Anaya Qayyum

Anaya Qayyum is a sophomore at Barnard College, Columbia University, studying Anthropology and Human Rights on the pre-law track. She first discovered her passion for civic dialogue at 16, when she attended Stanford’s Deliberative Democracy Program with the Close Up Foundation. Building on that foundation, she founded the Kainat Unity Project, which organizes civic education workshops and youth programs to help young people engage with policy issues and see their voices as powerful tools for change.

She has also advanced civil rights advocacy as an intern with the Council on American-Islamic Relations NY chapter and is currently collaborating with students nationwide on public policy research.
These experiences have shown her that meaningful dialogue requires honesty, courage, and a willingness to face difficult issues directly. Now, as a member of the Unify America Student Advisory Board, Anaya is eager to expand opportunities for young people to connect across differences, foster civic engagement, and strengthen democracy through collaboration.