Roman Valine spent his fall semester as a Mann Child Policy Extern at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, an organization dedicated to supporting and advocating for LGBTQ+ individuals through education, policy and community engagement.
During his externship, Roman worked closely with the Center’s advocacy team, conducting research on local, state and federal policies affecting LGBTQ+ children and adolescents. He translated complex policy information into accessible summaries for public audiences, contributed to the development of educational advocacy infographics and collaborated with staff to propose improvements to county-level legislation.
In connection with his externship, Roman completed his undergraduate Capstone by conducting qualitative research on the impact of restrictions on gender-affirming care on transgender and nonbinary adolescents in Cleveland. His work combined a review of the existing literature with a thematic analysis of nine interviews, and his findings have informed the Center’s education and advocacy efforts to support gender-diverse youth.
After graduating in Spring ’26 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and medical anthropology, Roman plans to pursue a master’s degree in youth social work. This externship deepened his policy research skills and reinforced his commitment to a career focused on improving outcomes for children and adolescents, particularly those from marginalized communities.
Learn more about his experience