2013 Humanities Award Winners
Azin Mafi
Honors at Graduation - 2013 Convocation Speaker
Azin is graduating with a bachelor of arts in philosophy and minor in applied ethics.
Born in Tehran, Iran, she and her family came to Utah when she was nine. Azin chose
philosophy because, she explains, "it is the foundation of our collective human identity;
it is the quest for knowing, asking, wonderment and knowledge." She is the recipient
of several scholarships including the Ramin Salari Scholarship and the Whisner-Appleby
Scholarship in Philosophy. In addition to her studies, she has been heavily involved
in community service, volunteering at Primary Children's Hospital, the Humane Society
of Utah and the Whitmore Library. Her interests include art, poetry, Middle Eastern
literature, activism, human rights, women's rights and gender studies. After graduation
Azin plans to spend a year doing volunteer work locally and then return to academia
to pursue her doctorate in philosophy. "My university experience has been nothing
short of memorable," she says. "I remember being exhausted, exhilarated, and even
being brought to tears. But between all the long days and nights of studying, I found
my strength."
About the Award:
Honors at Graduation recognizes one student from the College of Humanities who exemplifies commitment to and passion for studies in the Humanities. The student is selected from a committee of faculty, staff and peers to represent the graduating class at Convocation with remarks on his or her time in the College and at the University. This May 3, Azin will address the graduating class of 2013 in the College of Humanities. Congratulations Azin!
Adrian Bushman
Outstanding Senior
Adrian is graduating with an honors degree in history and minors in German and classical
civilization. He chose history because, he explains, "Studying history prompts us
to consider the consequences of our actions—a critical part of becoming a responsible
global citizen." He is active on campus as the president of the History Student Advisory
Committee, Lead Presidential Ambassador and History Department Intern, and has been
inducted into several honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa. Adrian loves to
travel and spent the 2011-2013 academic year abroad in Germany. In fact, over the
past two years, he has travelled in 16 countries with more on the horizon. Adrian
is passionate about the outdoors, loves camping, hiking, rock and ice climbing, and
spent six summers working for the USDA Forest Service in recreation infrastructure
and wildfire suppression. After graduation, he plans to return to the Forest Service
for a final season of fire fighting before taking a gap year abroad. He will apply
to the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations and hopes to eventually
join a non-governmental organization dedicated to track II diplomatic mediation using
his foundation in history to resolve conflict.
About the award:
Each year, the Alumni Association's Young Alumni Board honors an outstanding graduating senior from each of the University's undergraduate college. Students are selected for their excellence in academics, involvement in their college and extracurricular activities, volunteer service and dedication to the pursuit of education beyond coursework. Congratulations Adrian!
Charlotte Conerly
Excellence in Humanities
Charlotte is graduating with a bachelor of arts in Chinese and a minor in business.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, she has been fascinated with China since she was four
years old. She studied abroad summer 2010 at Nankai University in Tianjin, China,
as well as completing a year-long exchange at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Since
her return from China, she has advocated for increased awareness and global integration
at the U, has assisted students from China, Japan, Korea and the Middle East in finding
host families, as well as acted as a resource and translator for incoming students.
Charlotte has been heavily involved in ASUU as Humanities Senator and Housing & Residential
Education as the Resident Advisor for both the Go Global & Humanities House Living
& Learning Communities, for which she received the 'Commitment to Diversity of the
Year' award in 2012. After graduation, Charlotte will head to Shanghai, China, where
she will begin an internship with the American Chamber of Commerce. She was accepted
to graduate programs at Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University and the University
of Utah, and ultimately plans to pursue a career working to improve Sino-U.S. and
Sino-Global relationships.
About the award:
The Excellence in Humanities award acknowledges accomplishments in the areas of scholarship, campus and civic engagement, global citizenship, and leadership. Each year, one graduating senior from the College of Humanities is recognized for his or her outstanding dedication to the field of Humanities, and for exemplary engagement in academics, community, and global initiatives. Congratulations Charlotte!