Myra Kraft Awards

Alexandra Kirk will graduate from Columbia College in May 2023 with majors in Human Rights and History. In addition to her study of student activism and decolonization in the context of world history, Alexandra’s research in human rights focussed on immigration law, disability rights, and education. During the 2021-2022 academic year, Alexandra was a Research Fellow for the ISHR and helped to organize the Mobilities Conference, aimed at creating resources for asylum seekers with disabilities and their legal advocates. Alexandra’s capstone project in human rights built on her prior research to explore existing educational supports and persistent challenges for Syrian children with disabilities living in Jordan’s Za’atari Refugee Camp. 

Alexandra is deeply passionate about educational equity and worked closely with non-profit organizations Meet Me at the Museum, the Double Discovery Center, and Matriculate to promote access to the arts and higher education for low-income students across New York City. Prior to attending law school, Alexandra will work as a paralegal at the Appeals Division of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where she hopes to continue learning about opportunities to strengthen human rights within the criminal justice system.

Eliana Kanefield graduated from Columbia where she studied Hispanic Studies and Human Rights with a specialization in Ethnicity and Race Studies. While at Columbia, Eliana co-founded and edited Portales, an international undergraduate research journal with a focus on Latin American and Iberian cultures, co-developed a literacy and nutrition program through Community Impact Leadership Program, learned about corporate social responsibility and public service through the Kenneth Cole Community Action Program, and taught classes in local public schools on conflict-resolution and genocide.

She has pursued her interests in human rights, diplomacy, and policy implementation through internships with the Gender, Human Rights, and Culture branch of the UN Population Fund, Human Rights Foundation, Office of Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, and Center for Democracy in the Americas. She is currently teaching in Argentina at Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, as well as in rural communities, as a Fulbright Scholar.