Afshan Rana defines herself as a Pakistani-American poetic activista with a lot on her mind.

Her journey began in pre-school where she championed the other girls of the playground, a red crayon clutched in her raised fist. Today, she works diligently to cultivate the voices of her people. Afshan has been hooked onto conversations of women and power, art and activism since taking the stage at the Apollo in 2004 as the winner of We Got Issues! hottest rant contest. She also works closely with the Boston Center for Community and Justice, educating and inspiring young people to use their voices in action; protest, praise and power.

She is currently a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she edits the Nexus, a Social Justice and Diversity magazine. She is studying English, Social Thought and Political Economy, and Education.