Student spotlight: Muskan Shafat

"I came to Stanford utterly confused but filled with curiosity, questions, and passion to explore ideas. I took courses that helped me make sense of the world, the problems in it, and myself," said Muskan Shafat, who is graduating this year with a degree in political science and two minors in human rights and global studies, with a specialization in South Asian studies. 

"Through my major, I was introduced to the challenges that technology poses to human beings - the questions of fairness, equity, and optimization in technology. At the same time, classes on South Asia and human rights helped me discover my own heritage, identity, and the country I was born in," she said. "Through close analysis and classes in my minors, I have developed a strong sense of self and aspire to hold the door open for members of my South Asian community, especially those refused opportunities in the past. As a result, my choice of major and minors has led me to a worldly and a personal journey making the four years of my undergraduate education at Stanford deeply transformative."

As a global studies minor, with a specialization in South Asian studies, Muskan had the opportunity to take a wide variety of classes and completed a capstone project that focused on the impact of disinformation in India. "Through these classes, I dug deeper into understanding what it means to be a South Asian. I enjoyed classes on poets of South Asia like Iqbal and studied the political history of Kashmir. These settings gave me the space to explore my own identity and my own history but also share my insights with peers. Through it all, I grew more confident in my skin and in my understanding of myself. Now, I can quote Faiz and Manto, talk for hours on Iqbal and Abdullah, have strong opinions on the Two Nation Theory and the current state of South Asian politics. I truly feel like a global citizen and a proud South Asian," she shared. 

As she looks back on her time at Stanford, of her favorite experiences was meeting Ravish Kumar, an Indian journalist and author. "Ravish is one of the few journalists in India who is continuing to raise his voice against injustice. Having him speak from his own experiences about politics in India and the role of journalism was an amazing experience," she said.

Next year, she is looking forward to pursuing a master's degree in media and communications governance at the London School of Economics. Congratulations Muskan! 

Please join us in congratulating the class of 2021! As the academic year draws to a close, we are highlighting students graduating from across our 14 programs. Click here to view more student spotlights.