Ana Blanco ’23, from Miami, Florida, is concentrating in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and pursuing certificates in French and Latin American studies. Her academic interests include international relations, electoral reform, voting accessibility, and political participation. Blanco is a 2020 - 2021 recipient of the Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence and the Class of 2022 Andrea Echikson ’80 and Tom A. Bernstein Scholar. In summer 2021, Blanco – through Princeton’s International Internship Program – worked with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), an intergovernmental organization that works to strengthen democratic institutions and processes worldwide. As an intern with IDEA’s electoral processes team, she assisted on a major policy report for international electoral assistance efforts, wrote case studies that assessed the effects of COVID-19 on elections throughout the world, and researched electoral violence and government policies. On campus, Blanco is a residential college adviser for Rockefeller College, co-captain of the women’s club basketball team, and co-president of Princeton Against Gun Violence. She also is one of the head fellows for Princeton Vote100, a campus organization aspiring for 100% of the undergraduate student body to engage civically. 

In summer 2022, Blanco is working for the USAID/Center for Democracy, Human Rights and Governance Bureau for Development, Democracy and Innovation, Democratic Elections and Political Processes (DEPP).