Bio

Susanna Thornton Policy Associate

As a Policy Associate at the Sheridan Group, Susanna has helped to advance key education reform policies on Capitol Hill and with the Obama Administration. To this end, Susanna has been actively involved in some national coalition efforts, including a national literacy coalition and the Committee for Education Funding.

Susanna is an ambitious self-starter and true citizen of the world.  She began traveling at age 12 to Bolivia for 2 months on exchange, living with a non-English speaking family.  Through high school and into college, Susanna studied Chinese, French, Italian and Spanish.  Susanna began college majoring in Spanish then developed a new major program at her university in “Chinese Studies”. She went on to study Mandarin at the University of California, Berkeley and then in Beijing.  Susanna took a gap year between high school and college, creating a program of her own design in India, Mexico and Italy.

Susanna relocated to New Orleans in 2008 to be a field organizer for the Democratic Coordinated Campaign.  Following the campaign, Susanna returned to the Washington DC area to embark on a career closer to her family.

Susanna graduated with honors from the University of Mary Washington with a dual degree in Spanish and Chinese Studies.

Community Engagement

Susanna is Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for City at Peace DC, a youth development organization that uses the performing arts to teach and promote cross-cultural competency and non-violent conflict resolution. Susanna’s commitment to this organization has proved to be a launching pad for her in the DC non-profit circuit. She is deeply invested in fostering a sense of community and leadership in tomorrow’s youth.