Virtual Summit Submission

University of Washington
Law, Economics, and Public Policy

Biography

Rayyan Salam is a Senior at the University of Washington. She’s majoring in Law, Economics, and Public Policy and minoring in Human Rights and Science, Technology, and Society. Her achievements include being recognized on the Annual Dean's List every year of college and being recognized as an ambassador for the study abroad programs. She works as a barista trainer at Starbucks and a Get Out the Vote Coordinator for the American Muslim Advancement Council. She’s currently applying to law school and is interested in pursuing a career as an intellectual property or international lawyer.

Project

Rethinking the Path to Democracy
When I first traveled to Rwanda, I wanted to research how a country could develop so extensively in such a short time. While I was there I learned so much about development, political systems, and the importance of cooperation. I utilized the site visits my group went on to observe locals, ask questions from knowledgeable individuals, and read articles that aided my understanding of the country. When I came back to Seattle, I realized just how special Rwanda is and I shifted my question to dive deeper into the usefulness of different political regimes. The cooperation and nationalism that the citizens of Rwanda have, help them keep a President in office and help the country pass legislation with limited participation. The trust they had in their government was a new concept to me and I decided to create a question about whether a period of autocratic regime could be beneficial before shifting to a democracy. The reason this is an important topic to me is because of the hope it gives to other countries. The Genocide Against the Tutsi’s is just their history, not their culture. They’ve found ways to learn and work to never make the same mistake again.