Hi there! My name is Aaliya, and I am a poet and social entrepreneur, working at the intersection between storytelling, brain health and dementia advocacy. I am a Patricelli Center Impact Fellow for Leadership and Social Innovation at Wesleyan University, currently studying Psychology and Human Rights Advocacy. To me, social impact means uplifting the voices of the unheard.
Growing up in Bangladesh, I watched my grandmother battle Alzheimer’s for several years while her caregivers would call her “stubborn” and “crazy”. This invoked my interests in the destigmatization of dementia in South-Asian communities and increasing their accessibility to healthcare resources.
My previous experiences involve working as a journalist for Project We Forgot – a digital platform that publishes the stories of caregivers to humanize their experiences. I am also the founder of a volunteer program called ‘Youth Dementia Activists’ which aims to train young leaders in Bangladesh to support the cause of dementia.
Having been certified in dementia care through Alzheimer’s Association, I developed my own module-based online ‘Understanding Dementia’ Course in partnership with Sir William Beveridge Foundation.
Through my projects, I aspire to remind the youth that every story matters and has the power to create social impact.
