Aaron Bhatoya

Background

About Aaron Bhatoya

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in May of 2018 and am currently enrolled at the University of Oxford until August 2020. Throughout my time in college, I have made a point to be heavily involved with the community while also gaining research experience. My community did not stop at the university boundaries but extended outwards to the broader La Crosse community. My passion for civic engagement has melded nicely with my passion for community outreach. My time in student government has taught me the values of community involvement and civic engagement. In my position as Inclusivity Director, I took on many initiatives that spanned across race, gender, class, and culture. During my last year, I helped create a scholarship specifically for women of colour in financial need and advocated for a reduction in late fees that were targeting low-income and students of colour. A small group of students and staff collaborated on these issues so that students in need could have more access to important resources. I’ve written my undergraduate thesis on the topic of necropolitics and the Israeli State regarding a small community in the South Hebron Hills of Palestine. I stayed with this community in the Summer of 2017 in which I conducted oral history interviews. I’m also in the middle of writing my Master’s thesis on the gendered perceptions and realities of opium production and consumption in India in the late nineteenth century. I’ve worked with professors regarding policy research and am adept at creating literature reviews and finding relevant sources. On top of my research and writing experience, I value community engagement and working with different levels of an organization.