Noelle Files

Files received their AA degree from Lone Star College’s Honors College (2020) and began pursuing a BA in political science and international relations at Columbia University, where they were a recipient of the Program for Academic Leadership and Service full tuition scholarship award. They were an active member of several student groups and initiatives while attending Columbia including the Global Columbia Collaboratory, the SDG Hub, and Columbia University Students for Human Rights. They also served as a member of the Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging at Columbia and the Justice and Pandemics Preparedness Academy for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate scholars. They transferred to the University of St. Thomas-Houston in 2022 to complete their BA in liberal arts where they received multiple scholarships including the Monaghan Excellence Award. They were active on campus at the University of St. Thomas serving as the vice president of the National Society for Leadership and Success and they were able to help organize the Society’s first community service project. They were on the Dean’s list for exemplary academic performance and graduated in May 2023 summa cum laude. Their primary academic interest has been human rights issues including those of marginalized Native American tribes and nations. They are registered with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation in Montana and have engaged in academic research and advocacy on the topic of Native American rights including their speech at the United Nations and as a TEDx speaker at Lone Star College in Texas. They are a volunteer at the American Indian Center in Houston while also pursuing their juris doctor at Texas Law (UT Austin School of Law).