Award Recognition
Civic Responsibility
Senior Marshal
Crystal Foretia is a graduating senior majoring in Political Science and History. Born and raised in Silver Spring, Crystal is the youngest daughter of Cameroonian immigrants. Her identity as a first-generation African-American and upbringing near D.C. fostered her commitment to civic responsibility. She is being recognized for promoting civic engagement in the Columbia community and beyond. Crystal has served on the Executive Boards of Columbia University College Democrats and the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review; in both roles, she engaged club members on issues including civil rights, immigration, and international law. She currently serves as the Membership Coordinator for the National Political Science Honor Society and is a member of the Student Advisory Board for the Holder Initiative for Civil and Political Rights. She is also a Student Scholar and Emerging Fellow at the Roosevelt Network. Crystal received the Navab Fellowship in 2021, which funded her summer internship at Legal Outreach. At Legal Outreach, she and her colleagues educated rising ninth-grade students in New York, most of whom identified as Black and Brown, about the criminal legal system. In the past, Crystal has interned at the House Judiciary Committee and Center for American Progress.