Hartaj Singh

Hometown: Edison, NJ

Internship Placement: Office of Senator Vin Gopal

Hartaj is a rising junior from J.P. Stevens High School. He is an aspiring lawyer who’s deeply passionate about politics, and serves as a Youth Lead in various grassroots organizations.

Outside of his civic involvement, he loves music, especially rap or R&B, alongside movies and television. 

Aanya Jariwala

Hometown: Edison

Internship Placement: Office of Assemblyman Scharfenberger

Aanya is a rising senior at Edison High School, where she serves as Vice President of UNICEF, Director General of Model UN, Secretary of the National Honor Society, and an Officer of the Italian National Honor Society. She has also distinguished herself in competitive settings, advancing to the state level in FCCLA, Model UN, and DECA.

Committed to community impact, Aanya has volunteered with Hands of Hope for the Community since her freshman year, accumulating nearly 400 hours of service.

This summer, she is furthering her interest in public service through internships in the offices of Senator Gopal, Assemblywoman Peterpaul and Donlon, and Assemblyman Scharfenberger.

In addition to her academic and civic involvement, Aanya is a dedicated athlete, playing defense on the Edison High School Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse team. She intends to pursue a major in Business Administration and Law with a minor in Philosophy, aspiring to attend law school and ultimately build a career as an attorney.

Anya Goel

Hometown: Montgomery

Internship Placement:

Anya Goel is a rising junior at Montgomery High School with a strong interest in civic engagement, public policy, and community leadership. At school, she is involved in Basketball, Track & Field, and the Mock Trial Club. She currently serves as a Youth Ambassador with the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights, where she works on student-led projects addressing civil rights issues such as youth challenges and gender inequality in the workplace. Anya was also selected for the NJ 4-H Legislative Leadership Experience, where she learned about laws and how young people can get involved in policy-making. She also serves as a Health & Wellness Leader on the Somerset County Youth Council.

In addition to her leadership work, Anya is a passionate visual and performing artist. Through NJ LEAD, she hopes to develop a deeper understanding of legislative processes and strengthen her ability to advocate for youth voices and equitable change in the community.

Sahasra Bhimavarapu

Hometown: South Brunswick

Internship Placement: Office of Assemblyman Roy Freiman, 16th Legislative District

Sahasra is an incoming junior at South Brunswick High School, where she is an active student in her school community. She serves as a School Senator for her high school's senate program, an Executive Secretariat Officer for Model United Nations, and Vice President of the She’s the First chapter. Through these roles, she helps organize activities and lead at SBHS.

Beyond school, Sahasra also dedicates her efforts towards other organizations, such as being the New Jersey Chair for a national pre-law society and an intern at the George Washington University U.S. Micronesian Council Research Program. In her free time, she enjoys reading, drawing, and spending time with her family and friends.

At Assemblyman Freiman's office, Sahasra was able to research insurance-focused efforts and work on organizing a bill dedicated to healthcare. Passionate about civic engagement, education, and policy, Sahasra plans to pursue a future in government and corporate law. In college, she plans to major in Political Science and Business Administration. She is excited to be a NJ Leadership Fellow and looks forward to further developing her political journey!

Adrish Bhaumik

Hometown: Flemington

Internship Placement: Office of Assemblyman Al Barlas, 40th Legislative District

Adrish is a rising senior at Rutgers Preparatory School. There, he actively leads and participates in a wide range of academic and leadership activities, serving as Co-Captain of the Ethics Bowl team, leading the economics club, and participating in Model UN. Passionate about technology and community impact, Adrish has organized multiple hackathons to foster innovation among high school students, encouraging peers to build solutions for local and global challenges. He also co-founded Voices Unchained to amplify youth perspectives on community ethics and justice. Outside of school, he enjoys skiing and engaging with philosophy and history.

Through this program, Adrish hopes to develop his policy analysis and public speaking skills while exploring the intersection of economics, government, and technology. 

Fatima Poonawalla

Hometown: Edison

Internship Placement: Offices of Congressman Frank Pallone

Fatima is currently a student at John P. Stevens High School and will be going into her junior year. She is eager to be a fellow at NJLP, wanting to use her time to recognize what it means to have a tangible impact on one’s community and to follow a lifestyle of persistent learning. 

Change has always been important to Fatima, especially when it comes to community service. She is excited to have found an intersection between service and politics, where she can contribute meaningfully while exploring her interests. Fatima also has a background in sustainability. Her extracurricular activities, both inside and outside the classroom, reflect these passions. 

In her free time, Fatima loves going on froyo runs and long bike rides. While working alongside fellows that are as driven as her, she looks forward to building her network and learning how to be an advocate for change. 

Raima Madan

Hometown: Hillsborough

Internship Placement: Office of Assemblyman Roy Freiman, 16th Legislative District

RRaima is a rising senior at Hillsborough High School with a strong interest in law and public policy. She is committed to creating meaningful change in her community through her involvement with organizations such as the Feeding Hands food pantry and Habitat for Humanity. Raima also serves as the Editorial Officer for Viti.Flips, a youth-run nonprofit promoting sustainability, where she helps lead content creation and communications to amplify the organization’s mission. She is also a member of PUSH/REBEL, a student-led organization focused on alcohol and substance abuse prevention, Raima helps lead outreach efforts at the Hillsborough Intermediate School to educate and empower younger students to make healthy choices. In addition to her civic engagement, Raima is a dedicated flutist, performing in both the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra and her school’s band.

Through NJLEAD, Raima hopes to further develop her leadership skills and continue advocating for equity and opportunity in her community.

Megan Bommireddy

Hometown: West Windsor

Internship Placement: Assemblyman Balvir Singh

Megan is a rising senior at West Windsor Plainsboro High School South who is interested in public policy. She is particularly focused on how policy differs at the state, federal, and foreign levels, drawing from her internship experiences and research projects to explore these distinctions.

In the past, Megan has interned for Senator Andy Kim. At her school, she is involved as the President of the Model Congress and Model United Nations Clubs and is a member of the winter/spring varsity track team.

In her free time, you can find her rewatching her favorite shows, hiking, reading, and traveling.