Nelowfar Ahmadi is a first generation Afghan-American pursuing a Masters in Public Policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. The focus of her coursework is on immigration policy and technology policy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from UC Riverside in Public Policy.
Prior to graduate school, Nelowfar worked on political campaigns and refugee case work. She worked as a Field Organizer on Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign in Iowa, and helped mobilize voters in Nevada for Congresswoman Susie Lee and Joe Biden. After the 2020 election, she assisted with former Speaker Pelosi’s fundraising efforts through the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as National Finance Coordinator. Following America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, she became a refugee case worker for Afghan refugees and later for Congressman Pete Aguilar in San Bernardino County. While at UCLA, Nelowfar has worked as a Graduate Student Researcher at the UCLA Labor Center and is a Globally Public Policy New Voices Fellow, an initiative to help underrepresented communities advance in the policy world.
Nelowfar believes her personal experiences have deeply shaped her professional goals and motivations. She is excited to work for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs as a 2023-2024 David Bohnett Fellow, and hopes to empower and uplift immigrant communities through data-driven solutions.