Përshëndetje!

 

Or "Hello!" in Albanian!

 

My name is Anxhelika Deda (On-juh-lee-kah Day-duh). Fun fact: my family and I immigrated from Albania when I was two. My passion for storytelling stems from my culture—it's rich in telling stories through delicious foods, folk stories, and our traditional dance, valle. It's practically inherent in me to love meeting new people and learning their stories. 

 

I am the first-generation student in my family to obtain a bachelor's degree in the U.S. Currently, I am a junior at the University of Rhode Island pursuing double majors in Journalism (B.A) and in Psychology (B.A) with double minors in Justice, Law, and Society, along with Leadership Studies through the honors program. Additionally, I'm on track to graduate a year early.

 

Driven by an interest in storytelling and advocacy, I'm working to improve youth well-being at the intersection of digital safety, media literacy education, and mental health advocacy through student media leadership, national advisory councils, and community‑based initiatives. Most notable are my experiences serving on the youth advisory council for the National Association for Media Literacy Education and earning my first storytelling grant through LookUp.Live, and being selected as one of only three students in the honors program for the 2026 Director's Rising Scholar Award.

 

After a lived experience of being cyberbullied in my freshman year of high school, I had never felt so lost and hopeless in my life. I have certainly been through a lot, but this was never something I thought I would have to face as well. In this pain, I heard whispers of a happier and healthier Anxhelika who was eager to help build a more informed, connected, and compassionate world. I'm proud of how far I've come and how I am able to give back.

 

This upcoming academic year, I'm planning to study abroad in Salamanca, España. I plan to take political science courses and move nonstop to see all that Europe has to offer! I'm also super hyped to produce a video (or documentary, medium TBD) through my Winifried Brownell International Excellence Award & Grant, "Protecting Children Online: A Comparative Study of Digital Safety Regulations in Spain and the United States". Flashback to 10th grade, when little me was on the Euro Challenge team, an economic and public policy competition on current, pressing issues with the European Union. We earned fourth in the nation, and since then, coupled with my endless passion for the beauty of Spain, I've been curious to explore how the U.S. and EU countries work differently.

 

My ultimate goal is to earn a master's degree combining media and health to create resources for families across the nation who are in the same position I was once in, to create a healthier and safer online space. Outside of my professional pursuits, I love to travel, learn languages (my fourth right now; certified in Albanian and Spanish!), work out, write poetry, pretend I know how to cook, and scrapbook (yes, all my money goes to cute little souvenirs and trinkets)!

 

I am excited to grow professionally and personally!