Raiyan Shaik

Raiyan Shaik is a second-year student at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in journalism with a BDP certificate in Human Rights and Social Justice. Her interest in human rights lies within the intersection of human rights theory and the law, as well as the theory behind how an international human rights framework differs from a domestic framework. She is also passionate about the ways in which various modern structures are influenced by race and colonialism, particularly the criminal justice system. In related classes, Raiyan has worked on such analyses and research papers, drawing parallels from how European exploration in Africa impacted black representation in horror films to dissecting how colonization and the resulting power balance in the world impact India's surrogacy market. Through her degree and work, she hopes to engage with human rights theory and practice more. Outside of her academics, Raiyan reports for the Daily Texan, Texas Primetime, and Tower Talks. She also volunteers her time for BBAM, an organization to mentor black and brown high school students. As Raiyan continues to learn more about human rights, she hopes to attend law school after graduation and practice civil rights law eventually.