Marlena Papavaritis is an intern working with the Hispanic Leadership Network (HLN). Previously, Marlena interned on the Hill with her Congresswoman and Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.  During her undergraduate years, Marlena volunteered for the John McCain Presidential campaign and served as President of the Cuban-American Student Association (CASA) at Boston College. She also organized a national conference in April of 2011 aimed at empowering Cuban and American youth. Marlena graduated from Boston College in May of 2011 majoring in Political Science and East European Studies. She is currently working toward her Master’s Degree in European & Eurasian Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. Marlena is originally from Miami, Florida and some of her favorite activities include keeping up on the latest political developments in Latin America, cheering on the Miami Heat, and meeting new people.