Julia Wojtkowski

Julia is a junior at Benjamin Franklin College at Yale double majoring in economics and the history of art.
As a Polish-American, her interests lie in the social and cultural dynamics of the region, especially in the context of contemporary challenges and opportunities. These motivated her to get involved in the board of the Yale Polish Students Society, where she helped to re-establish its presence on campus by organizing various events and activities to promote Eastern-European heritage and foster dialogue with other student student groups, even going to serve as a representative at the Polish Economic Forum at LSE. Hoping to create impact on a larger scale, she has interned at the Polish Consulate in New York City, providing ongoing assistance with the passport and law departments throughout the post-pandemic crisis. While studying International Relations at Oxford University during her freshman summer, she conducted a research project titled “The Double-Natured Construction of The ‘Other’: a Critical Analysis of Poland’s Refugee Crisis,” which examined how Poland’s border policies and values were shaped by the complex interplay of national identity, security, and humanitarianism, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Belarusian refugee crisis, and the Ukrainian-Russian war. These findings were then presented to faculty and peers at a culminating symposium.
Julia’s passion projects and academic interests intersect in the field of humanitarianism, and she hopes to use her skills and knowledge to connect research and action for a more connected and informed reality.