Jaylen Adams

Jaylen Adams is a senior at Columbia College, double-majoring in Political Science and Creative Writing. With support from the Presidential Merit Scholarship from the Council on International Educational Exchange, she spent this past summer in Santiago, Chile, taking a professional development course and interning with Corporación Sopeña, a nonprofit that offers vocational training to asylum seekers, unemployed adults, and other underserved communities. She conducted research on refugee-focused programming, produced a best-practices matrix to evaluate peer organizations, and supported outreach efforts by reviewing strategic partnerships and funders.

This experience built on her broader interest in global justice and development. While studying abroad in Switzerland, she authored a research paper on Zambia’s debt default and restructuring. Adams tutors with SOLA Afghanistan, a boarding school for Afghan girls, and volunteers as a legacy lead, helping older adults preserve their stories, values, and traditions through creative projects. Her writing has appeared in The Continents, Columbia’s human rights journal, the Columbia Black Pre-Law Journal, and The Crown Magazine, where she serves as managing editor.

Jaylen is a Kluge Scholar, a Dr. Anne Moses Fellow with IGNITE National, and a 2024 Karel Fellow. Through these fellowships, her internship with the National League of Cities, and her collaboration with organizations like the NYCLU, she has worked to expand civic engagement among Gen Z voters while exploring how strategic communications can advance justice and equity. She has also worked with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, and the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism.