Arva Hassonjee is a focused and enthusiastic professional with presidential campaign and Capitol Hill experience. She currently serves as a Foreign Policy Legislative Aide & Coalitions Coordinator in the United States Senate. Her role involves facilitating strategic engagement with national allies, drafting policy memos, and working to serve constituents.

Arva’s academic path has been driven by a commitment to understanding how history, politics, and media intersect to shape global issues. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree at Georgetown University's Institute of International Migration, where she focuses on the political and economic forces driving migration, particularly in the Middle East. This work builds on her undergraduate studies at Syracuse University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a double major in International Relations and Citizenship & Civic Engagement.

Arva’s work reflects a commitment to confronting global challenges like forced migration and displacement. She prioritizes centering the voices of impacted communities and advocating for policies that promote justice and equity. Her experience in government, campaign organizing, and academic research gives her a perspective grounded in action and results.

Previously, Arva served as Assistant to the Chief of Staff for a prominent U.S. Senator, where she managed executive scheduling, facilitated high-level communications, and produced research briefs and talking points to support the Senator’s legislative priorities. In this fast-paced role, she balanced precision, discretion, and responsiveness to support key decision-making processes.

Her cross-cultural fluency and language skills — fluent in Hindi and Urdu, with intermediate proficiency in Arabic — enhance her ability to engage with diverse communities and contribute to policy discussions on displacement and migration. Her research interests focus on forced migration in the Middle East and media responses to migration, with an eye toward how narratives shape public perception and policy.

With experience in grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and academic research, Arva’s career reflects a holistic approach to addressing displacement and forced migration. Her work on Capitol Hill, in campaign spaces, and alongside refugee communities has shaped her understanding of how systems of power operate — and how they can be reimagined to better serve marginalized communities. Her goal is to bridge theory and practice, pushing for policy frameworks that are grounded in human rights and justice.

When she has some free time, Arva enjoys baking desserts like brownies and banana bread, taking walks through D.C.'s parks, and practicing pilates. These pastimes help her unwind, stay active, and tap into her creative side.