Please welcome our 2018 spring intern, Christelle Tshibengabo, an undergrad at the University of Nebraska. Learn more about her and say hello when you meet her at one of our upcoming events.

I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo to a family of seven; I am the youngest of my siblings. My family and I immigrated to the United States in 2001. I lived in Atlanta, Georgia for most of my life pre-adolescent life. Then my mother and I moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, because Nebraska is known for its cardiologists and she was diagnosed with heart failure.

From my sophomore to senior year, I attended North Star High School in Lincoln. In Lincoln, I felt culture shock: Lincoln and Atlanta have very different demographics.

Needless to say, my experiences in Lincoln inspired my interest in politics today. I was politically outspoken at my high school, and also joined clubs like Congressional Debate, Speech, and Young Democrats.

Today, I am a sophomore at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. My major is Political Science and I’m minoring in Sociology and International Studies. Eventually I hope to be a Civil Rights and Immigration lawyer. In the meantime, at school I’m a member of the Underserved Law Opportunities Program, a mentoring program between my university and Nebraska Law School. I also worked at the law firm of Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather.

I am looking forward to my internship with Washington Council of Lawyers this semester. In particular, I’m excited to learn more about different types of legal practice, better understand the organizations that make up the public-interest community, and help Washington Council of Lawyers promote and expand access to justice!