熊猫在线视频

The UAA Diversity Action Council awards the Student Diversity Award Scholarship, up to $1,000, every year to students who contribute to enhancing diversity at UAA. The scholarship highlights those who increase the visibility of diverse people, cultures and/or perspectives, create a welcoming environment and/or represent diverse student voices through advocacy and participation in UAA student organizations. Read on to learn more about three of this year鈥檚 awardees.

Osman Aden
Year: Senior
Major: Accounting

Osman Aden was born in Somalia and grew up in Kenya. He arrived in the United States to live in Arizona for three years before moving to 熊猫在线视频, where he wasn鈥檛 sure how to continue his education.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know where to start. I didn鈥檛 have a high school [diploma],鈥� Aden said.

Then he met Leonidas Medal, student success coordinator at UAA鈥檚 Multicultural Center, during a chance encounter at Fred Meyer. After seeing Medal鈥檚 UAA name tag, Aden decided to ask him about the university, and the next thing he knew, Aden earned his GED and enrolled as an accounting major.

鈥淣ow I鈥檓 in the accounting field. I can鈥檛 imagine that the journey from Fred Meyer, it took me to the UAA,鈥� he said.

Aden is currently advocating for UAA Muslim students, looking for a place on campus where they can perform their prayers. He has also worked as a language interpreter at the 熊猫在线视频 Institute for Justice, assisting the organization whenever it needs a Somali or Arabic interpreter. Similarly, he tutors students in Accounting Club, especially those who speak Somali.

For other students looking to enhance diversity in the community, Aden has one word of advice: networking.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to make money by getting a lot of degrees and not speaking to people,鈥� he explained. 鈥淪o the way you鈥檙e going to make money is just network and talk to people. Ask questions. Don鈥檛 feel shy.鈥�

And his advice comes from his own experience 鈥� Aden credits networking for his chance to further his education.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine I could be at UAA if I [didn鈥檛] talk to Leo,鈥� he said.

Cheryl Cox Williams
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology

From the U.S. Army to UAA, Cheryl Cox Williams has been working to educate and promote diversity in Anchorage鈥檚 community through a variety of roles and collaborations. She has been president of UAA鈥檚 Black Student Union and National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) student club, interned and now works at the 熊猫在线视频 Humanities Forum, served as a student representative on UAA鈥檚 Diversity Action Council and more.

A psychology major, Williams says she has always been a people person and involved in interacting with others.

鈥淭he Black Student Union was a natural outlet for me,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ecause of my interest in my people and wanting to know and learn more about them. And then once I did, I wanted to show and explain to others.鈥�

One of the most recent parts of her work involves her position as president of NCBI, where workshops help students, faculty and staff learn about social inclusion and equity. The program is supported by and advises the chancellor and cabinet and has allowed Williams to travel to the Lower 48 for additional training, an opportunity she describes as a 鈥渦niversity-sponsored professional development.鈥�

鈥淭he opportunity to work with the university and community has really broadened my opinion of what diversity, inclusion and equity could look like because each of those entities, along with the students, have a different idea of what it looks like,鈥� Williams said.

鈥淭he goal for me at the end of the day was not just to have a bunch of different people with different backgrounds in the room but to have their voices and opinions and concerns be respected and be part of the decision-making process,鈥� she added.

Purevdulam 鈥淥nya鈥� Enkhbat
Year: Senior
Major: Civil engineering

When Onya Enkhbat first came to 熊猫在线视频, she didn鈥檛 know much English. While attending high school in Unalaska, she worked hard to learn the language and ended up graduating as valedictorian of her class. Now a civil engineering major at UAA, Enkhbat is participating in organizations and programs such as Society of Women Engineers club, Mongolian Society of Students and the African American, Hispanic, Asian, International and Native American students (AHAINA).

Drawing from past experiences, she worked as a mentor for AHAINA鈥檚 Seawolf Success Program. She decided to try it out because she believed the program was great for students who are minorities, starting out on their college journeys.

鈥淲hen I first came, I didn鈥檛 know a lot of things, and I feel like if I had a mentor or someone who鈥檚 in college, I could鈥檝e definitely avoided some mistakes,鈥� she explained.

Enkhbat 鈥渧ividly鈥� remembers her orientation at UAA as a freshman, a time when she had been interested in engineering but wasn鈥檛 quite committed. The students were divided into groups based on their majors, and the results of the activity had generated some self-doubt.

鈥淚 went in with engineering, and there were, like, thirty or forty people, and I was the only girl,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o I was super intimidated. I was like, 鈥榃ow鈥� I don鈥檛 know if this is right for me.鈥欌��

Fast-forward to Campus Kick-Off, and Enkhbat came across the Society of Women Engineers student club, which helps connect young women in the engineering field and recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion.

During the summer of 2019, she interned at local firm PND Engineers, where only about 12% of the engineering staff in their U.S. workforce, including interns, are women 鈥� this summer, she鈥檚 continuing that internship in hopes to facilitate female representation in STEM fields.