OUR STORY

Zoha Siddi​qui is a Senior at William & Mary majoring in International Relations and Transitional Justice. She started co-directing The Exodus Project in 2021, during its inaugural year. She is passionate about conflict transformation and joined The Exodus Project to learn more about how states deal with crises like mass displacement. Apart from The Exodus Project, she is a Research Fellow at the International Justice Lab and Co-Founder of the international non-profit organization HER.  After graduating from William & Mary, she will be a George J. Mitchell Scholar, studying Conflict Transformation & Social Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.

Aubrey Lay is a Senior at Willam & Mary majoring in Government and Linguistics. Prior to co-directing the Exodus Project, he has worked with QUA - LGBTQ Ukrainians in America, the Equal Asia Foundation, and The Global Center to advocate for populations marginalized by sexuality, gender identity/expression, and sex characteristics. He is also co-captain of William & Mary’s competitive collegiate Punjabi dance team (Griffin Bhangra), and conducts linguistics research with Discourse Analysis at William & Mary.

Malcolm Baytop is a senior at William and Mary majoring in Public Policy and Psychology. Outside of academics, Malcolm is a co-founder and current board member of The Way Forward, a non-profit organization dedicated to reimagining public safety practices in the 21st century. His most recent advocacy experience includes volunteering at Done Waiting, a grassroots social justice organization, with recent research focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on gender-based violence in the humanitarian aid sector. Malcolm is also a senior member of William and Mary’s Division 1 Men’s Gymnastics program, qualifying as an individual and team member to recent NCAA championships. Lastly, as someone with a concentrated interest in mental health concerning socially stigmatized populations, Malcolm is particularly motivated to contribute to policy solutions that address the unique psychosocial health needs of Ukrainian LGBTQ+ refugees.

Daniella Marx is a junior at William & Mary majoring in International Relations and Russian & Post-Soviet Studies. Outside of The Exodus Project, she is a Project Lead at the International and Political Affairs in the Caucasus Lab (IPAC), where she uses geospatial imaging and open source data to assess Turkish influence in Georgia. She also examines the environmental impact of armed conflict in Ukraine as a Research Assistant at geoLab. During her freetime, she enjoys writing poetry, socializing at the Russian House, and hosting a radio show at William & Mary’s only undergraduate radio station—WCWM 90.9FM.

Brigid Rawdon is a junior at William & Mary and the University of St Andrews majoring in International Relations. At St Andrews, she is a passionate member of the university’s LGBTQ community in which she writes for a student-run LGBTQ newspaper, specifically focusing on comparing US and UK LGBTQ legislation. Additionally, she has previously participated in William & Mary’s Branch Out program in which she volunteered with Campus Pride, a non-profit that creates a safer college environment for LGBTQ students and staff.

Carina Shalkivski is a sophomore at WIlliam and Mary majoring in International Relations and minoring in European Studies. Carina is passionate about helping Ukraine in any way possible and decided to join the Exodus Project to research and find possible solutions to overlooked aspects of war such as the wellbeing of LGBTQI+ persons. Carina also is an e-intern for American Councils, helping Ukrainian FLEX students apply to colleges in the US. 

Avneeti Singh is a senior at William and Mary, majoring in Public Health and minoring in Data Science. On campus she serves as a Health Outreach Peer Educator, education chair for her sorority, and as a kinesiology and health sciences club outreach officer. She has a keen interest in health care policy, as her internship work with the NIH, United States Army, and a D.C. health consulting firm has pushed her into understanding and advancing solutions anchored in a commitment to improve and lift up underrepresented communities. She joined the Exodus Project to understand and investigate vulnerabilities faced by LGBTQI+ populations. She seeks to apply her public health knowledge and experience in understanding vulnerabilities associated with hormone treatment, mental health resources, and HIV treatment faced by Ukrainian LGBTQI+ individuals. 

Kathryn Webb is a senior at William & Mary majoring in Economics and Russian Post-Soviet Studies. In addition to the Exodus Project, in W&M’s International and Political Affairs of the Caucasus Lab, Kathryn researches Turkish influence in Georgia, with a focus on the financing of the refurbishment of Mosques and the reactionary Russian disinformation campaign against Turkey and Islam. She is motivated to contribute to aid for the Ukrainian population in any capacity she can, from the on-campus Ukrainian Solidarity Event she co-planned with Aubrey and Daniella last spring, to her current participation here in the Exodus Project, for LGBTIQ+ Ukrainians. Her focus in the project so far has been on issues in finding safe, LGBTIQ+ friendly housing in different countries of refuge. 

Alexa Carmenates is a junior at William & Mary, majoring in Film and Media Studies and Marketing. On campus, she is currently on editorial board for ROCKET Magazine, the school’s premiere art, fashion, and culture publication, and works as an Initiative Director for Student Transition Engagement Programs. As Marketing intern, she is helping to further develop and promote the project’s brand identity, while also gaining perspective on often overlooked issues in the transnational LGBTIQ+ community. In all her work, her main goal is to innovate modern solutions in creative ways.