“When my husband was imprisoned in Iran, I became collateral damage of the great power games. Each time the U.S. policy on Iran seemed to shift, it raised my hope. When things were static, I was the most desperate. I remember sending Solzhenitsyn’s book ‘Gulag Archipelago’ to my husband when he was in prison. He told me that Iran used the same tactics on innocent people. Through very bleak times, I delt with government officials of all levels, the press and many non-governmental interlocutors who were willing to help. My husband’s case was so intertwined with various political interests from Iran to America, I had to learn to be politically savvy, diplomatic, and patient in order to synergize all possible forces to bring him home. We finally got him back through a prisoner exchange. We are grateful for everyone who spoke up, raising his case to the attention of decisionmakers. To me, he is heroic to have survived solitary confinement and mistreatment in a high-security Iranian prison. He’s now using his knowledge to serve human rights causes. As our family is whole again, I came to @princetonspia to gain public policy knowledge systematically. At Princeton, I became passionate about public health issues under the pandemic. This grew from my past interest in international affairs and my legal profession in the pharmaceutical industry. I feel replenished and enriched by being around my peer, who are public service souls. This semester, I am taking a graduate school fellowship at @BioNJ working on policy issues from COVID-19 vaccine education to medical innovation. As the only Chinese national in my class, I had interesting discussions with my peers on fast evolvement of Chinese society in terms of its culture and identity, beyond politics. It is such a privilege to take a step back after life affirming experience to learn from world renowned scholars, engage with my incredible cohorts, and explore a career in the policy sphere. ” — Hua Qu MPP ’21.