Zamira V. Knight is a rising senior at Rutgers University - New Brunswick, majoring in History and Criminal Justice on a pre-law track. She has a demonstrated interest in advancing education equity measures, serving as a success mentor for the Rutgers University’ Paul Robeson Success Institute and Thrive Student Support Services, a federal TRIO program. As a participant within these programs, Zamira has seen the value of these programs for first-generation, low-income, and minority students such as herself; therefore, she hopes to continue expanding accessibility to these programs, encouraging higher education in minority communities, and diffusing information regarding resources to those in-need.

Moreover, under the Lloyd C. Gardner Fellowship Program, Zamira completed research entitled, “Compliance or Criminalization;” this work focuses on the disciplinary ethos and practices of no-excuse charter schools, their limitation of student self-advocacy development, parental perceptions of discipline, and the impact of exclusionary discipline in the school-to-prison pipeline. At Rutgers University, Zamira Knight is an Eagleton Undergraduate Associate as well as a recipient of the Center for Youth Political Participation’s Eagleton Washington Internship Award. While she aspires to attend law school after completing her undergraduate degree, Zamira intends to pursue a career in public service, specifically at the intersection of education and the legal profession.