The MSU Department of Economics is pleased to announce that Sumaiya Imad has been selected as a 2025-2026 Fellow for Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights’ John Lewis Young Leaders program (JLYL), a year-long undergraduate fellowship that prepares college students for a future in community organizing and civic engagement. Selected from over 550 applicants, Imad will join 15 other students from public and private universities across the country in the 2025-2026 JLYL cohort.
“I’m currently developing a Michigan housing rights chatbot in partnership with MSU Law College’s Housing Clinic and tenant advocacy groups, which will provide plain-language guidance on evictions, security deposits, emergency aid, and warm handoffs to real advocates," Sumaiya Imad said. "I’ve also been working with the Tenants' Advocacy Center to advance tenancy-related bills and introduce a Tenants’ Bill of Rights that includes renter-protection ordinances in Lansing.”
The RFK Human Rights Young Leaders program was initially established in 2017 and later restructured in 2022 to honor the late civil rights leader John Lewis.
“I am drawn to this fellowship because Congressman Lewis’ legacy was more than just about fighting injustice, it was about building movements that lasted,” she said. “I want to take my advocacy beyond individual initiatives and cultivate a stronger, more mobilized community on my college campus and beyond. This fellowship equips me with the tools to organize more effectively, mobilize students around pressing social justice issues, push for policy change, and take my nonprofit work to the next level so that it uplifts more marginalized communities.”
Sumaiya Imad (bottom center) attends the fellowship retreat.
Throughout the course of the year, fellows engage their campus and local communities in human rights work through a capstone project. Fellows receive resources and support to ensure their success in the program, including access to comprehensive grassroots organizing workshops, 1:1 mentorship from RFK Human Rights staff, financial support, and access to an extensive network of human rights professionals, peers, and program alumni.
“This year’s cohort is an extraordinary group of young people, and I’m inspired by their courage, kindness, and commitment to making our country a more just and equitable place,” said Kerry Kennedy, president of RFK Human Rights. “I’m filled with hope as we welcome this next generation of leaders into the fold. The future is in powerful hands!”
Imad is a junior economics major who has been part of the Honors College, Social Science Scholars Program, Women’s Leadership Institute, Community-Engaged Scholars Program, MSU College of Law Pre-Law Mentorship Program, and Generations Connect.
“Congressman Lewis’s call for making ‘good trouble’ means to me taking risks and refusing to accept injustice. If fighting for dignity is trouble, then I’ll wear that label with pride.”
By Katie Frey