Becca Heller facts for kids
Rebecca Heller is an American lawyer who works to protect human rights. She is famous for helping refugees. She also spoke out against the "Trump travel ban." Rebecca co-founded an organization called the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). She is still the director of this important group.
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Rebecca Heller's Early Life and Education
Rebecca Heller grew up in Piedmont, California. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a doctor. She went to Dartmouth College and graduated in 2005. After college, she became a Fulbright Scholar. This allowed her to work in Malawi on issues related to food policy. She then studied law at Yale Law School, earning her law degree in 2010. Since 2010, she has also taught at Yale Law School. Rebecca Heller has a daughter.
Helping Refugees Around the World
Rebecca Heller started the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) in 2008. At first, it was called the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project. She got the idea during a trip to Jordan. She met Iraqi refugees there who needed legal help. They needed help to find a new safe home in another country. IRAP helps refugees get the legal support they need. This support helps them find safety and new homes.
Awards and Special Recognition
Rebecca Heller has received many awards for her important work.
Early Humanitarian Work
While she was a student at Dartmouth, Rebecca won an award. It was the Howard R. Swearer Student Humanitarian Award. She won it for connecting a homeless shelter with leftover food. This food came from local farms in Vermont.
Major Awards for Her Work
In 2010, she became an Echoing Green Fellow. This fellowship supports social entrepreneurs. In 2016, Rebecca won the Charles Bronfman Prize. This award recognizes young Jewish humanitarians. She received it for her work with the International Refugee Assistance Project.
In 2017, she was named Foreign Policy Citizen Diplomat of the Year. This award honors people who promote diplomacy. In the same year, she won the David Carliner Public Interest Award. This award is from the American Constitution Society.
In 2018, Rebecca Heller received a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship. This is a very special award given to talented individuals. She was also named one of the Christian Science Monitor's "30 under 30" change makers. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
