HEIDI DUCKLER DANCE THEATRE

PERSONAL STORIES OF MIGRATION PANELIST- RINA MAKENA MWITI

Rina Makena Mwiti was born and raised in Kenya. In 2004, along with her father and two sisters, she migrated to the United States to rejoin her mother. On several occasions she will be heard stating that she is passionate about five things in her life; accelerating Africa’s progress, humanity, the rule of law, family and God. She is currently a 4th year International Development Studies and Chinese double major undergraduate student at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). After graduating from UCLA with her Bachelors in Arts, she plans to go to law school and pursue a career in international law. Ms. Mwiti’s academic career in UCLA has mainly focused on socio-economic and political development in Africa and China. She hopes to utilize the knowledge she has gained by working for International law firms based in Kenya, the United States and East Asia in the future. When Ms. Mwiti is not studying for her classes, interning at the UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center or participating in the UCLA Women’s Pre-Law Association’s activities, she enjoys spending most of her free time learning Korean, Chinese and Thai languages and cultures through watching their respective dramas.