I first became involved in the Oak Institute in the fall of my freshman year when I took Olga Sadvoskaya, the fall 21′ Oak Fellow’s, Human Rights in a Global Perspective course. Throughout high school I followed current events closely as a speech and debate student, which exposed me to both domestic and International human rights crises. Once I got to Colby, I found that the Oak Institute offered a way for me to tangibly create change and partake in productive discussions with human rights activists, professors, and my fellow Colby students. I’m incredibly excited to be a part of the Oak Institute this year and I cannot wait for all that is to come.