welcome BPI’s Summer Interns

Each summer, BPI is host to a diverse cohort of undergraduate and graduate student interns who collaborate on projects across our program areas, assisting BPI policy and legal staff to advance program priorities. In addition to providing challenging work, BPI also makes sure everyone has some fun as well by attending baseball games, tours of Chicago neighborhoods, and outdoor concerts.

Take a moment to learn more about our outstanding interns at BPI this summer!

Ben Applegate was born and raised in Chicago and recently completed his first year in Northwestern’s JD/MBA Program.

Prior to school, Ben lived in Boston doing consulting work for public housing authorities across the country. Ben’s an avid Chicago and Boston College sports fan, eats Chipotle daily, and reads Kurt Vonnegut.

Ben is interning with the Public Housing and Affordable Housing teams.

Daniel Backman, originally from Glenview, IL, is a rising senior at Harvard College studying Social Studies with a focus in urban inequalities.

At Harvard, Daniel serves as the president of the Harvard Political Review, volunteers at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, and organizes students to advocate for campaign finance reform.

Daniel is working on Public Housing and Affordable Housing.

Dianna Houenou is a rising 3L at the University of North Carolina School of Law. She is looking forward to a career in education law and policy.

Prior to law school, Dianna taught courses in science and race relations for middle school students. Her hobbies include international travel, eating, dancing and knitting.

Dianna is actively engaged in BPI’s Altgeld Early Childhood Learning Initiative and assists the Public Housing team with legal research.

Militza M. Pagán is a rising 2L at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Previously, Militza worked as Deputy Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center and as an Americorps Fellow at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Militza received a Bachelor’s in History from Yale University in 2010.

Militza is part of our Public Housing and Political Reform teams this summer.