Shanti Israni is a graduate student in the Master of International Affairs program at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government & Public Service. Originally from Brownsville, Texas, Shanti graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and a minor in English. As an undergraduate student, Shanti was deeply involved in a wide variety of campus activities, but especially treasured her involvement as a student leader behind The Big Event at Texas A&M University—the largest one-day, student-run service project in the nation, through which 20-25 thousand student volunteers go out into the community to serve and “simply say thank you” to local residents each year.

Having grown up in a low-income community and been honored as a Terry Foundation Scholar and a Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Scholar, Shanti understood the life-changing power of a helping hand. After graduation, Shanti returned to her hometown to serve her community as a college adviser to high school students through the College Advising Corps—an AmeriCorps program also known as “Advise TX.” She worked at a large Title I school, supporting 1,500 students and families in their pursuit of postsecondary education. Shanti’s values of freedom and service drive her desire to pursue a career in international affairs.