SESP Senior Headed to Springfield
Northwestern University senior Michael Deneroffof Bloomfield, Michigan, received the James H. Dunn Jr. Memorial Fellowship, which gives recent college graduates the chance to work in Illinois state government and learn about general governmental structure at the executive level.
Deneroff is double majoring in social policy and legal studies and earning a certificate in civic engagement. He will work in the Illinois Office of Constituent Affairs, which serves as a bridge between the government and the community.
He is currently a fellow at Northwestern’s Center for Civic Engagement, where he coordinates efforts to ensure an accurate census count in Illinois.
The former vice president for community relations for Northwestern’s Associated Student Government, Deneroff was a strong proponent of affordable housing reforms in Evanston’s City Hall. Previously, he served on the executive board of Alternative Student Breaks and led or participated in five service-learning trips before working as a pre-orientation lead team member with Northwestern’s Office of New Student and Family Programs.
After devoting much his undergraduate career to helping Northwestern students become more involved with the Chicagoland community, Deneroff said he is thrilled to have the opportunity to help make the Illinois government more responsive to the needs of various communities across the state.
The Dunn Fellowship Program provides bright, highly motivated college graduates a unique opportunity to experience firsthand the operations of state government for one year. Dunn Fellows are recruited from public and private colleges and universities throughout the nation.
Deneroff is Northwestern’s second consecutive Dunn Fellow. Last year, Mackenzie Eisen (WCAS ’18) worked on the education-policy team through the fellowship.