Olivia Raykhman

Olivia Raykhman, from Brooklyn, New York, is pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Russian language with minors in terrorism studies and cybersecurity from the United States Military Academy (USMA), where her research focused on disinformation and election security. The first woman from her “Little Odessa” community in Brooklyn to attend West Point, Olivia was inspired to serve by her parents’ escape from antisemitic persecution in the former Soviet Union. Recognizing a lack of outreach to immigrant communities, she founded a nonprofit in high school to help students navigate service academy applications. At USMA, she launched the Cadet Ambassador Program, the first cadet-led admissions initiative at any service academy. Following Stanford, Olivia will serve as an information operations officer in the U.S. Air Force. She is also a recipient of the Shine A Light on Antisemitism Civic Courage Award and a Stamps Scholarship.