Kyanda is a passionate advocate for marginalized communities. With a background in sociology and psychology from the University of Albany, she has honed her advocacy through research and hands-on roles, including serving as a youth program coordinator and education advocate for students with disabilities. Kyanda aims to attend law school and as a future practicing attorney, she hopes to specialize in work focused on the intersection of disability, health, and race. In her free time, she enjoys reading and going to local parks and beaches. This Fall, Kyanda hopes to further develop her research skills and knowledge of disability justice during her time at CRDJ. She will focus on projects related to ableism and discrimination in healthcare and the criminalization of disability.

Samantha Santoro (she/they) is from Toronto, Canada. Samantha received an Honours Specialist in English Literature from the University of Toronto and worked in the areas of racial and disability justice before law school. They are active in the areas of labor rights, immigrant justice, anti-racism, children’s rights, and prison abolition. They are currently involved in initiatives, such as the Parole Advocacy Project, Solitary Confinement Project, Suspension Representation Project, Taxi Worker Defense Collective, and Immigrant Rights Project. She hopes to pursue work at the intersection of criminal law and immigration law, youth defense work, and abolitionist work everywhere.

Karima is a recent UC Berkeley graduate with a degree in Legal Studies and minors in Disability Studies and Public Policy. She is passionate about issues like solitary confinement, recidivism, and the "special education-to-prison" pipeline. As a CRDJ fellow, she will continue researching these topics and exploring how intersecting identities affect experiences within the criminal justice system. Inspired by her brother, Mohammed, who is disabled, Karima aims to become an attorney focused on addressing injustices at the intersection of disability and the criminal justice system. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym and watching true-crime documentaries.