Before joining MEI, Athena Sternklar earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a focus on International Relations/Law from Columbia University. Her capstone paper explored the mental health effects of the asylum process on refugees. She previously worked at Columbia Business School supporting event planning for the Private Equity Program, at Rights CoLab conducting research and writing on innovation, and at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment managing grants, maintaining the website, and overseeing operations. Prior to returning to undergrad, Sternklar volunteered for six months in Syrian refugee camps across Greece, Serbia, and Jordan.
