Jacob Boles ’22
Jacob is a sophomore transfer from Washington, D.C, currently living in Omaha, Nebraska who is considering a Philosophy, Politics, and Economics or Middle Eastern Studies major. Jacob is excited to get more involved on campus through the Mgrublian Center and CARE Center. His interest in human rights and hate crime work stems from growing up as a mixed-race Jewish person. He is particularly interested in studying the ways hate crimes can affect the African-American and Jewish communities in America and is hoping to use his experience at his last college and apply it to improve CMC.
Flor Canales-Morones ’22
Flor is a sophomore from Denver, Colorado, majoring in International Relations. She currently works as a student manager for Kravis Lab for Social Impact, a First Year Guide, a 1Gen Mentor, and helps co-lead the Immigrant Rights Coalition club at the Claremont Colleges. Flor’s interest in human rights stems from her personal connection to the immigration system in the United States, and her interest in a multitude of human rights issues around the world. One of her favorite quotes comes from Dolores Huerta: “Every minute is a chance to change the world.” Flor tries to live by this, and hopes that the Center will enable her to use her education to make the world a better place for marginalized communities around the world.
Shreya Chatterjee ’22
Shreya is a sophomore from Irvine, California, majoring in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics or International Relations. She is on the CMS women’s golf team which is ranked #1 in the nation, is a member of the CMC Mock Trial team and on the student engagement committee of ASCMC. Shreya intends to eventually study law and is deeply interested in topics like social justice and human rights. Although a California native, Shreya has traveled to many parts of the world including several trips to India to visit her grandparents which made her appreciate the impact of education for underprivileged children, a topic she plans to explore further at CMC.
Jennifer Collao ’21
Jennifer (Jen) is a junior from Lima, Peru, currently living in New York City, majoring in International Relations with a dual in Film Studies. Jennifer is involved with Amnesty International, head mentor for Questbridge CMC Chapter and a member of ASCMC Diversity and Inclusion Board. Her interest in human rights stems from her own personal experiences with immigration and further exploring international law. During the summer of her freshman year, as an Appel Fellow, she created a podcast series centered around Latinx families who have been separated by economic forces, living in Peru, Argentina and the United States. Jen is hoping to take what she’s learned from her summer experience to conduct research and raise awareness regarding violence against women in Peru.
Torben Deese ’22
Torben is a sophomore from Sumner, Washington majoring in Philosophy, Politics And Economics (PPE) and Government with a Legal Studies Sequence. He works as a Legal Research Assistant for the Center and is also a Facility Supervisor at Roberts Pavilion. He plays Defensive Lineman for the CMS football team contributing to the team’s 2018 SCIAC championship. This past summer he worked for Orbit Law PLLC, an immigration law firm, helping research cases in order to help people in search of a legal path to citizenship. His interest in human rights comes from his many conversations with his Grandma about the need for more advocacy for people in need. He dreams of one day working in government or with the ACLU to create positive change in our society.
ErisJames Elliott ’23
ErisJames (Eris) is a first year from Boston planning to major in Psychology with a sequence in Law. His plans of practicing Law in the future are what draw him to focus on social justice and human rights. In addition to working as a Research Assistant, Eris is the President of Stark Dorm in south quad and plans events for its many residents; he is also a member of ASCMC’s Event Staff team which helps to manage many ASCMC events on campus. He wants to make a big impact within his four years here at CMC, and this is just one of the ways he plans to start.
Jenny Gurev ’20
Jenny Gurev is a senior from Sacramento studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics major with a sequence in Human Rights Holocaust and Genocide studies. She has been involved with the Mgrublian Center since her first year and she currently serves as the Student Manager at the Center. Jenny is also a Lab manager for the CMC Policy Lab and Co-President of the All In Campus Democracy Challenge. During her junior fall, Jenny studied Diversity and Co-existance at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Last summer, Jenny worked on Capital Hill for Congresswoman Doris Matsui.
Sydney Heath ’22
Sydney is a sophomore from Connecticut studying International Relations with a sequence in Human Rights, Holocaust, and Genocide. Her interests include reproductive rights, genocide prevention, and refugee rights. She has worked in Antigua, Guatemala at an NGO that supports reproductive healthcare for women, and more recently at Claremont Canopy, an NGO that supports refugee resettlement in the Claremont area. Her interest in genocide prevention stems from a trip to Rwanda to study the 1994 genocide. Sydney is also a member of CMC Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Assault. In her free time, she can probably be found throwing balls around in an inner tube or playing board games.
Lucie Kapner ’22
Lucie is a sophomore from Boston planning to major in Psychology and History with a Leadership Studies Sequence. She is the executive director of Dance Marathon at the Claremont Colleges, an organization that supports Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She also is a member of CMC’s Mock Trial team and a consultant with SOURCE nonprofit consulting. Lucie is interested in Holocaust Studies and spent the summer researching how the Holocaust is presented and memorialized in the public realm, first at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, and then at sites across Poland. She is interested in continuing to explore this topic as a Research Assistant with the Center. In her free time, Lucie bakes challah and plays the ukulele.
Jaelin Kinney ’21
Jaelin (Jae) Kinney is a junior from Los Angeles majoring in International Relations with a Legal Studies sequence. He is a member of the CMC Mock Trial team and the Claremont College’s rugby team. Jae is currently studying in Bilbao, Spain to examine law, policy, and regional autonomy within the contexts of Brexit and Catalonia’s independence from Spain. His research project is analyzing the systemic justices apparent in governments’ denial of independence and free speech to its seceding nations.
Yvonne Macias ’22
Yvonne is a sophomore from the San Fernando Valley currently pursuing the Science Management major with a concentration in public health. She is a 1Gen mentor, tutor for Upward Bound, and a community impact research assistant at the Kravis Lab for Social Impact. Yvonne’s interest lie in combating domestic violence and human trafficking. During her freshman year, she was an active member of one of the Mgrublian Centers task force, Unchained, which works to raise awareness about human trafficking issues, both locally and globally. Working as a student assistant for the Mgrublian center this year, she hopes to continue her work with Unchained and help the other student-led task forces.
Isabela Overturf ’22
Isabela is a sophomore at CMC from Houston, Texas and is planning to dual major in Environmental Analysis and Psychology. As a Mexican-American woman, she is interested in U.S. Latinx immigration, the climate crisis, and the decriminalization of homosexuality. In her free time, she enjoys singing with and directing an a Capella group, playing Pokemon Go, and hanging out with her dog.
Caroline Phillips ’22
Caroline is a sophomore transfer from the University of Edinburgh. She is majoring in International Relations with a sequence in Data Science. Growing up in Los Angeles, Caroline developed a passion for human rights, specifically protecting undocumented citizens and asylum seekers. She is eager to be co-leading the immigration and refugee rights task force this year! Aside from her work with the Center, Caroline is also involved in the 5C Refugee Advocacy Network, Amnesty International, and Democrats of the Claremont Colleges.
Sophia Ramirez-Brown ’22
Sophia, a sophomore majoring in International Relations from Los Angeles, is thrilled to be a part of the Mgrublian Center’s student research assistant team. Growing up in a city filled with other Latinx students who were affiliated with immigration reform, Sophia has always found a passion for human rights initiatives, especially ones protecting undocumented citizens and asylum seekers. She cannot wait to begin working with other students on her task force, and hopes the initiatives created this year will help inform her future forays into advocacy and activism.
Maya Shah ’22
Born and raised in New Jersey, Maya Shah is a film major on the pre-med track. Maya writes for The Claremont Radius and The CMC Forum, and hopes to use her experience in journalism and time a the Mgrublian to raise awareness for human rights issues. Maya greatly believes in the power of education and promotes educational opportunities for destitute children in India. She spent this past summer working with people who were formerly incarcerated to raise awareness for the injustices they face upon release. Maya is excited to be working with students who are passionate about human rights.
Hailey Wilson ’22
Hailey is a sophomore majoring in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies with a human rights sequence. She grew up in Naples, Florida, but has loved the transition to sunny, not as humid California. On-campus, she is part of the Model UN team, CMC Advocates for Sexual Assault Survivors, the Refugee Action Network, and works as a tour guide in the Admissions office. She has always had a passion for human rights, but her interest was solidified after spending her first-year summer working in Ghana with an organization to end child labor and trafficking. She aims to further understand the root causes of human rights violations in order to create effective change in the global community. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career as an International Human Rights Lawyer.