Five English Students Benefit from Daniella Odutola Memorial Internship Fund

Scholarship honors late alum’s passion for literature and justice while empowering students to take on career-shaping internships.

By Jessica Weiss ’05

From teaching creative writing in D.C. to serving immigrant families through a legal hotline, five UMD English majors spent this past summer building skills and expanding their networks thanks to the new Daniella Odutola Memorial Internship Corps Fund. The $1,000 scholarships helped cover essentials like transit and technology so students could focus on learning, not logistics.

The fund was established in August 2024 by Jeneva Williams-Blackwell ’20 to honor the memory of her best friend and college roommate, Daniella Odutola ’20, who majored in English at UMD. A passionate advocate for literature, education and social justice, Odutola was known for her warmth, compassion and commitment to using language as a means of connection and change.

“I wanted to honor my best friend by supporting what she loved most. English and literature were her passion—she was a natural,” Williams-Blackwell said. “This fund helps students like her pursue the opportunities they deserve. It helps honor her memory.”

Williams-Blackwell said she hopes the scholarships will help open doors for English majors at any stage of their academic journeys to pursue internships that shape meaningful futures.

Meet the first five English majors to benefit from the fund: 

Madeline Arcaro ’26

Senior English major Madeline Arcaro found her “dream internship” at Writopia Lab, a nonprofit that runs creative writing workshops and camps for kids and teens. Working in the Washington, D.C., office, she led sessions throughout the summer in playwriting, poetry, creative writing, game writing, filmmaking and more—experiences that, she said, put her own skills to the test and taught her so much. “It’s been such a highlight of my college career to bring my passion to kids and teenagers,” she added. She has since been promoted to assistant instructor, a role will hold throughout her last year at UMD. Looking ahead, Arcaro hopes to keep working with Writopia after graduation, building on what she calls “an incredible opportunity to grow as both a teacher and a writer.”

Minhee Kim ’27

English and neurobiology and physiology double major Minhee Kim spent her summer as a senior outreach intern with Conversations to Remember, a nonprofit that fosters long-term relationships between older adults and young adult college students to combat the epidemic of social isolation and loneliness. She connected with churches to share the program and help identify seniors who might benefit from participating, and was encouraged by the appreciation she received from community members. “Our program is very unique…feeling appreciated as an intern (and volunteer in the program) felt really nice,” she said. Looking ahead to a career in medicine, she believes her English studies are preparing her to be a more empathetic and effective physician: “My biology textbooks can show me the scientific breakdown of pain, but it is in my English literature classes where I am able to read and empathize with the full breakdown of pain from a patient’s perspective.”

Megan Mulligan ’26

English and public policy double major Megan Mulligan is planning for a future in law and public service. This summer, she worked at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, where she provided extensive legal support work, including reading and summarizing court documents, finding expert witnesses, creating and maintaining case chronologies and legal research. She also got the chance to attend hearings and trials to see how the federal court system works, and met with Chief Judge George Russell III, who offered advice about building a career in law. “Being able to learn from some of the best trial litigators in the country was an invaluable experience,” she said. “This summer affirmed my long-term career goals of being a public servant—it more than met the hopes and expectations I had for a summer internship.”  

Jessica Reed ’26

As a writing intern with Anera, an organization that supports refugees and others affected by conflict in the Middle East, English major Jessica Reed contributed her skills to a mission she deeply values. Working with the communications, business development and fundraising teams, she edited and published blog posts, drafted stories and even wrote an end-of-internship capstone project on themes of resistance in Palestinian literature. “It was an extremely fulfilling and educational experience for me—I basically learned how to function in a professional workspace while contributing to a mission I genuinely believe in,” she said. Reed, who is also pursuing a minor in history, will continue honing her skills as a Scholarly Programs intern at the Folger Shakespeare Library this academic year before pursuing a master’s in library science.

Jasmine Sonpar ’27

Junior English and public policy double major Jasmine Sonpar spent her summer as a legal intern with CASA, a nonprofit that provides critical services to immigrant families and advocates for their rights. In the immigration section of the legal department, she took on a variety of responsibilities: researching country conditions for asylum cases, conducting client consultations, monitoring inquiries with immigration courts and assisting attorneys in providing legal advice. A particular highlight was managing CASA’s legal hotline, fielding urgent calls about everything from detained family members to requests for legal referrals. The experience deepened her understanding of how policy plays out in real time and affirmed her interest in pursuing a career in public interest law. “The internship was more than I hoped for and exceeded expectations,” Sonpar said. “In such a short time, I was exposed to how being an immigrant affects every aspect of life and how the legal system impacts the rights they have.” 

Pictured from left to right: Madeline Arcaro, Minhee Kim, Megan Mulligan, Jessica Reed and Jasmine Sonpar.