Elif Painaik is a senior honors student at The University of Texas at Austin, double-majoring in government and economics with minors in business and in law, justice, and society, and a certificate in core texts and ideas. She has held multiple leadership roles on campus, including serving as secretary of University Democrats, membership director of Texas College Democrats, and professional director of Texas Women in Economics. She recently served as editor-in-chief of the Undergraduate Law Journal for Minority Women and conducted research on criminal justice and prison reform with the Cunningham Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Off campus, she has extensive public service experience, working as a legislative aide at the Texas State Capitol and interning across city, county, and federal offices, including the District Office of U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-37). She has also contributed to local campaigns and the Travis County Democratic Party. After graduation, Painaik plans to attend law school and pursue criminal justice reform as a prosecutor.