Graduating this month with a dual major in Political Science and Planning & Public Policy, and a triple minor in Economics, Philosophy, and PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics), Nina Gohel is one of two recipients of the 2023 Revolutionary Award presented by the Rutgers Chancellor-Provost.
The Revolutionary Award recognizes student leaders or organizations that have demonstrated creativity, originality, ingenuity, and/or resourcefulness in addressing local and global issues.
An Honors Scholar, Voorhees Fellow, and Eagleton Undergraduate Associate, Nina has served as the Rutgers Student Body Vice-President, actively working to advocate for and address problems concerning the Rutgers’ student body and surrounding local communities. One of her main focuses has been increasing voter turnout and registration through the Eagleton Institute’s Darien Civic Engagement Project. To achieve this, Nina conducted tabling sessions and created digital media content that aimed to register, mobilize, and engage students in local, state, and national elections. During the recent election cycle, Nina collaborated with the Eagleton Institute of Politics and Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA), to provide easy access to polling locations for Rutgers students by funding bus transportation to Parsons Elementary School for Cook Campus students.
Nina has also served as an elected representative to the Executive Board of the Association of Big 10 Students (ABTS), the Rutgers Board of Trustees, and the President’s Student Advisory Committee. In these positions, Nina has been a strong champion for marginalized voices; it is her hope to make all spaces as inclusive and welcoming as possible for everyone.
Last summer she was part of the inaugural Rutgers Summer Service Internship (RSSI) Initiative. Launched in 2022 by Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway, this special internship provides select students from Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick with an opportunity to earn up to $5,000 while interning for a minimum of 200 hours over 10 weeks during the summer at a public service non-profit organization or direct-service government office.
Nina interned in the Office of Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald and Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt. She brainstormed ideas for new legislation that could address the unmet needs of New Jersey residents. As someone with potentially deadly food allergies, she poured herself into research that led to a bill modeled after an Edison ordinance that will better protect diners and reduce restaurant liability.
Outside of Rutgers, Nina has spent time with the International Leadership Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, working to increase the representation of AAPI youth in government. Fascinated by the world of policy and government relations, and law, Nina hopes to continue working in these fields after graduation.