Myra Kraft Awards

Justin Holiman graduated from Columbia University in May 2020 with a degree in Human Rights and specialization in Political Science. He focused his studies on the American political and judicial systems and how they affect children’s rights. His senior year research analyzed the history of landlord-tenant law, as well as the right to housing counsel as a remedy for the negative impacts residential eviction has on children’s rights. This research built on the many legal internships he held during his time at Columbia, including at Legal Outreach, Inc. and Children’s Rights, Inc. Justin intends to build upon his passion for improving children’s well-being through housing law reform during his studies at the University of Chicago Law School in the fall of 2020. Beyond academics, Justin loves tending bar, watching every Academy Award-nominated film each year, playing guitar, and watching baseball.

Hannah Hollandbyrd is a recent graduate of Columbia College, where she studied human rights and was a member of UndoCU, an organization for undocumented Columbia University students. She is from the border city of El Paso, Texas and is interested in drug policy, migration, and human rights on the US/Mexico border. She hopes to get a Master's Degree and work towards more humane drug and immigration policy in Mexico and the U.S. Currently, she is an events coordinator with the Beto for Texas Senate campaign.

As a recipient of the Kraft Prize, Hannah worked at Project PODER, a Mexico City-based organization that works on corporate accountability and human rights in Latin America. As an intern with Project PODER, she researched the renegotiation of NAFTA and assisted the transparency technology department.