Brooke Helmick is currently a graduate student at Columbia University working towards her M.A. in Human Rights Studies under the Institute for the Study of Human Rights. In her research, she explores the relationship between civil society organizations, the strength of democracy and human rights law, and the rise in hate group activity.

Prior to attending Columbia, she graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a B.A. in Gender Studies and a double minor in Theatre and Global Studies.

Brooke currently works in a number of spaces to promote equity and civil rights. In addition to working as a Community Engagement Intern with All In Together, she works as a Research Assistant with Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative and as a Policy Fellow and Disability Rights Advocate with the Los Angeles City Civil, Human Rights and Equity Department.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, and performing as well as engaging in the arts as a method for healing, transformation, and social change.