The UCSC is proud to introduce five outstanding students from across the University, and five of our on- and off-campus partners, who are demonstrating a high level of engagement in community and civic life and achieving incredible things in our communities. Read on to learn about their accomplishments.
President’s Volunteer Service Award Winners: Saara-Anne Azizi and Maya Bauer
The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes students who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to voluntary service in the greater community during the past academic year.
Saara-Anne Azizi is an MD/PhD student at Pritzker who led the way for her peers in the Chicago Street Medicine Community Service Recognized Student Organization to expand their work providing medical care to people experiencing homelessness and housing instability, in support of the health needs of new arrivals on the South Side.
“I believe that civic engagement is critical to forge a more equitable world. During my time at UChicago, working with and for the broader Chicago community on issues like access to health care, housing instability, and youth empowerment rooted and inspired my mission as a future physician.”
Maya Bauer is a Crown student in the Social Sector Leadership program who has created a bridge between UChicago students and the community through her GA role at Student Support Services, developing programming that features organizations like the Pilsen Food Pantry and PCCCArts. By merging her own community relationships and community engagement practice, Maya has spent the past year helping students from across the University engage in meaningful service and community engagement.
“Being civically engaged has been part of my journey since childhood, grounding me in principles of equity and liberation, and has informed and enhanced my time as a scholar at UChicago by keeping me rooted in my beliefs and focused on nurturing a more just, kind, accountable, and interconnected world.”
The Perry S. Herst Prize winners: Thomas Li, Harley Pomper, and Mónica Ruiz House
The Perry Herst Prize recognizes the achievement of graduating seniors in the College who have successfully integrated their academic studies with community engagement in a way that has enriched both sets of activities.
Thomas Li is a Biology major who has collaborated with organizations like the University of Chicago Charter Campus - Woodlawn and Chicago Hopes4Kids on issues surrounding health and STEM readiness. As a student leader, he is the organizer of a campus chapter of Hopes4Kids which was recently granted recognition by the University as an RSO. His community engaged leadership has in turn informed his own exploration of science communication and broader impacts in his academic work.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have collaborated with local educators & members of the Woodlawn community, as their mentorship reinforced the importance of appreciating the reciprocal relationship between environment and identity and translating academic knowledge towards engaging people about local issues.”
Harley Pomper is a dual-BA/MA in Comparative Human Development and Social Sciences, whose relationships with inmates at the Cook County Jail and with carceral transformation groups such as Chicago Community Jail Support and Southside Organizing for Unity and Liberation have informed and enriched their research and study of the prison system and justice alternatives.
“Just as Chicago exists beyond Hyde Park, political education does too; people everywhere from the deep South Side to Cook County Jail have taught me how to be a neighbor, caregiver, community organizer, and critically, how to call on others to do the same.”
Monica Ruiz House is a quadruple major in Law Letters & Society, Latin American Studies, Sociology, and Spanish, whose collaborations with the NGO humanitarian organization No More Deaths and whose leadership on-the-ground local community engagement between UChicago athletes and community organizations like Project HOOD has informed and enriched her work researching cross-border humanitarian aid strategies.
"From West Side Chicago to the US-Mexico border, my work with grassroots organizations has given my education direction and clarified how to make the change I want to see in the world."
UCSC Community Impact Awards
Each year, UCSC recognizes the extraordinary commitment of staff, faculty, and community partners in supporting the community engagement of UChicago students. The Staff Community Impact, Faculty Community Impact, and Outstanding Community Mentor awards recognize the extraordinary commitment of our community in the support of students engaged in community service and civic engagement.
The Faculty Community Impact Award is awarded to Dr. Anna Volerman from the Biological Sciences Division. Dr. Volerman is one of the leads of the ACHIEVE Program through UChicago Medicine, a program that pairs UChicago undergraduates and local high school students for a robust civic engagement experience at the intersection of health and education. Said Dr. Volerman’s nominator, “her work has served as an important link between UChicago and the community, and advanced a mission of translating knowledge into actionable solutions that identify and serve public health needs.”
The Staff Community Impact Award is awarded to Myles Francis from the Crown Family School of Social Work’s Chicago Center for Youth Violence Prevention. Myles leads programming and supports partnerships that help UChicago graduate students engage the community in support of solutions to the problem youth violence in Chicago. Said Myles’s nominator, “Myles recognizes and educates students about the many different factors that contribute to the issue of youth violence as it pertains to race and history, and he demonstrates a clear personal commitment to the issue in helping others learn how to serve.”
Three individuals have been awarded as Outstanding Community Mentors. These individuals serve a key role in UCSC’s work, supporting students to understand the communities they are engaging and helping them practice the skills that are necessary for them to do the work successfully.
Basheer tha Evolutionist and A’Keisha Lee are co-awadees for their support of UChicago students through Chicago Community Jail Support. Basheer and A’Keisha are organizers working collaboratively towards alternative justice and carceral transformation, operating on either side of the prison wall. As their nominator shared, “A’Keisha and Basheer are going above and beyond to get students meaningfully involved with challenging work, while helping them understand that community mentors can be anyone, even and especially those who are currently incarcerated.”
Sandra Reno from the Gary Comer Youth Center is the other community mentor awardee. Sandra is part of the GCYC Urban Agriculture program. Said their nominator, “Sandra has supported countless UChicago interns and volunteers over the years to learn about and take action on issues of food growth and environmental sustainability, and helped them be part of a larger effort to create healthy, accessible green spaces for all Chicagoans.”