Riya Pharsiyawar (she/her) is a first-year student majoring in International Studies. She was born in India but has lived in Connecticut for most of her life. She is interested in cultural diplomacy, human rights, and conflict resolution. Her regional focuses are usually the Middle East and North Africa as well as Latin America. Aside from the World Mind, she’s also on the AU Model UN team and is a writer for Pericles Institute. In her free time, she enjoys cheering her favorite Formula 1 team, reading, and learning new languages.