Student Graduation Speaker - Aasha Shaik DRC'20
This year’s winner of the Edele Neilsen Prize in Speech is Aasha Shaik DRC’20, a political science and Middle Eastern studies double major and Arabic minor. Aasha is graduating this May summa cum laude as an Honors College scholar.
Throughout her academic career, Aasha has moved the needle for social justice both in New Brunswick and throughout the world. As a student leader on the United Nation’s Working Group on Girls (WGG), Aasha participated in a coalition of more than 75 non-governmental organizations that advocates for the protection and human rights of girls and women. Her responsibilities included organizing and moderating large-scale UN events; researching and authoring policy recommendations; and holding meetings with UN policymakers, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In 2017, Aasha presented at the Young Women’s Leadership and Voices Conference at the United Nations on her experiences with the WGG. This past year, Aasha was the only American selected for UN Women’s Beijing +25 Youth Task Force, comprised of just 30 young change-makers and activists from around the world. To read more about her time with the United Nations, please click here.
“My gender equality advocacy with the Working Group on Girls at the UN was truly life-changing. It's why I knew I wanted to go into public service, why I studied political science and international affairs, and why I first considered law school—it's why I am the woman I am today,” she said. “It taught me so much about the power of my voice and the devastating needs of so many women and girls around the world.”
In addition to her time at the UN, she spent a summer in Amman, Jordan as a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholar and worked as a Microsoft Civic Tech Fellow. Both experiences were formative in the development of Aasha’s worldview. At Microsoft, she learned how firms can partake in social responsibility, aligning their goals to benefit all people.
“It was extremely informative to get to experience how corporations can sincerely partner with the public sector to further public good–those are insights I will take with me into my career for sure.”
Aasha has also been an active member of the New Brunswick community. Throughout her four years, she has held various service and leadership positions in organizations around the city. One such role was president of the Rutgers Petey Greene Program, which coordinates tutoring sessions between college students and incarcerated individuals. Additionally, Aasha was president of the Rutgers Women Political Caucus, captain of the Mock Trial Team, and a member of Douglass Friends of UNFPA and the Douglass Governing Council.
Aasha’s passion for mentoring other Douglass students is a defining hallmark of her contributions to the community. As a resident assistant in the Douglass wing of the Honors College, Aasha offered guidance, resources, and friendship to the students who lived in her building.
“Being the RA for the DRC wing of the Honors College has been a central feature in my college experience,” Aasha said. “I feel so lucky to have gotten to know so many Douglass students during their first year and, hopefully, have given them a positive introduction to college.”
In 2020, upon the nomination of a Douglass staff member, Aasha received the Chancellor’s Leadership Award. The recognition honors an outstanding student leader in the University community. Aasha received the award at the 2020 Chancellor’s Leadership Gala, where she was also grateful for the opportunity to witness the successes of her peers who were recognized for different achievements.
“It was such an honor to receive the Chancellor's Leadership Award,” said Aasha, “I have met such incredible people during my time here, so I always love getting to watch events where my peers are recognized for their impactful work. It's an honor to be acknowledged alongside them.”
Ultimately, Douglass has been Aasha’s on-campus home throughout her successful undergraduate experience.
“The number of resources Douglass provides is incredible,” she said. “Scholarships from Douglass helped enable me to study abroad, and are even contributing to my legal education next year. Nearest to my heart, though, is that Douglass has been such an incredible community to be a part of—both in terms of how supportive the staff are and in terms of the uplifting students that make up Douglass.”
In the fall, Aasha will be embarking on her JD at Yale Law school. After she graduates, she hopes to become a trial attorney in public defense or impact litigation.
“I am very excited about this next chapter and am looking forward to using my legal studies towards public service. Down the line, I can definitely see myself running for public office to use my legal experience to shape legislation,” she said. “Ultimately, I would love to hold a foreign policy or diplomacy position where I can work to protect the human rights of marginalized communities around the world.”
As the winner of the 2020 Edele Neilsen Prize in Speech, Aasha will be delivering the student address at the Class of 2020 Celebration on May 30, 2020. RSVP to hear her speech!
Photo Credit: Aneesha Doshi DRC'21
