Have you and Eli kept in touch?

Yes, Eli is a good friend. We initially connected during a summer abroad program through Temple. He later worked at the same organization where I was a fellow in Rwanda, and we’ve been together in South Africa and while working in Rwanda.

Have you stayed in touch with anyone else from the cohort?

More in terms of keeping tabs on everyone and watching their careers progress, which has been lovely. I was one of the younger members, so it’s amazing to see peers who are now far ahead of where they were in 2019.

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years! Can you take us through your career journey since then and any new accomplishments you've had?

Sure! At the time of the ceremony in October 2019, I still felt like I was in the early stages of my career. Earlier that year, I had relocated to Rwanda after spending time in Palestine and then coming back to the U.S. to earn some money. I returned to Kigali for the 25th anniversary of the genocide and was freelancing. I had just signed as a contractor with Reuters for multimedia work in the region. I also had the opportunity to attend the Eddie Adams Workshop, which is significant in the photojournalism community. About six months after the ceremony, everything changed due to the pandemic, affecting many opportunities, including conferences and workshops. However, I was awarded the Fulbright for Nigeria in May 2020, though I didn’t go until January 2021 because of the pandemic. During that time, I did freelance work in Rwanda and documented protests in the U.S. after George Floyd’s death. I moved to California in May 2022 to work with the Human Rights Center at Berkeley Law, focusing on war crimes investigations and human rights violations.

What’s that been like? You’re a bit more established now—what's your experience been?

When I saw the job posting, I felt like applying would change my life. "I ended up taking on a role that engaged my media background and I've also integrated into our training program, which trains frontline human rights defenders on digital tools for investigations. This summer, I had the chance to conduct trainings in Tunisia and Jordan and do reporting in Kenya—which is an enormous privilege and an opportunity I really treasure.

Sounds like you’ve found a good balance of fieldwork and having a home base in California. What’s your favorite aspect of your current role?

Working with frontline human rights defenders is the most impactful part of my job. They face real-life consequences for their work, and being able to support them is both amazing and humbling. I also enjoy mentoring students at Berkeley, giving feedback and writing letters of recommendation, which is special for me. 

What advice do you have for aspiring students, especially those looking to pursue similar careers?

Building connections with professors is crucial. Students sometimes just need permission to reach out. I encourage them to engage with the fellowship office, particularly at Temple. Also, it’s important to be open to different opportunities, even if they don’t align perfectly with your passions, because you need to support yourself. Lastly, make time for joy and the things you love.

What impact has the award had on you and your connection to the alumni community?

The award helps me stay connected to campus, which I really enjoy. I covered a documentary photography class remotely at Temple last spring, and I’m also sitting on some Fulbright interviews for current students. I’ve been on the Temple University Journalism Advisory Board since 2019, and I value the opportunity to engage with the community. I'll say also as somebody who can't financially contribute as much to the university, having an impact using my time and engagement is something I really appreciate. I don't have a huge alumni connection personally out here, but I often get to hang out with one of my dearest friends from Temple, Paige Hill, who is a PhD at Stanford right now and an absolute superstar. Her husband, Winston Colburn, is also extremely accomplished and was a Temple Owl. When we get together, it's a nice little reunion and we do that regularly.

What’s next for you? What do you hope to accomplish in the next five to ten years?

I think I'd like to really continue to move in the accountability space for sure. I would like to continue working with folks who are really on the frontline of human rights investigation work and continue developing and deepening those connections and relationships and be able to support those investigations in any way. I see the value of being based at a public university and having the opportunity to do these more practical, real-life kind of engagements and then also being able to come back and work with people who are again, at the very start of their lives and their careers. And there's so much value in being based at a university. The organization where I work was founded on the experience of collaborating with communities whose loved ones were forcibly disappeared, investigating mass graves, identifying remains and reuniting them with their families, and preserving the historical record in the face of government or military impunity and violence. Much of our current work involves digital open source investigations instead of ground-level ones, but our work is still rooted in community. I'd like to engage more on-ground in the future. But I think for now, just being able to be based here is a real privilege and something that I continue to hope to gain experience with.