Intern Program

Aanika Sawhney is a senior at Redwood High School. She was reminded of the complexities of local institutions through Humans of San Quentin’s work and is passionate about the intersection of journalism and local impact. She was struck to learn about the zero percent recidivism rate at San Quentin for those who participated in the media center and is inspired by the unique journeys shared by many previously and currently incarcerated people. Aanika believes everyone has a meaningful voice and should be given the opportunity to share their experiences with others. Her work as a journalist has consisted of print, online, and visual media as a news and opinion editor for her high school newspaper, The Redwood Bark. She is also the executive producer for her TV and Media course. She is interested in social justice initiatives and leads the Environmental Action Club and the Black Indigenous Women of Color group at her school. Additionally, Aanika is a member of the Tamalpais Union High School District Racial Justice Youth Advisory task force. 

Aanika has been a part of her leadership class for three years. As secretary for Redwood’s Film Club, she is a connoisseur of creative media. She loves to spend her free time at the beach or enjoying live music. 

Maren Jones is a rising senior at Tamalpais High School. She took a Street Law and Psychology class and became interested in criminology. She has watched many documentaries on incarcerated people, specifically at San Quentin, and wanted to get involved and help their voices be heard. Once hearing of Humans of San Quentin, she knew it was a perfect fit as they valued bringing awareness and humanizing the lives behind bars. 

In her free time, Maren enjoys playing soccer, going to the beach, watching the sunset, reading, doing arts and crafts, and hanging out with friends. She is super excited about this internship and hopes to keep on sharing stories with the outside world.

Renee Kraemling is a senior at Tamalpais High School. She has interned with us for the last two years, since her sophomore year and she is now a senior. Clearly, she is passionate about the work we do to share the voices of those incarcerated. She has helped us develop our Beyond The Bars program, where we interview people who we have featured inside and are now released back into our communities. She helps share voices on our social media channels and intimately understands how impactful Humans of San Quentin is to those incarcerated.

Fun Facts: Renee is a passionate artist who primarily works with apparel designs. During her free time, you will either find her in an art studio or at her job, working for Peet’s coffee.

Gigi is a junior at Marin Academy in San Rafael, California. She is a member of her school newspaper and community action leadership board. Through her work at the newspaper she became interested in the intersection of media and criminal justice. Gigi loves to highlight the voices of people who have been isolated from society and she enjoys working in the supportive and encouraging community at Humans of San Quentin. 

In addition to her work with Humans of San Quentin, Gigi is an active member of her school community. She is a member of Model UN Club and Conference on Democracy Club, an afterschool tutor, a varsity swimmer, and a competitive dancer. Her other passions include piano and surfing with friends. Her primary goal is to uplift the voices of others and highlight the experiences of incarcerated people.

Oliver Broek, a senior at Branson High School. He was hooked the moment he set foot in the Humans Of San Quentin office, and learned of the opportunity to witness and support the lives of those living so close yet totally isolated. Oliver’s classroom studies with courses like Soul On Ice: Incarcerated Worlds and Ethics and Justice, further strengthened his interest in understanding marginalized communities. 

Oliver has enjoyed growing the media team at HoSQ and sharing their work with a broader audience through their website and social media channels. He has enjoyed creating marketing campaigns inside prisons to reach additional incarcerated individuals. He has been a liaison with his community for fundraising fundraising events and sharing the message of humanizing people inside. 

Oliver, a passionate Lacrosse player, is a dedicated leader on and off the field. He is actively involved in Branson’s Men’s Leadership Group, Civil Discourse Club, and Poetry Club. Oliver’s outside passions include music of all genres, photography/videography, impromptu sports with friends, and visiting places with aquatic life. He thrives on bringing people together and continuously seeks ways to creatively share the stories of those around him.

Gigi is a student at Redwood High School, Class of 2026. She is a volunteer with Marin County’s Youth Transforming Justice (YTJ) Peer Solutions Group and is passionate about juvenile justice reform. She is a starting defender on Redwood High School’s Varsity Lacrosse team and plays travel lacrosse with Bay Area Elite (BAE). 

In her free time, Gigi loves spending time at the beach and hiking with friends in the beautiful hills of Marin County. She is thrilled to be working with Humans of San Quentin and the wonderful people. 

Amanda is a high school junior at Marin Academy in San Rafael, California. The summer between her sophomore and junior years she worked on a mentored research project on the death penalty. Amanda learned about the political history that backs the justice system. Her work culminated in an op-ed on how and why the death penalty should be abolished. Amanda’s dedication and passion for working with the American political system led her to strongly sympathize with people incarcerated. Working for HoSQ has been an amazing experience for her, as she loves getting to share the perspectives of people who have been denied a voice. HoSQ has also provided Amanda with firsthand perspective of the daily discrimination that inmates experience. She is passionate about helping people incarcerated and supporting them in any way possible.

In her free time, Amanda sings with her chorus and works as an assistant to help elementary school students. She leads her school’s satirical newspaper and Queer Affinity, an LGBTQIA+ community. Amanda is a lawyer on her school’s mock trial team. She swam prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and now spends as much time as possible skiing. During the recent presidential election, Amanda served as an elections ambassador and member of her school’s elections committee, which aimed to motivate students to register and pre-register to vote.

Quinn Newlin, a senior at Redwood High School. He discovered Humans of San Quentin through a friend and became captivated by advocating for the humanity of people incarcerated. He is thriving as part of the social media team and relishes in sharing their stories. Through the power of social media he is eager to generate empathy and compassion for people in our communities often overlooked.

Quinn is an aspiring actor and filmmaker with a drive to knock on Hollywood’s doors. He also enjoys crafting fiction and immersing himself in literary classics like Catcher in the Rye. In his free time, he dedicates time to refining his musical abilities, delving into guitar chords and showcasing his proficiency on the piano.