This summer, three Ohio State students are bringing their work to the heart of American democracy. Elise Britton, Maxwell Kiernan, and Ryan Mahoney have been selected as the 2026 IDEA Summer Democracy Fellows. From June through August, they will be embedded inside congressional offices in Washington, D.C., where they will help shape the day-to-day work of federal lawmaking while carrying IDEA's research and democratic innovation tools onto Capitol Hill.

Each of them comes to the program with a story worth telling.

For Elise, a third-year Political Science major with minors in Social Justice Advocacy & Public Policy and Civic Engagement, the path to D.C. began at the polls. "My mother, aunt, and grandmother instilled the importance of civic engagement in me from a very young age," she says. "I was always taken along to the polls and explained not only the privilege of voting, but the adversity overcome to attain the right." Elise is most passionate about equitable education, with deep interests in social policy and public health. She describes herself as empathetic, passionate, and zealous, and she is heading into the summer ready for a rigorous environment and the kind of long-lasting connections that shape a career.

Read Elise's full story here.

Ryan, a third-year student double-majoring in Political Science and Economics with a minor in History, has been drawn to politics and lawmaking since grade school. His path to the fellowship grew naturally out of his prior engagement with IDEA as both a student and an employee. His policy interests sit primarily in economic issues and foreign policy, areas he has spent the most time studying. He credits his stepfather, who was engaged in public affairs in his own youth, for sparking his early interest in public service. Analytical, curious, and musical, Ryan is most looking forward to attending committee meetings and contributing to the work of the office that hosts him, "whether that be through note-taking, helping my office prepare, etc." 

Read Ryan's full story here.

Maxwell, a sophomore studying Politics, Philosophy, and Economics with minors in History and Psychology, already serves as an undergraduate research assistant at IDEA. His commitment to public service is rooted in his family. His mother, an Air Force pilot and career civil servant, taught him what showing up looks like. He is focused on rising political apathy and the question of how to bring citizens back to the ballot box, an interest he plans to test against the realities of the Hill this summer. Citizen, son, and friend are the three words he uses to describe himself, in that order.

Read Maxwell's full story here.

Together, Elise, Maxwell, and Ryan represent what the Summer Democracy Fellows program is built to deliver: thoughtful, prepared Ohio State students stepping into the rooms where federal policy is made, ready to learn from the experience and bring something useful back to Columbus.

What Comes Next

Office placements will be announced in the coming weeks. Throughout the summer, we will share updates from each fellow on the work they are doing on the Hill, the people they are meeting, and the lessons they are bringing back to IDEA. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or check our news page for individual spotlights and field updates as the summer unfolds.