Layla Murphy, C’23, is a winner of the 2021 Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad (SOSA) from the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide. The award recognizes Ms. Murphy’s work in the UAE during her gap semester.

Ms. Murphy, from Cairo, Egypt, shares the award with Sari Heidenreich, director of programs in Oman and Kuwait for Do Bold, a human rights organization. Together they supported the repatriation of Sierra Leonean domestic workers who had been trafficked to and/or exploited in Oman. They helped raise nearly $30,000, which allowed 43 victims of trafficking and exploitation to return home; organized repatriations logistics; provided direct education and empowerment to hundreds of women; and conducted research to help the international community better understand how to address the underlying issues.

Ms. Murphy, a philosophy major, is currently a student intern with USAID, and a research assistant in political science. She is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Quake Magazine.