Weavers Fellowship Program

Sofia Cante (she/her) is a Junior Chemistry major at Amherst College. A Southern California native, she volunteers at NORA in her free time. Sofia is passionate about global health. Sofia has served as an interpreter for Hospital de La Familia Foundation in Guatemala. In her free time, she enjoys journaling, discovering new music artists, and camping. 

Bella Ely grew up in Northern California’s Humboldt County, where the Redwood forests and rugged coastline sparked a lifelong passion for the outdoors. She earned her B.A. from the University of California, San Diego, double majoring in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in Environmental Studies. Her academic work focused on how nonprofits address critical gaps in federal policy, particularly in areas such as immigration, environmental justice, and public health. Through research apprenticeships, she explored the intersections of the prison industrial complex and precarious labor, as well as disparities in immigration scholarship between the Global South and Global North—building a strong foundation in policy analysis and social equity. 

Bella’s focus on policy was further strengthened through her work with the Truman Center for National Policy, where she supported educational outreach efforts with members across the United States and helped build a coalition that interfaced directly with the Executive Branch. Her commitment to public service deepened during her time with AmeriCorps supporting Jewish Family Services, where she assisted asylum-seeking families in reaching their sponsors. She also contributed to the work of several San Diego–based nonprofits, including Mama’s Kitchen, the San Diego River Park Foundation, and Books Through Bars. These experiences have shaped her long-term goal of working in public policy, grounded in the belief that community-centered solutions and direct service are essential to lasting systemic change. She is excited to work with the WVE team and support its mission as the Education and Advocacy Fellow. 

Outside of work, Bella enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, teaching her cat Callie new tricks, and reading a good historical fiction novel. 

Swati Rayasam, MSc is a public health scientist and grassroots organizer working in service of everyday communities to advance their needs. She has worked in both nonprofit and government around chemical policy and marginalized communities, most recently at the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights ensuring EPA’s implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act protects the health of communities disproportionately impacted by toxic chemical pollution such as BIPOC, low-income populations, incarcerated populations, and people with disabilities. She has expertise in federal and international policy, exposure science, community-guided science, science translation/communication, toxics, infectious disease, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). She earned her MSc in Global Health and the Environment from the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health and her BS in Biology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is a first-year PhD student in Epidemiology at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health. 

Zari is a rising 5th year Biomedical Sciences PhD Candidate at Penn State College in Medicine (Hershey, PA). She completed her Bachelor of Science at Towson University (Baltimore, MD), majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology and minoring in Music Performance. She studied Addiction Neuroscience as an NIH PREP Scholar at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – New Orleans (New Orleans, LA).  In her current work, Zari studies the effects of addiction and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) on biological processes, with particular interest in investigating the relationships between biological sex, alcohol use, binge eating, and neuroinflammation in rodent and human models.  

Outside of the lab, Zari is deeply invested in public policy initiatives concerning scientific research, environmental science, reproductive justice and science education.  She is versed in program architecture and management, specifically programs focused on research infrastructure, student success, and health equity. A devoted campus leader, she launched and led multiple initiatives for student success at Penn State College of Medicine, including the Diverse Graduate Student Group (DGSG), Cultivating Underrepresented Students in Science and Public Health (CUSP), Minorities in Medicine (now PRISM-U) and Science Policy, Advocacy, Research and Knowledge (SPARK). She has previously interned at the Movement Labs, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and most recently, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH).  

In her additional time, Zari is deeply involved in performing arts – playing over 20 musical instruments. She is a classically trained percussionist (marimba, vibraphone) and studies harp and piano. She is involved in multiple cultural theatre troupes in the city of Harrisburg (both on stage and in pit orchestra) and has trained in aerial dance and fitness.