Introducing the Human Rights Program Undergraduate Working Group
The Human Rights Program believes in the importance of engaging our students in organizing, advocacy, and decision-making within the human rights curriculum and programming at the University of Minnesota. This fall, Director Carrie Booth Walling created an opportunity for undergraduate students to contribute directly to the design of the program and build community among human rights students. The Human Rights Program Working Group was created to ensure that the voices of undergraduate students are included in decisions shaping the curriculum and programming of HRP.
Now, the Human Rights Program is thrilled to introduce four members of the Working Group who will be designing and participating in the Group’s work throughout the spring semester.
Libby Nemitz
Hey there! My name is Libby Nemitz (she/her), and I’m currently a sophomore at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I’m double majoring in Global Studies with a thematic emphasis on Human Rights and Justice, and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies with an emphasis on Chinese. On campus, I serve on the board of two student organizations, TandemPlus Student Association, a language and culture exchange club, and The Pengyou Pact, a Chinese-English exchange club. Serving as a student leader in these organizations has instilled in me a sense of appreciation for cultural exchange and human connections that defy geographic borders, and I hope to incorporate these experiences and concepts into future human advocacy work.
I believe people should care about human rights because our rights reflect our individual humanity and inherent worth. Ensuring fundamental rights and protections against violence for all people creates a safer, healthier environment for everyone. This is the reason why I joined the Human Rights Program Working Group. I've admired the program's work since I was a freshman, and the new working group provided an opportunity for me to get directly involved as an undergraduate. I'm honored to be a part of the group, and I'm excited about our upcoming projects and events!
Sakiya Mohamed
My name is Sakiya Mohamed (she/her) and I am a sophomore studying Political Science with a minor in Business Law. In the past, I have volunteered for the Advocate’s for Human Rights through their Immigration Court Monitoring. At the University of Minnesota, I work with student government on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and I am an officer for the UNICEF chapter. I also work at the Masonic Cancer Research Center.
I’m passionate about all human rights but specifically, I am passionate about bringing justice to the violations of children globally, particularly on the cases of child soldiers. Human rights are the basic building blocks of human social life in my opinion. Depriving anyone of these rights should upset us all. I am passionate about Human rights and love when I can give back while also learning more! I am looking forward to planning events with the Working Group and be a part of something bigger here on campus!
Bridget Thuli
My name is Bridget Thuli (she/her) and I'm a senior studying Political Science and Global Studies with a concentration of human rights. My love of learning languages and learning about the world has led me to be a part of the Spanish and Portuguese Across Cultures Organization and the German Club. In Summer of 2022, I was able to study abroad in Jordan through the CET Academics Organization, I spent Fall semester of 2022 in Argentina through the Learning Abroad Center, and in Spring of 2023, I studied abroad in Ecuador through the Minnesota Studies in International Development program through the U. I am on the boards of both the Multicultural Undergraduate Political Science Coalition and the Undergraduate Political Science Association. In my free time, I like listening to music, going to concerts, and hanging out in cafes with friends.
I think people should care about human rights because they are an important means of protection for us all, especially those who may face abuse, neglect and isolation. Everyone benefits from positive environments. I wanted to join the HRP Working Group to get more involved with the Human Rights Program on the university’s campus and learn more about how I can improve upon my skills as a human rights advocate. I wanted to connect with more people who are passionate about human rights and learn about their work and passions.
Madison Plemens-Schunk
Hi! My name is Madison Plemens-Schunk (they/them) and I am a senior at the U studying Global Studies and Political Science, with a minor in Spanish. I have a strong interest in human rights and justice issues in Latin America and I am currently working on my senior thesis which is focused around governmental vs. organizational efforts to prevent violence against women. I have worked for the Human Rights Program for about 2 years and I have gained so much from my participation in various human rights events, classes, and other opportunities. I am also a member of the Undergraduate Advisory Board and work for the Office of Student Experience on Campus, where I mentor and lead the students who instruct the College of Liberal Arts First-Year Experience class. In my free time you can often find me tending to my houseplants and sipping coffee at Bordertown.
Human rights are present in all of our lives, all of the time. These rights are universal in theory, but not in practice, and that, to me, is why we must act together to ensure that everyone around the world has access to biological and societal necessities, agency, and equity in their lives. As my boss likes to say, all of our human rights are connected and a threat to the human rights of one person is a threat to the human rights of all people. I joined the HRP Working Group because I wanted to be more involved with my peers in rectifying human rights change. I hope that by giving students an opportunity to lead human rights work, we can make other students feel empowered to do the same. I look forward to working with Sakiya, Libby, and Bridget, and I hope others will be inspired to join us!
