Bénédicte M. Yenyi is a graduate student at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University pursuing a Master's in International Affairs. Her area of focus is Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy, with a specialization in the United Nations and International Organizations. Bénédicte graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in journalism and a minor in political science. As an undergraduate, Bénédicte conducted two research presented at the Illinois Undergraduate Research Symposium, McNair Summer Predoctoral Institute (SPI), and The Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (SAEOPP) conference. As a journalist, she also anchored and produced nightly news Broadcast for UI7 LIVE in Champaign, Illinois.

Since moving to New York City, Bénédicte has interned with Doctors without Borders in their communications department analyzing media projects as they arise in response to developing humanitarian news, tracking and filing MSF news clippings, and putting together a tri-annual "media highlights" kit of the press. At the same time, she's also preparing a regional case study focused on 3 African countries' development and Implementing the SDG Stimulus, including an economic analysis, stakeholder review, and project analysis for U.N's Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG) and currently working as a community technician at BRC, a nonprofit organization.