2020 PBHA Senior Awards & Celebration
The Spirit of PBHA Award & The Culver Award
The Spirit of PBHA Award is a special commendation for outstanding organizational contributions that have made it possible for members of PBHA to better serve the community. Through these often-unheralded efforts, are these awardees make the student-run spirit of PBHA possible. The IOP & PBHA John Culver Award for Service and Politics was created in 2010 to honor the outstanding achievements of Senator John Culver ’54 who served as an elected official for Iowa in both the House of Representatives (1965-1975) and the U.S. Senate (1975-1981). In the spirit of Senator Culver, the IOP & PBHA John Culver award is given to one graduating senior of Harvard College who has demonstrated a strong commitment to both direct service and political engagement during their time at Harvard.Cecilia Nuñez, former PBHA President (2019) and Co-Director for BRYE Teen, served with the Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment (BRYE) programs throughout her four years at Harvard. Along with mentoring teens in Dorchester and serving as Mentoring Programming Group Officer in 2018, Cecilia extended her term-time service into the summer and worked within the Summer Urban Program as a BRYE senior counselor in 2017 and a full-time support team member in 2019. Outside of PBHA, Cecilia has been an active organizing member of the Ethnic Studies Coalition and helped put on the first Latinx Convocation with Fuerza Latina.Teddy Landis was the Co- Founder and Chair of the Harvard Votes Challenge., Chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project, Member of the IOP Student Advisory Board, Member of the Campus Votes Project, and Member of the JFK Jr. Forum Committee.
The Chan Stride Postgraduate Fellowship
The Chan STRIDE program awards Postgraduate Fellowships to exceptional graduating seniors who will dedicate the coming year to projects that build on past service experiences and will hopefully play a defining role in their “lifetime commitment” to public service. The recipients were selected based on a history of continuity and long-term investment in a particular service or social justice focus and the level of impact and community partnership of the proposed project. A great deal of weight is placed on the individual’s passion for the work and how this experience will fit into their life path.Salma Abdelrahman, former PBHA Vice President (2019) and co-Director for Harvard Organization for Prison Education and Reform will devote next year to youth organizing, arts education, and community healing in Bay Ridge, New York with Thrive. Mary Broker devoted all four years of her undergraduate career to service and leadership at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter. Next year, she will work with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless to support young adults and children experiencing homelessness to access services that they require to thrive. Fowsia Warsame spent her undergraduate career working with immigrant youth in Boston through PBHA’s RITE and RYSE programs and back home in Arizona.The Chan Stride Post-Graduate Fellowship will support her work providing educational services to Muslim youth at the Islamic Center of the East Valley in Chandler, Arizona.Julie Chung focused her volunteer work and her academic research on food systems, access, sustainability and equity. She plans to partner with the Food Roots program to alleviate food insecurity and health disparities among low-income Asian American and Pacific Islanders while building a food sovereignty movement in her home community of Los Angeles.
The Chan Stride Undergraduate Service Scholar Award
The Priscilla Chan STRIDE Undergraduate Service Program is a leadership development cohort for income-eligible undergraduates who dedicate to serve a community year-round and to join 40 other peers thinking and skill-building about their role in making change in the world. Chan STRIDE supports student commitment to public service, making it possible for students of all backgrounds to take leadership roles in public service and providing advanced training in leadership tools and reflective practice These awards are given to graduating seniors who have demonstrated outstanding, year-round, multi-year contributions to public service during their undergraduate years. Ariel Kim served youth and families from the Mission Hill community as a volunteer tutor, senior counselor, group coordinator, and program director at the Mission Hill After School Program (2017-2020) and the Mission Hill Summer Program (2018, 2019, 2020).Joanna Ladopoulou has worked with the Y2Y Shelter for four years. She has served as a volunteer supervisor, Advocacy Director, Summer Director, Y2Y Network Board Member, Policy Member, and on the leadership team for the COVID response.Yebin Park is a graduate of Wellesley College. She devoted all four years of her undergraduate career to the Chinatown community. Her work was holistic including leadership at the Chinatown After School Program, interning at the Asian American Federation, and engaging in progressive organizing centered on immigrant communities and immigrant rights.
The Houston Award
The Houston Award recognizes “moral leadership and extraordinary volunteer commitment,” with is a particular focus on “unsung heroes” who have not necessarily been recognized as leaders but have made long-term impact on the lives of constituents.Sarah Alam served in leadership at the Harvard Muslim Youth Program (formerly known as the Harvard-Rindge Muslim Youth Program), volunteered at Y2y, devoted summers to Health Leads and fundraising for relief efforts in Bangladesh. Additionally, she served as a Student Mental Health Liaison and as an Indigo Peer Counselor.Natasha Dhamankar supported numerous PBHA programs, including the Summer Urban Program (SUP) as a Summer Science volunteer and as the coordinator of a pilot Summer Sustainability Initiative.Christopher Romero Gutierrez served the Y2Y shelter for four years. He took on numerous leadership roles including: supervisor, maintenance director, and summer director. Christopher also worked in the IOP’s Citizenship tutoring program for two years. Zainab Kahloon focused their work on civic engagement with and for Muslim communities. Zainab led the Harvard Muslim Youth Program, and spent a summer as a teacher with the RYSE program. Additionally, Zainab has served as a counselor and advisor for the Muslin Youth of North America. Ethan Kahn has served in leadership at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter for four years in the roles of Administrative Director, Supervisor, and Technology Director. Ethan also devoted summers to the Harvard Square Summer Shelter and engaged with community based policy and advocacy groups focused on addressing homelessness in Boston and Cambridge.Janani Krishnan-Jha volunteered through PBHA, CPIC and the IOP. Janani worked at HSHS, the King’s County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the US Equal Employment Commission, and with SLAM.Juliana Lamy served as a director, supervisor and summer director at Y2Y. Additionally, she devoted a summer to PBHA’s summer Adult English Language Learners program and term time to the Let’s Get Ready Program.Liren Ma is an organizer and advocate for civic engagement and collective action on campus, and has served with the Chinatown Citizenship program and the Small Claims Advisory Service (SCAS), has co-led the Summer CIVICS program and also served as a pre-orientation leader for the First-Year Urban Program. Outside of PBHA, Liren is deeply involved with the Task Force on Asian and Pacific American Studies (TAPAS), Ethnic Studies, and has also volunteered with the Chinese Progressive Association and Center for Economic Diversity in Boston.Will McArthur began his work with the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter in High School. He has served the shelter in every capacity: staff and finance director, supervisor, volunteer, and policy member. In addition to his work at the shelter, Will volunteered for multiple political campaigns and engaged with policy and advocacy work regarding education and housing in the City of Cambridge. Sally Nijim spent four years in leadership at HSHS serving at the Summer Shelter Director, work Contract Director, and Supervisor. She piloted a summer program for low-income youth interested in STEM research and served as PBHA’s Advocacy, Health and Housing Program Group Officer. Connor Schoen is the co-founder of Breaktime, a organization devoted to supporting the financial sustainability and job readiness for youth experiencing homelessness. Connor will continue with Breaktime full-time next year as a Richardson Fellow.
The Moreland Award
The Moreland Award specifically recognizes “selflessness, generosity, and work to ensure a caring society in the future.” The Moreland Award places a particular focus on students who have worked to better the lives of children and families in a specific community through year-round service.Arambi Bennette Eyong, PBHA Advocacy Health Housing Chair (2018) & Programming Chair (2019), served as a Y2Y Supervisor, Pathways Director and Summer Director. Additionally, Arambi led the Summer Science Program in (2018).Sunah Chang served as a volunteer and director at the Chinatown After School Program, as a Diversity Peer Educator and as a Leaders Summer Director. She took three courses through the Mindich Engaged Scholarship program and spent a summer on a Mindich Fellowship interning with the Public Defenders in New Orleans.Alice Cheng devoted her time to direct service, organizational leadership, and advocacy. As PBHA’s Community Organizing chair (2019) and Programming Chair (2019), she oversaw program quality. Additionally, she mobilized the PBHA community to engage with Boston organizing efforts. She engaged directly with the Chinatown After School and Refugee Youth Summer Enrichment Programs and was involved in Ethnic Studies campaign. Austin Dawson focused his volunteer work on teen development/empowerment and state and local government. At PBHA, Austin led the Leaders! Program during the summer and term, and directed the Refugee Youth Summer Enrichment program. Beyond PBHA, Austin has been involved with Wisconsin and Massachusetts state government offices dealing with energy and education policy.Nick Durham served as a volunteer tutor, senior counselor, van driver, and director at the Franklin After School Enrichment and Franklin I-O Summer programs. Additionally Nick volunteered with the Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM), served as a supervisor at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, participated in Alternative Spring Break Trips and was a mentor for the Leaders! Program.Kevin Eappen focused his service on health and wellness for youth in the Boston community serving as a volunteer and director for KDSAP and as a volunteer, summer intern and director at Y2Y. Kevin spent a summer working in Peru on human rights and environmental issues.Sunday Hull served as a teacher for the RYSE program (2017-2018), as a tutor and grade coordinator at Chinatown After School Program, as a volunteer at Waltham House, Y2Y, and for the Samaritans Crisis Hotline. Sunday has focused her work on supporting wellness and increasing access to mental health resources in the community.Jose Larios devoted his undergraduate career to the Mission Hill After school program serving as a volunteer tutor, coordinator, and director. He spent his summers as a CPIC Fellow at Chicago Beyond and LIFT. Additionally, Jose was involved with IOP POlicy Groups and did Winternships with Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, and the Sadie Nash Leadership Project.Esteban Ortiz devoted his time to the youth and families of Dorchester through the Franklin After School and Franklin IO Summer programs. Additionally, Esteban was a volunteer and director of the Harvard Organization for Prison Education and Reform. Esteban focused his energy on education for those experiencing incarceration.Tatiana Patino focused her energy on education. She served as a Senior Counselor at CYEP, and as a director and volunteer for the Keylatch After School Program. Additionally, Tatiana, served as a Graduation Coach and Education Coordinator for the Hispanic Organization Promoting Education (HoPe), a Mindich Fellow Summer Intern for the Association to Benefit Children (ABC), and as an IOP Director's Intern at Los Angeles Unified School District.Hayat Sherif volunteered with PBHA’s Strong Women Strong Girls and Refugee Youth Summer Enrichment programs. She devoted a summer to volunteer work in Ethiopia and to the Black Health Matters Conference.
Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
