CFA congratulate the five winners of our 2024 Kathryn Oberdeck Memorial Social Justice Scholarship. The awards committee was impressed by the work of all of this year’s applicants. You can learn more about each of this year’s winner’s and their work below:
Kirsten Schaefer is a sophomore majoring in biochemistry and minoring in public health and Spanish. On campus, Kirsten has focused her efforts on local food insecurity by getting involved with Grow2Give and Project4Less. As the treasurer of Grow2Give, Kirsten manages the finances of the club, in addition to helping to plan events. She also helps to take care of the garden beds spread throughout campus that grow produce to be donated to local food pantries, helping with the lack of fresh options offered at food pantries. With Project4Less, Kirsten packages up excess pre-consumer dining hall food to be donated to food pantries on campus, in addition to training new volunteers. She also is the secretary of Amnesty International, sending out newsletters about human rights happenings on campus, as well as fundraising for social justice focused charities and planning educational events to spread awareness of human rights violations and what students can do to help. Outside of campus, Kirsten leads a support group with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation for grade schoolers with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis that focuses on health education, coping skills, and building community. Kirsten hopes to mix biochemistry with human rights in the future by doing research focused on accessible and affordable healthcare.
My name is Yafa Issa, and I am an 18-year-old sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, studying psychology with a minor in legal studies. I am on the pre-law track and hope to attend law school after graduation. My passion for law stems from my desire to advocate for and defend individuals who experience injustice, censorship, and other forms of repression through the legal system. On and off campus, I dedicate myself to advocating and fighting for the liberation of all oppressed individuals, with most of my passion focused on the Palestinian cause.
My student activism focuses on spreading political education, which I believe is essential and forms the baseline for the fight for a better world. I engage in this by developing political education materials, organizing teach-ins, being vocal about causes such as the Palestinian apartheid, genocide, and occupation, and bringing political education to as many spaces as possible.
Through these efforts, I aim to empower individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to challenge oppression and advocate for justice, especially in Palestine, ultimately contributing to the liberation and betterment of oppressed communities worldwide.
Sophie is a Creative Writing student at the University of Illinois. She is particularly passionate about food justice, and has worked at a nonprofit urban farm for the past five seasons. Sola Gratia Farm aims to make good, nutritious food more accessible to food insecure neighbors in the Champaign-Urbana community, and she is proud to split her time between her pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree and the farm’s mission. She currently works as their Market and Communications lead, and additionally helps to coordinate donations to local partners. On campus, Sophie is involved with the student organization Grow2Give, and is passionate about on-campus fresh food security. She plans to continue her work in food access in the future, particularly as it relates to fresh food accessibility and a community connection to the food web. In her free time, Sophie enjoys a good book, a hike, or quiet time to write.
Madisen is a Senior studying Information Sciences with a pathway in Data & Society at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an I-Promise Scholar and TRIO SSS student, Madisen balances their academic pursuits with a role as an IT Assistant at the College of Applied Health Sciences. Their advocacy efforts focus on community-based racial equity, particularly in addressing algorithms of oppression. Demonstrating a commitment to this cause, Madisen works with the Community Data Clinic at the School of Information Sciences where she conducted investigations into mass surveillance and gunshot detection technologies in communities of color in the Champaign-Urbana area. By creating mapping resources, they aimed to raise awareness to the intersectionality of race and sociotechnical systems, advocating for transparency and accountability in policing practices. Their independent study work titled “Education (in)Equity Dependence on Infrastructure and Contemporary Systems of Racial Segregation” which seeks to investigate residential segregation and disparities in educational outcomes of minority children in Unit 4 School District was recognized for its significance, leading to a presentation at the 4S 2023 Honolulu Conference this past November. Currently, Madisen is a Community-Academic Scholar conducting research with the African American Family Stress and Resiliency Lab (AAFam) and local organization DREAAM to develop a community strength assessment tool for Black youth and families in Champaign and Urbana. This initiative is aimed to address the needs of marginalized communities by identifying strengths, needs, and culturally relevant solutions.
I’m Jimena Lopez, a rising junior majoring in Spanish with minors in Legal Studies and Anthropology. During my freshman year, I took SPAN 232: Spanish in the Community with Professor Ann Abbott, which aligned perfectly with my passion for immigration reform.
Coming from a family of immigrants, advocating for this cause has always been close to my heart. Volunteering at The Immigration Project (TIP) has been pivotal in my university journey. Since freshman year, I’ve been privileged to work alongside TIP’s dedicated staff, learning invaluable lessons from both them and the diverse individuals we assist.
I’m honored to serve as the Project Director for Immigration in Volunteer Illini Projects (VIP) at the university, where I can further explore my passions and continue making a positive impact. Additionally, being named a Humanities in Action Scholar will allow me to deepen my community ties and expand my influence beyond campus.
This year, in addition to my responsibilities as President of the Undergraduate Moot Court team and ongoing volunteering, I am enthusiastic about mentoring freshmen. I look forward to introducing them to the diverse engagement opportunities available within and beyond our university community.
I am grateful for this opportunity and for the journey that has brought me to this point.
Flor is a rising senior who is passionate about helping and supporting the Latinx/e community. She dedicates her time to working with non-profits that provide assistance and programming for Latinx/e and Spanish-speaking communities. She has worked with Corazón Community Services, a non-profit that provides sexual and mental health as well as after-school education resources in the community of Cicero, Illinois. Not only that, but she also works with The Immigration Project, who provides legal and language services in the Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington communities. Flor enjoys using her Spanish and community health knowledge strengths to work with organizations in the hope of bridging gaps in the availability of high-demand resources for her community. She has worked with these organizations for 3 years, now going on 4. She has been able to assist with health education programming, drug use presentations, and mental health teaching at Corazón. Likewise, she has worked in the Immigration Project’s Language and Interpreting team, assisting with asylum application interviews and document translation. She was awarded the Student Leadership Award at the 2023 C-U Immigration Welcome Awards for this work.
As a Clinical Psychology and Spanish major, she hopes to continue working for the Latinx/e community, providing mental health and therapy services as a Spanish-speaking clinical psychologist. For the next year, she will continue working towards fighting language barriers with the Immigration Project and addressing food scarcity by working with the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen.
My name is Kayla Sanchez and I am a current Junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in Political Science with a minor in Business. I have a strong interest in studying politics and human rights abuses in Latin America and continue to take courses that inform me of these topics. Coming from an immigrant community and living with immigrant parents, I have an immense passion for giving back to my community. Since my Sophomore year at UIUC, I have been a part of the RSO I-CAUSE, Illinois Coalition Assisting Undocumented Students Education. I have participated in informative workshops, rallies, and events to bring awareness to the undocumented community on campus. As an ally to the immigrant community, I have always wanted to do more, in the past year, I have been able to do so right in Champaign at the Immigration Project. I have worked as an Asylum Intern at the Immigration Project, a non-profit organization assisting immigrants in Southern Illinois. I have worked alongside immigration attorneys as an interpreter for clients and documents. I worked closely with asylum applicants. I would hear applicants’ stories of why they had to flee their home countries and fill out documents to prepare them for asylum workshops. The stories can be very hard at times but knowing that I am helping get a step closer to justice is rewarding. I have had the opportunity to aid multiple individuals and families in this difficult process as they transition to life in the U.S. I plan to continue interning at the Immigration Project in the fall and fighting for justice.
My name is Trent Chassy and I’m a senior studying history and political science. I have spent my college career studying, writing about, and becoming active in causes for justice. Immediately following graduation I will spend two years in the Teach For America program teaching in an underserved community. I hope to carry my studies into this program to improve the lives of my students and promote a quality education in their area and across the world. Eventually I hope to return to a college campus for a graduate education continuing my research and analysis of injustice and hierarchy. I am very appreciative of this opportunity and I can’t wait to keep up the fight in my final year at UIUC.
Harshitha Vetrivel is a rising junior majoring in Information Sciences and Data Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is an active member of the Community Data Clinic (CDC), a research program committed to uplifting community-based research and empowering local communities. Currently, Harshitha serves as a co-host and audio engineer of the ConnectED podcast, an ongoing CDC initiative centered around amplifying the voices of individuals in East-Central Illinois and serving as a spark for igniting conversations surrounding digital equity, literacy, and access. By exploring the intersections of technology and social justice. By interviewing guests on a variety of topics such as education, social work, and youth programs, she has developed a sincere passion for spreading awareness about fundamental community and educational resources. Through her work with the CDC, Harshitha hopes to continue helping more individuals share their personal stories, emphasizing the power of using one’s voice for the greater good.
My name is Nina Pierce and I am a Spring 2024 graduate from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. During the Fall and Spring semesters of my senior year, I volunteered at The Immigration Project, a nonprofit organization that provides legal and social services to the local immigrant population in Champaign, Illinois. I worked primarily under the social team to serve clients who needed assistance with various legal proceedings, such as applying for asylum. Volunteering at TIP has given me insight into the experiences of undocumented men and women who have recently arrived in the U.S., mainly from Latin America. I have been lucky to sit down with people from vastly different backgrounds, assess their needs, and provide the necessary service. Additionally, I worked at an extension office of the University of Illinois called Integrated Health Disparities to develop monthly newsletters in Spanish and English for the local Latinx population. Both of these opportunities allowed me to participate in local events outside of the office, which helped me feel connected to the community that I served. I will carry the things I learned through my volunteer work into my next position post-grad, wherever that may be!
