Oak Student Committee

Hermosa Beach, California
Major: Government and English with Creative Writing

I heard about OAK after attending an incredible event with the fellows last year, and I am so grateful to be part of this committee and help bring human rights discussions to the Colby community. I followed human rights issues closely throughout high school through debate and work with various nonprofits. As I writer, I am eager to learn as much as I can about journalism and activism from our fellow.

Action, ME
Global Studies with a French minor

Although I’ve always been interested in issues of human rights, getting to learn across a variety of disciplines at Colby. has allowed me to fully dig into the nuances of the human rights field. From Displacement and Migration in the Global Studies department to a JanPlan course on resistance literature in Prague, I have deepened both my understanding of and passion for the work. I became involved with OAK during my sophomore year, when I began attending events they hosted. I was immediately drawn to OAK’s mission, the community of driven students and faculty, and their methods of supporting meaningful change in Maine and beyond; I look forward to continuing my journey with OAK this year!

Bio to come

Bio to come

Pasadena, California
Environmental Policy and English Major

I was first introduced to Colby’s Oak Institute after participating in a indigenous rights centered reading group during the fall of my freshman year and hearing from Michelle Cook, the 2022 Oak Fellow. I really wanted to be part of a community that is passionate about human rights and specifically help to cultivate discussions among other Colby students and faculty about current global human rights issues. Therefore, I joined the Oak Student Committee as the Editorial Assistant who is in charge of the creation of the annual Oak Journal. Outside of being part of the committee, I am a member of the English Department’s Student Advisory Board and the Student Advisory Board for the Center for Arts and Humanities. I’m also on the club women’s soccer team. As an environmental policy and English major, I’m interested in exploring the theme of environmental justice, as well as literature’s potential as a form of advocacy and protest.

Lahore, Pakistan
Undecided Major

My name is Muhammad Saif and I am a member of the class of 2027. I am an undecided major but I am inclining towards Astrophysics and Economics or Global Studies. I work with the Colby Echo on campus. I love writing poetry and public speaking. I am really passionate about working on human rights and social issues that have impacted our world so badly. My main field of interest is economic justice and climate change.