At just 22 years old, Siya Patel is proving that you don’t have to wait until you’ve reached the top to help someone else find their way. A senior at Moravian University preparing to graduate in December 2026, Siya is the founder of Her Way In, a social impact initiative dedicated to helping young women, particularly first-generation students and those attending non-target schools, access the resources, opportunities, and encouragement they need to pursue careers on their own terms.
Recognizing the challenges many young women face when navigating education, cultural expectations, and professional opportunities without established networks, Siya decided to become part of the solution. Her Way In has already reached more than 3,000 young women online, shared hundreds of scholarship and internship opportunities, and attracted 121 applicants for its inaugural Pre-Law Fellowship cohort.
Beyond her entrepreneurial efforts, Siya serves as a marketing intern at LawyHer and a youth council member with Love Is Respect, further strengthening her commitment to advocacy and empowerment.
In this Connected Woman Magazine interview, we explore the inspiration behind Her Way In, the barriers still limiting opportunities for young women, the courage it takes to challenge expectations, and why Siya believes no young woman should have to navigate her future alone.
You founded Her Way In while still navigating college and the early stages of your own career. What experiences made you realize that young women—particularly first-generation students and students attending non-target schools—needed more intentional access to opportunities, mentorship, and career resources?
Even though I come from a non-target school and am a first-generation student, I realized that many students don’t have access to opportunities, and some may not even have a career center. I noticed this pattern was constant when I talked to my friends from other schools. It became even clearer when 121 people applied to our pre-law fellowship, where we teach students how to do legal research, create a LinkedIn profile, build a resume, and write case briefs and policy memos. The gap stood out to me most after I posted on TikTok in March 2025 about how we were creating a space for students. So many Black and Brown young women commented that they are adding to the very small percentage of women who look like them in these careers.
Family and cultural expectations can carry enormous weight when a young woman is deciding what to study or which career to pursue. Have you personally experienced pressure to follow a path that did not fully align with what you wanted for yourself, and how did those experiences influence your decision to create Her Way In?
I have not personally felt pressure from my family to follow a certain path. Becoming a lawyer was a choice I made for myself. However, I have seen many other families constantly pressure their South Asian daughters to get the best grades and follow a specific route, and I know how heavy that looming pressure can be. Even though I was never pressured, I continue to put a lot of pressure on myself to do well in school.
Her Way In grew out of my own experiences. My sister constantly asked me for advice, whether it was finding an internship or something else. As I grew older, more friends asked me to look over their resumes. Over time, I saw that I wasn’t the only one who was struggling. I also saw that many young women had no one to turn to for guidance, so I decided to build the support I wish I had.
Her Way In places particular emphasis on helping Black and brown girls who may not always have access to the same professional networks, information, or opportunities as their peers. What inequities have you observed, and what do you believe schools, universities, employers, and professional organizations still misunderstand about the importance of access?
I believe there is a lot of underrepresentation within many fields. When you are looking for a mentor, it helps to connect with other people of color who look like you and have gone through similar experiences. When I talk to students who are not first-gen, I usually don’t get into conversations about working to pay for school or helping your parents understand what college is like, because their parents have already been through it. That is a struggle many people who are not first-gen, or not people of color, may never face.
I think there is an underlying gap between what schools can provide and the reality of being the child of immigrants while also being a student, especially if you are first-gen. Being first-gen makes everything ten times harder. Constantly explaining to your parents how many years of school you have left, and why you need so much of it, can feel impossible when they haven’t been through the same system. That gap has to be filled by schools, companies, and professional organizations. What they misunderstand is that access is not only about whether resources exist. Resources can’t be put to use when there is so much struggle happening behind the scenes.
Since launching Her Way In, you have reached more than 3,000 young women online, shared hundreds of internship and scholarship opportunities, and received 121 applications for your first Pre-Law Fellowship cohort. What did that response reveal to you about the level of demand for programs like yours, and how are you thinking about expanding the initiative without losing the personal connection behind its mission?
I did not even expect 121 people to apply, and that was only in the United States, which I found mind-blowing. It showed me that 15 spots are not enough. I can’t wait to expand our programs. We will be offering LSAT fellowships where students take classes and study for the exam together, and we might host classes weekly. We are also planning to start a finance fellowship, which I am really excited about. On top of that, we are starting a podcast. So many great things are coming in the way of creating new opportunities. We want to keep the personal connection at the center of everything, so members of our community will get the chance to introduce themselves on the podcast.
The transition from college into a professional career can be intimidating even for students who have strong support systems. For a first-generation student who may not have someone at home who understands internships, networking, graduate school applications, professional etiquette, or simply how to get a foot in the door, what resources or guidance can make the greatest difference?
I have done six internships, my parents did not graduate from college, and I went through college by myself the whole time, finishing in three and a half years. Because of that, I think the most important thing is to use every resource you can: search for answers to your questions and ask other people. It can be nerve-racking, but a closed mouth doesn’t get fed. Whenever I think of that saying, I think about how shy I used to be. This past year, an experience with a professor really changed my outlook on being shy. Staying quiet can come back to bite you, especially when people start to assume you do not talk or do not use your voice. I had already learned that lesson before I put all my work into Her Way In. Building it has been really rewarding because it is everything I wish I had, and a lot of our resources come from my own experience. Many times, I called and emailed a lot of people. No matter how embarrassed you feel about asking, remember that the people you are asking have been in your shoes too. That is so easy to forget, but it is important to remember.
In addition to leading Her Way In, you are gaining experience as a marketing intern at LawyHer and serving as a youth council member with Love Is Respect. How have these different roles shaped your understanding of advocacy, leadership, communication, and the responsibility that comes with creating spaces intended to empower other young women?
Through my roles at LawyHer, Love Is Respect, and Born This Way Foundation, I have learned that advocacy and leadership matter so much, especially in fields where young women are underrepresented. I keep young women and young girls at the forefront of my mind, and I remember that my advocacy and leadership exist to support the growth of my fellow students. Whether that means giving someone the chance to earn a fellowship, or the chance to be on the podcast and learn from it, that mission is incredibly important to me. These spaces have made me a better leader. I have learned to take initiative and create new programs, and I have learned to communicate and listen to everyone, just as I do in my internships and my other experiences.
You will graduate from Moravian University in December 2026 at only 22 years old, yet you are already building something designed to make the journey easier for the women coming behind you. As you look beyond graduation, what do you envision for your own career and for the future of Her Way In—and what do you hope a young woman ultimately believes about herself after encountering your work?
Looking ahead, I envision Her Way In becoming something global, maybe even international, within the next six years. We are growing at such a fast rate that I can see it becoming a nonprofit, a bigger entity than it is right now, within the next one to two years. For my own career, I might earn multiple degrees, and I hope to graduate from a good law school in New York and eventually become an attorney in Big Law. Once I start in Big Law, I want to begin building scholarships for young women the second I can designate the funds. If that path changes, I still can’t wait to keep supporting young women, whether that means creating my own firm and building scholarships out of it or finding another way to give back. I know how much scholarships were needed for me personally, and I want to build them for others.
Her Way In is my pride and joy. If a young woman takes away one thing from my work, I want it to be that she feels free to be herself and take up space. As young Brown women, we are constantly told to minimize ourselves and keep quiet, and that is not true. Your uniqueness is what will get you through the doors. Don’t try to impersonate or copy anyone. Be yourself and do what is best for you, rather than whatever anyone else is telling you.
Anything to add?
Thank you for the opportunity to share my story. Her Way In is only getting started, and I am grateful to every young woman who has applied, shared, and believed in this community. I want every young woman who finds us to know she belongs here exactly as she is.
How can our readers connect?
Instagram: @siyapav
TikTok:@siva.ptl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siya-patel-106904297/
Email or website for Her Way In: herwayin.org
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