Nivi Kadiam is an incoming freshman at The Ohio State University, where she plans to study History on the pre-law track. She is interested in how history, international politics, and public policy connect, and wants to use those interests to better understand how laws and institutions are shaped.
In high school, Nivi worked with the Young Center for Immigration Children’s Rights as a Youth Ambassador and served as a Teen Ambassador for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Through these roles, she researched issues like immigration, voting rights, and human trafficking, wrote policy recommendations, and engaged with public officials and community members on civic issues.
She also co-founded a civic policy hackathon that brings students together to study local government problems and develop policy ideas for city leaders. In addition, she conducts independent historical research on political movements in South Asia, focusing on how history and governance interact.
Nivi is also active in speech and debate, where she has earned recognition as a Coolidge Cup National Debate Qualifier, a four-time Ohio Speech and Debate Association Finals Qualifier, and a Top 40 National Finalist in Extemporaneous Debate. She is especially interested in using research and argumentation to engage with real-world policy questions.