Consumer Voice has had the pleasure to work with outstanding interns this spring. Their skills and knowledge have helped us enormously as we build our organization and address the serious and complex issues facing long-term care residents. We would like to thank Kewan, Mark, and Olu for their dedicated work and advocacy representing the interests of long-term care residents.
Kewan Perera
Kewan Perera is a Master of Public Management candidate at Johns Hopkins University, specializing in public policy and economics. After graduating in May 2025, he plans to further his studies with a second Master’s degree in Public Policy and AI Governance at McMaster University. Upon completing his second degree, he plans to pursue a career with the Ontario Ministry of Health as a policy analyst.
As a Public Policy Intern at Consumer Voice, Kewan has joined the Arnold Ventures Project in researching how related party transactions in Michigan’s private equity-backed, for-profit nursing homes divert taxpayer funds from resident care. His analysis focuses on financial practices, their impact on staff wages and care quality, and policy recommendations to improve accountability and transparency.
Mark Baskharoun
Mark Baskharoun is a senior undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Dallas studying neuroscience. He is also an incoming medical student at UT Southwestern Medical School next fall.
As a Public Policy Intern at Consumer Voice, Mark has worked on a state legislation tracker, focusing on legislation in the 50 states on surveillance cameras in long-term care facilities and essential caregiver laws. Mark has also helped research issues such as geofencing in nursing homes, as well as literature surrounding nursing staffing.
Oluwademilade ”Olu” Ogunlade
Oluwademilade ”Olu” Ogunlade is a Nigerian-American third year law student at Texas Southern University, with a deep passion for public policy, racial politics, and social justice. As Vice President of the 3L Class Board and President of the African Law Students Association, Olu is a leader in legal advocacy and diversity. Olu is also a director for the National Black Law Students Association, concurrently serving as the Chair of the Southwest Region of the National Black Law Students Association, representing Black law students at all 20 law schools in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, & New Mexico. With a Bachelor of Art from SUNY Old Westbury, Olu has interned with a multitude of organizations in law school, including the Defender Association of Philadelphia, the National Bar Association, and Litigiven, gaining experience in data analysis, organizational management, and regulatory compliance. A published author and National Justice John Paul Stevens Fellow, Olu is passionate about africology, education reform, and supporting marginalized communities. In her free time, she enjoys long walks, writing poetry, and cooking.
As a Public Policy Intern at Consumer Voice, Olu has undertaken comprehensive research and provided an in-depth analysis of proposed legislative bills and their anticipated impacts. She has also prepared a policy brief, conducted policy analysis, and completed various interpretive legislative assignments.
Learn more about interning at Consumer Voice.
Jackie Koenig Memorial Internship Program
The internship program is funded, in part, by the Jackie Koenig Memorial Fund. Jackie Koenig was the Consumer Voice’s first Communications Director who later became director of the National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center. As a treasured friend and co-worker, one of Jackie’s many passions was mentoring new people in gerontology, a practice she began in the 1980s when she served as a local ombudsman in Ohio and as a member of the Consumer Voice’s Board of Directors. She was passionate about her advocacy work and did not hesitate to pass on her enthusiasm to the many interns she had been privileged to tutor. For this reason, family and friends decided to honor Jackie’s legacy by establishing a special fund to support the Jackie Koenig Memorial Internship Program.
Jackie passed in 1998, but the memories of her unique brand of advocacy live on. Throughout the year, students and recent graduates are selected to serve as interns at the Consumer Voice. Staff rely heavily on the support of interns to complete important advocacy and policy work, and the students likewise gain valuable, real-world experience.
Thank you to all who have contributed to the Jackie Koenig Memorial Fund. If you would like to support our internship program, please donate.
