Nia Kamau is a US State Department Pickering Fellow and MPP candidate at the Jackson School, focusing on human rights and diplomacy. Nia's work has concentrated on international and US children's issues and intercultural relations. Before coming to Yale, Nia co-directed the youth mentorship programming for the Greater Dallas Coalition in Texas and worked for the SMU Human Rights Program, where she co-taught and co-developed a class on race, storytelling, and social change. Nia is a summa cum laude graduate of Southern Methodist University with a BA in human rights and international studies. She holds minors in Arabic, public policy and international affairs, and economics. Her undergraduate research analyzed the relationship between female policymakers and child marriage in Uganda. As an SMU Human Rights Fellow, Nia led a campus initiative to curate oral histories and develop policies to address cultural diversity and inclusivity. She also served as the sole student voting member on the SMU Board of Trustees. While her work primarily focuses on children's rights and racial reconciliation, Nia brings experience in spheres that include economic development (The Market Project), justice reform (Lone Star Justice Alliance), refugee support (Texas Muslim Women's Association), and anti-human trafficking (Traffick 911). After Yale, Nia will join the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer through the Pickering Fellowship.