“It’s rewarding to see my hard work, long hours of research, and emotional investment in the topic recognized in such a tangible way,” she said. “It reaffirmed that the questions I am exploring and the lens I bring to my research are contributing something valuable to broader conversations.”

Shaped by her everyday experiences, Islam’s decision to pursue a graduate degree in anthropology grew from her curiosity to understand how individuals navigate their lives within larger social contexts.

“Anthropology offered me not just a framework to explore these questions, but a language and method to engage with them thoughtfully and with depth,” she said.

Islam hopes her paper emphasizes the powerful influenced the past has on the present.

“Unless we confront that history, we risk repeating its patterns,” she said.