Sara Musaifer is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Comparative and International Development Education and a graduate student fellow at the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change. As a Fulbright Scholar, she received a master of arts degree in public policy from the University of Minnesota. She also holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan. Her professional experiences are transcultural and transnational, and include policy research, cross-sectors engagement, community outreach, capacity building, reconciliation, restorative practices, and international development. Her current research interests lie in the field of education and its intersection with political socialization, labor market organization, and peacebuilding in the Middle East. In her doctoral studies, she plans to focus on examining non-formal education environments, particularly as they relate to youth empowerment and its role in supporting sustainable reconciliation in the region.