“It has ingrained in me this idea that I need to constantly be taking action and being active in my activism.”
- Eshika Kaul, speaking about her experience with Facing History
In April of 2025, Facing History & Ourselves New York presented Eshika Kaul with an Upstander Award, recognizing her journey of advocacy and activism inspired by Facing History. Eshika attended Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren, New Jersey where she took a Facing History course taught by Mary Sok that incorporated case studies that included Holocaust and Human Behavior. As a result of her experiences in the classroom, Eshika started to connect identities and histories beyond herself, and became active in her school’s Diversity Club. She also began to examine her own identity more deeply, realizing the ways her Kashmiri family having to flee their homeland relates to the stories of so many others, past and present. From interning at the White House and teaching English language learners to volunteering at correctional facilities and providing tax services for domestic abuse survivors, Eshika’s commitment to helping build a better world through service and education is an inspiration.
Below is the acceptance speech Eshika made upon receiving the 2025 Upstander Award with an accompanying video profile. Get to know more about Eshika’s time in a Facing History classroom—including a recorded interview with her beloved Facing History teacher, Ms. Sok—and how she’s taking the lessons she learned forward into the adult world.
Eshika Kaul, a Facing History Upstander
High school was a time when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and more than this, who I wanted to be. Facing History was foundational in connecting me to a broader sense of my own identity. In learning about our most challenging histories, I began to ask myself deeper questions:
What kind of community member do I want to be?
What kind of family member?
What kind of citizen?
These are questions that I've thought a lot harder about since then, and they're integral to the person I am today. Standing here, I carry the stories that have shaped me, and I’m proud to accept this award, not just for myself, but for my family.
First and foremost, I’m infinitely indebted to my mother, who's here tonight. Your selflessness constantly inspires me, and your sacrifices have paved the way for every accomplishment I’ve made. This award, and every future one, is dedicated to you. To my lovely brother, thank you for your endless encouragement and love. Your belief in me has pushed me to become the best version of myself, and I am forever grateful for that. To my family members who could not be here today, or who are watching me from above, I strive to live in a way that honors you and hope that I've become someone you are proud of.
To my mentor Ms. Sok and to Ms. Lott-Jones, who are both in the audience tonight, and to all of the teachers and the mentors who've helped guide me on my path—thank you for helping me to understand that our history is not just something we inherit; it’s something we must actively learn, question, and transform.
I’ve learned that the work of democracy is not fast, it is not easy, and it does not happen without effort. It happens through conversations, through education, in learning about our most challenging histories, and through building bridges with others. Democracy depends on the hard, slow work of shaping people's minds, of understanding history, and understanding how we can be better community members and citizens.
I believe that each of us—through our choices, our voices, and our courage—has the ability to shape the world around us.
To everyone in this room, let’s continue this slow work, the necessary work—the work of shaping a democracy that serves us all.
