Thanks for taking the time to share your Millennium Fellowship story with the community. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself - who is Danielle Mikaelian?
My name is Danielle Mikaelian. I was raised in Thousand Oaks, CA and attended public school before attending Columbia University in New York. Growing up, I learned that my family history was one of resilience. As a descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors who fled to the United States, I feel very privileged to be attending Harvard Law School. My ancestors could not have dreamed that I would have these types of opportunities after they lost everything.
Growing up, I was involved in Armenian organisations like the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief and the Armenian Church Youth Organization. Upon coming to New York, I joined the Armenian Youth Federation’s New York chapter and became the president of Columbia University’s Armenian Society. I simultaneously became a leader on Columbia’s campus, serving on over ten university executive boards. One highlight was serving as Wellness Chair for the Office of University Life. In this role, I oversaw the university's mental health and wellness efforts, spearheading events like Succulent Study Break and Paint the Night. Beyond this, I served on the Columbia College Student Council Campus Life Committee.
Upon graduation, I was recognised as Columbia’s 2021 Student of the Year in recognition of my campus contributions. I also received the Robert Harron Award, a King’s Crown Community Leadership and Excellence Award, and was a Multicultural Graduation Cord recipient.
After graduating, I worked as a Government Affairs Intern for the Armenian National Committee of America’s Western Region. In this role, I primarily worked as an Armenian advocate for the Armenian community, corresponding with politicians to advocate for Armenian issues.
I am currently a third-year student at Harvard Law School, where I was named “Most Involved” by my first year section.” I’ve served on the boards of numerous organisations at Harvard, from the Harvard Association of Law and Business to the Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law. After graduating, I will be working in corporate law at a large transactional law firm.
Thank you for sharing! Could you tell us about your future aspirations, how do you you plan to leverage the in leadership and social impact skills you are sharpening now in future?
I am currently a 3L at Harvard Law School. As a law student, I hope to use my words to drive positive change for different communities. I am particularly interested in promoting gender equality and remain committed to mentoring the next generation of students pursuing higher education. In this regard, I routinely speak at colleges across the country helping provide advice on navigating university admissions processes.
As someone who had to teach myself how to navigate college and law school application processes, I recognise the importance of mentorship and enjoy passing on the knowledge I’ve gained through my educational journey.
Beyond this, I am particularly passionate about helping younger Armenians. As the descendant of orphaned Armenian Genocide survivors, I recognise that I have gained access to opportunities that my ancestors would have never dreamed of. Armenians are few in number at top educational institutions, and I have personally spoken to various Armenian organizations to help mentor the next generation. I also mentor younger students interested in pursuing law, speaking to clubs at schools like UCLA and Berkeley.
In addition, I hope to continue my work on gender equality. My Millennium Fellowship project revolved around gender equality. I am currently a 2024 Fellow at an organisation called Ms. JMshat, which is dedicated to the success of women in law school and the legal profession. As someone starting my career in corporate law, I recognise that female representation declines as associates spend more years within the legal profession and strive to make partner. Women now make up around 50% of law firm associates but only 27.76% of partners. I hope to help promote female representation in legal and other industries as I continue my career.
That's incredible. Do you have any words of advice to can share specifically with Millennium Fellows but generally with young people worldwide who are equally passionate about change-making?
First, you are never too young or inexperienced to evoke long-lasting change. Also, I would recommend that younger students find mentors who can support them and provide advice along the way. I’m part of a startup and entrepreneurship class at Harvard Business School this semester called FieldX, and one main takeaway is that most ideas don’t start in their final form. Any proposed ideas likely need to be reworked to some extent, and having mentors around you will help you tweak your ideas to the extent necessary.
The Millennium Fellowship centres on empathy, humility, and inclusion as guiding values. As you reflect on your leadership and journey, are there ways these values have helped shape the leader you are today?
My leadership revolves around giving back and positively impacting any community I find myself in.
As someone who has served in various leadership roles, I know it is essential to look beyond yourself and do what you can to improve the world for those around you.
In this regard, I attempt to centre other voices while dedicating my time to helping others as they navigate their journeys. As busy as my school schedule can be, I actively mentor younger students, whether through taking the time to edit someone’s essay before they submit it to a school or hop on a call to provide insight into the law school application process.
Could you describe your Millennium Fellowship journey, how you found out about it, and what led you to apply? Are there any learnings from your time in the program that you still carry with you today?
I joined the Millennium Fellowship as a student at Columbia University. As I mentioned, I've always been actively involved in advocacy work for the Armenian community. I was Columbia’s Armenian Society President at the time, reactivating and growing the organisation to over forty members. Joining the Millennium Fellowship helped me further my advocacy work and become part of a passionate community of changemakers.
The program solidified my desire to connect communities worldwide and pursue advocacy work. Often, programs are limited to a specific area or country. The Millennium Fellowship bridges these divides and allows young, dynamic individuals to connect with otherworldly, passionate changemakers. It’s an unparalleled program, and I’m grateful to have participated.
What was your Millennium Fellowship project? Could you tell us about the motivations behind launching it and how that vision has evolved since graduating in 2020?
My Millennium Fellowship Project was the Wonder Woman Project, which highlighted the global disparities women face due to gender barriers. As an Armenian woman, I have always been particularly cognizant of gender barriers and have actively worked to spotlight them while proposing potential solutions.
At Columbia, I founded and served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Women in Law and Politics Journal to highlight gender barriers in law. Through the Wonder Woman Project, I expanded the scope of my gender equality work and interviewed women worldwide about their challenges in advancing their careers.
My dedication to female success has not stopped there. As an Armenian woman, I am particularly cognizant of gender barriers. I am currently a 2024-2025 Ms. JD Fellow, attending events and speaking on panels about women’s legal status. I have also served on the Harvard Women’s Mentorship Committee and spoken to groups of female prelaw students at various undergraduate schools.
That is powerful! Could you speak about the social impact work you are involved in now and share what are you looking forward to in the near future?
My social impact work is focused on several different sectors. For one, I’m extremely passionate about the educational space and providing students with the knowledge to navigate any university environment successfully.
As an undergraduate, I launched a nonprofit college admissions consulting initiative, helping students from minority and underserved backgrounds. I also run a “Student Advice Corner” column for The Armenian Report. I’ve done everything from Reddit AMAs to webinars on the admissions process, helping students receive advice that will help them navigate their educational journeys.
Today, I continue to spotlight women's experiences in the legal profession. For instance, I recently wrote a paper on the rise of female managing partners at law firms in the US.
Ladtly, how has your challenging but important activism work shaped you?
As the descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors, I am, first and foremost, an advocate for the Armenian people. I have become aware that I will always be one of the only Armenians in any environment I find myself in. My activism work has encouraged me to be resilient while doing my best to be a positive role model for members of my ethnic group. When people see the name “Danielle Mikaelian,” with the “Ian” last name ending that is emblematic of being Armenian – I want them to think of someone who worked relentlessly to help the Armenian community while doing her best to be a positive role model to those around her.
Danielle Mikaelian is an Armenian advocate with a BA in English Literature from Columbia University. She is originally from Southern California. As a Millennium Fellow, she spearheaded The Wonder Woman Project. Today, Danielle is a third year at Harvard Law School. Danielle Mikaelian has occupied roles at Harvard, including Chief of Staff for the Harvard Association of Law and Business, Co-Managing Print Editor for the Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law, and Co-President of the Armenian Law Students Association.
She is passionate about the written word and is a published poet. Beyond this, she writes a column for a publication called The Armenian Report called “Student Advice Corner”. She often speaks to undergraduate organizations to advise the next generation of law school applicants. Danielle Mikaelian plans to move to New York and work at a transactional law firm after graduating.