Trinity Shaya

Trinity Shaya graduated with a B.A in Psychology in 2021. She was a Darwin T. Turner Scholar and a Resident Advisor during her undergraduate career and completed a research internship at the University of Missouri’s Alcohol Research Training Summer School & Internship. As a first-generation college student and daughter of Iraqi immigrants, she is grateful to have had the opportunity to attend UC.

After graduation, Trinity interned abroad at Caritas Cyprus, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping migrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees. While interning at Caritas Cyprus, she assisted with intake forms for beneficiaries and explained their rights and obligations as asylum seekers. She also assisted with legal paperwork for social welfare benefits and healthcare resources. Her favorite activities at Caritas Cyprus included leading weekly CV workshops and job-readiness programs, along with weekly art classes.

She is currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in Zambia under the Community Health Empowerment Project. As a PCV, she lives in a rural village teaching sustainable health practices to combat malaria, malnutrition, and other prevalent public health issues.

After completing her Peace Corps Service, Trinity plans to attend graduate school focused on global peacebuilding and migration. She hopes to work as a Consular Officer within the Foreign Service. She is also passionate about modern-day slavery and human trafficking prevention, and plans to eventually work within an organization to combat these issues.