Shaniyat “Shan” is Southside Jamaica, Queens. He served 6 years in the United States Marine Corps as a Field Radio Operator. His service continued in community organizing around housing, anti-poverty, immigrant, & foreign affairs policy— working on these various issues with think tanks and community organizations. His motivation for public policy ventured into working in the New York State Assembly as aide, staffer for AOC, and most recently running for Congress in NY-5.