Halla Al-Moradi, a student in the Columbia University M.S. in Political Analytics program and the new president of the student government at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies, is already off and running, bringing attention and solutions to student concerns.
In this Q&A, Halla talks about what brought her to Columbia, which issues she is addressing first, where you can find her on campus on a warm day and how her identity as a Yemeni American woman shapes her approach to leadership.
Tell us about where you grew up and about your upbringing.
I was born in Bethesda, Maryland. Two weeks after I was born, we went to Yemen where my parents are from. I grew up in Sanaa, Yemen which is the capital. I was there during the civil war, during the Arab Spring. We moved from there to Texas, and then we moved to Alabama, where I was for middle school, high school and undergrad.
I went to university at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where I got my bachelor’s degree in 2025 in political science with a minor in legal affairs. I was involved in the student government and advocacy all during my time there. While there, I was navigating as a first-generation student, but both of my parents went to college, just not the U.S. system. I didn't have someone walking me through the steps. That's why leadership became so important to me. I understood the difficulties and what it could mean when someone guides you, advocates for you or helps you feel like you belong somewhere.
Why did you choose to come to Columbia?
For me, it was political analytics. It is basically unique to the Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS). There's only one other school that has that program and that is new. I have always had an interest in understanding how political systems work and why they make the decisions they do. Before I came here, I did research on Yemeni American voting habits in Alabama. I tracked that community for the four years leading up to the 2024 election. That opened my eyes to the importance of data to understand communities often overlooked in political research. I didn't want to study politics from a theoretical perspective. In political analytics we use data to identify patterns and inform decisions that affect lives.
At Columbia, it felt like a place that was very far out of reach for me, but I was trying to challenge myself. I was drawn to the academics and to the international community and to be able to learn from people from different perspectives. In SPS specifically, the education doesn't stop at classrooms. You are surrounded by people doing incredible things in their respective fields and learning from their professors. I got accepted to several universities, and for me, political analytics and the move to New York City were a big part of the decision too.
In my first semester here, I joined student government and ran for program representative for the Political Analytics program, and I was elected. I didn't know anybody in New York, and I didn't know New York. It was a great way to meet students outside of my program. In the second semester I served as vice president of external affairs, and now I am president.
What do you hope to focus on and accomplish as president?
The biggest thing for me is that students feel like they belong at SPS and their voices are being heard. This is a very, very diverse school. Different backgrounds and nationalities, yes, and also different types of students — part-time, full-time, online, international and working professionals. I want to make sure our student government represents all of them. I want students to also feel connected beyond their individual programs. I created the community officers program in the student government. Everyone is a representative of an underrepresented community. For veteran affairs our representative understands the needs of veterans. There is now an international student officer who can focus on the safety and security of international students. And the different officers within SPS connect one another.
I am very passionate about student advocacy. We are having student town halls, and I do student zooms. I met with students throughout the summer and the first half of the fall about their needs. The most important thing is that SPS concerns are addressed and heard within the larger Columbia ecosystem, especially when it comes to the administration. Dean Troy J. Eggers does a wonderful job. As student leadership, we need to make sure that we aren't overshadowed as a school. I established a very strong relationship with Melanie J. Bernitz, executive vice president for university life and wellbeing, and with President Jennifer Mnookin, and I am a part of universitywide committees representing SPS.
Can you share examples of specific issues that have come up as important to SPS students?
Dean Eggers and I have gone through three goals that I want to accomplish that also align with his priorities. We want to be one front, and it is important to me that my priorities align well with SPS leadership priorities to bring pressure from both sides.
One of the three is the issue of food insecurity within SPS. Many graduate students have full-time jobs and school. Some are international students, with financial and employment restrictions. Some people assume that if students are pursuing grad degrees at Columbia they must be financially comfortable, but that's not true for everyone.
As a result of my first meeting with Melanie Bernitz, we developed a solution to the restrictive hours of the food pantry, and there will now be an after-hours option, where students can order food that will be waiting in a storage unit. I would also love for students in need to be given enough money on their cards so that they can go to a Columbia affiliate to grab food or lunch.
Another issue is working with Dean Eggers to ensure that when students are graduating from SPS and are going into a new professional field that they have the AI skills that they need. A third issue is through my work on the space committee. Space has been a big issue for students and for staff. The SPS lounge can only fit 25 people, and we are a school of almost 5,000 students, so it just isn't feasible. We are asking how can we utilize existing space differently.
How do you fit all of this work into your schedule and do you have any tips for managing your time?
It’s a question I am trying to figure out myself. Between grad school, student government and my personal life, there is always something that needs my attention. I rely on my calendar, and I am writing lists 24/7. I have learned that time management isn't about finding time to do everything, but understanding what needs your attention at this moment. I ask myself what can wait and try to know when to ask for help. I have also learned the value of having a good team. I am fortunate to work with an incredible executive board. Recognizing that you don't have to do everything yourself, you have to trust the people around you to give the opportunity to lead as well.
I would tell students to give yourself some grace. You aren't going to get everything right every day. I have to remind myself that I am a student. I came here to learn. Not to get too caught up and to enjoy.
Also to be completely transparent, I also rely on probably too much caffeine as well.
What has been your favorite class so far?
Data & Policy with Sophia Dawkins. This was outside of my usual focus, and one of the things I appreciate about Columbia is getting to explore subjects beyond your own focus. It is a class about how data misses things. As a data analyst you often learn that data is always right and to trust the numbers. This showed us how data isn't always right and numbers aren't always right. There are hidden numbers, and there are people who you can not reach. And we learned not to forget that those numbers are people and those numbers have stories, and as a human being to be empathetic and not just analytical. In my past work, I had worked with voter files, and now I understand how many gaps are in it. It really will help me as I move forward in my field.
Do you have a favorite spot on campus?
If it’s good weather you can find me on the Low Library steps. When things are getting too much, I go there and I look out, and I say “Yeah, I'm here.” Especially when the sun sets, I stay in the columns and I look at everyone, and at the Alma Mater statue. I tell myself to remind yourself who you are and where you come from. Ten-year-old me in Yemen would not believe it.
How does your identity as a Yemeni American woman impact how you approach your role as student government president?
My identity plays a big role in how I approach leadership. When I grew up in Yemen and moved to the U.S., I knew very quickly what it feels like to be an outsider. I know what it is like to walk into a room, and no one looks like you. Or when they all know a system and you don’t. People may be overlooked and unheard. As a young girl, I didn't see women who looked like me in positions of leadership. It is incredibly powerful for a young woman to see someone with her identity serving as the president of the student government of a school at Columbia University. That is powerful, not because I am special, but because it means that these places belong to her as well.
And when it comes to Yemen, so often the conversation is about war or poverty or humanitarian crises. This is a true part of the story, but Yemen is also a country with an incredibly rich history and culture and people who have so much to offer. I am both Yemeni and American. I hope in some small ways my journey can contribute to narratives about what it means to be a Yemeni woman and what we can accomplish.
And all of this doesn't mean I only represent people who share my background. My experience has taught me that everyone has a story. You can't understand what challenges a person faces just by looking at them. I don't assume I understand everyone's experience. I do understand what it means to listen. I want students to see in me that the leadership is accessible to them regardless of where they were born, what language they are speaking, their financial circumstances or what path they took to get here. If me being here helps one student belong here, that means a whole great deal.
What do you hope to do in the future?
If you asked me this question five years ago, I would give you a specific plan for what I want to be and accomplish. While I have those ambitions, I have learned that life doesn't always follow the timeline we create for ourselves. I know that at some point I want to go to law school. Ultimately I want to become an attorney in public interest law. I have a deep interest in public policy and government, but my interest is my desire to serve, whether that is through law or public policy or running for office.
If you told me when I was a child in Yemen, that I would work for the U.N., as I did as an intern, I wouldn't have believed you. I have big dreams, but I now know to leave room for opportunities I haven't imagined yet.
