Izabela Kolodziej was born in Poland. She graduated with a BA in politics and East European studies from University College London (UCL) in 2013, focusing on Russian foreign policy. During her degree, she interned for the highest political offices in Europe, including the Office of the President of Poland, the Polish as well as the British Embassy in Moscow, and the Office of the President of the European Parliament in Brussels. She was an active member of the student community and was selected to represent Poland at many youth conferences and leadership projects in Belgium, Germany and Canada. Prior to attending Yale, Izabela worked at a political communications company in London. At Yale, Izabela focused on conflict prevention and resolution and international diplomacy, taking courses in international law, multilateral institutions and conflict and violence studies. She gained field experience during a summer internship working with the Polish Humanitarian Action and Mercy Corps in Kiev as well as in Donbas – the conflict affected area of Eastern Ukraine. In her spare time, Izabela is learning Persian, and exploring the history, culture and literature of Iran. She has traveled solo extensively through Russia, Ukraine, Cuba, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Iran and South Africa among other places. After graduating, she is planning to work for multilateral organizations within the field of conflict resolution and international diplomacy.