Kelly Kundrat

Kelly Kundrat grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan and graduated from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia with a BA in Political Science. She then continued her education with an MA in Public Anthropology from American University in Washington DC. Kelly publicly defended her thesis with distinction on the role of racial and cultural identity struggles within the violence in Sudan and South Sudan as expressed by members of the DC Sudanese diaspora. Given her passion for social advocacy and elevating the voices of individuals directly affected by crises, Kelly traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia twice to work as an organizer and reporter for the civil society forums on Sudan and South Sudan. During her work for non-profits in DC, she produced educational materials and pieces on torture, the effects of solitary confinement in the age of mass incarceration, and alternatives to immigrant detention. She also organized public vigils, rallies, and congressional meetings and briefings. Kelly joined the Global Activities Scholars Program to gain skills working with refugees and asylum seekers. She hopes to delve into the most effective methods used by social workers and other clinical personnel to provide support, services, and care to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers within a global or international framework.