Tenzin Dhakong

Tenzin Dhakong is a 1.5 generation immigrant from Minnesota. She graduated with distinction and Phi Beta Kappa honors from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (UMN). At the UMN, Tenzin was involved in a number of public service-centered programs such as the Public Policy and International Affairs Program, the Urban Scholars Program, and the Capitol Pathways program. She is passionate about educational equity and youth work. Recently, she served as Legislative Assistant for the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Field placement: Hunger Free Colorado

Denver, Colorado

Tenzin completed her field work at Hunger Free Colorado in Denver, Colorado. She authored a policy memorandum that outlines opportunities to strengthen SNAP Outreach in the Farm Bill. Her policy memorandum used Colorado's SNAP outreach as a case study. Tenzin conducted interviews with local community organizations and SNAP clients to showcase the importance of SNAP outreach and the need for more outreach funds.

Policy placement: Center for Law and Social Policy

Washington, D.C.

Tenzin worked with the Youth Policy team at the Center of Law and Social Policy (CLASP). In her role, she supported internal community-building for the New Deal for Youth cohort and the Community-Driven Policy and Practice (CDPP) initiative's youth activists. She also supported the creation of an asynchronous version of CLASP's Policy 101 workshops. These workshops are designed to demystify policy, introduce the concept of systems of power and their influence on policy, and provide participants the opportunity to draft an advocacy strategy.

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