Courtney Morris is a first-year graduate candidate with a concentration in Humanitarian Practice. Her academic interests lie in displacement and migration in the Middle East and Africa, and she is particularly interested in themes of identity, belonging, and community-building with respect to migration within and from these regions. Courtney obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Global Studies with a concentration in Global Development and a focus on Latin America from the University of California at Berkeley in May 2024. Prior to her studies, Courtney worked in Italy for three years and in Tanzania for seven, in roles spanning administrative assistance, sales, and hospitality. Her academic pursuits have taken her to Argentina and Chile to study human rights and cultural memory, and to Beirut for an intensive Arabic program. Working and studying in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America led to Courtney’s longstanding interest in migration, but it was her experience in Lebanon that solidified her desire to pursue an M.A. in International Migration & Refugee Studies.

Courtney is a passionate human rights activist and has spent recent years leading grassroots campaigns at the local level. As a community organizer, she advocated for the mitigation of the coronavirus pandemic in carceral facilities across California, led a defense campaign for a survivor of gender-based violence, and fundraised for various causes both domestic and international. Upon completion of her Master of Arts, Courtney will dedicate her professional experience and scholarship to working on humanitarian responses in the Middle East or Africa.

In Courtney’s spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and studying languages. Her favorite trips include 7 months backpacking across East and Southern Africa, summiting Nyiragongo Volcano in the D.R.C., and trekking 106 miles on the Tour du Mont Blanc. She speaks advanced Italian, intermediate Swahili and Spanish, and beginner Arabic.