Ava Zabelski, from Mays Landing, New Jersey is a junior at Georgetown University majoring in Regional and Comparative Studies with a minor in Arabic, and a Negotiation Works 2025 summer intern. She is also a 2025 Pelosi Scholar, National Security Language Initiative for Youth participant, and Critical Language Scholarship recipient who works for the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University during the academic year. Her goal is to work in international education, writing policy to further educational study abroad programs to give the next generation more access to language studies and increase their interest in international relations. 

Ava is excited to intern for Negotiation Works because she wants to gain hands-on experience working with the D.C. community to help others learn about conflict resolution, advocacy, and creating a stable community. She is also interested in speaking with current and past participants to ensure that Negotiation Works is providing an inclusive and helpful environment for all. Ava said Negotiation Works is important because it provides a safe learning environment for members of the community to access empowering tools and support systems to help them gain confidence in their abilities.