Undergraduate Awards

Karen Arellano-Cruz is one of the recipients selected for the 2025 Albert M. Camarillo Senior Paper Prize for her project. Karen's community-centered project brings together Stanford student families to share their lived experiences and hopes for the future–highlighting the urgent need for systemic reforms to support student parents in higher education. Karen writes, "Higher education institutions and government programs must work together to provide flexible academic structures, robust childcare options, and financial aid tailored to the unique needs of parenting students. Without these changes, student parents will continue to face significant barriers to completing their education, perpetuating inequities in access and opportunity." '

Congratulations, Karen!

Read Karen's Senior Paper here. 

Saimary Velázquez Carrasquillo is one of the recipients selected for the 2025 Albert M. Camarillo Senior Paper Prize for their project. Saimary created a living archive for Casa Zapata, Stanford's Latinx-themed dorm, capturing the rich and evolving experiences of its residents–past and present. Saimary writes, "through this archive, I seek to honors its residents' historical and contemporary experiences, elevate the important of activism in these spaces, and contribute to an ongoing, collectively-constructed resource that reflects the dorm's continued growth and relevance." 

Congratulations, Saimary!

View Saimary's project here.

Myrka Odalis Cruz Aracen is the recipient of this year's Arturo Islas, Jr. Prize. In Myrka's honors thesis, she challenges the dominant narratives of Mexican migration by centering the experiences of Indigenous Oaxacan migrants living in Ohio. A faculty nominator writes that Myrka's work "is an extraordinary piece of scholarship that reflects her intellectual rigor, deep personal commitment to Chicanx and Indigenous students, and sustained dedication to community empowerment." 

Congratulations, Myrka! 

Read Myrka's honors thesis here. 

Julia Gendy is one of the winner of this year's Dorothy Steele Award for Community Outreach, Engagement, and Social Justice. Julia is a graduating senior with a CSRE focus in politics, policy, and equity who has used her academic foundation and lived experiences to advance justice for marginalized communities. From her work at the Santa Clara Public Defender’s Office and JusticeCorps to leading immigrant rights initiatives through Stanford ACLU, Julia has consistently applied her classroom knowledge to real-world advocacy. Her capstone project amplifies the voices of students in legal limbo, and her commitment to equity, solidarity, and collective care reflects the values of this award.

Congratulations, Julia!

YuYu Yuan is one of the winner of this year's Dorothy Steele Award for Community Outreach, Engagement, and Social Justice. YuYu is a graduating senior who has combined rigorous research–through work with Stop AAPI Hate and local K-12 schools–with powerful teaching and organizing. Her senior capstone project led to the creation of a groundbreaking course, “‘Did You Eat Yet?’: A Course on Critical Food studies in Asian America,” which not only fills a curricular gap but also centers mutual aid by having students cook and donate food to local communities. Her work reflects a profound commitment to ethnic studies, community building, and public service, making her a deserving recipient of this award. 

Congratulations, YuYu!

Rabiah Kabir has been selected for the 2025 George M. Fredrickson Award for Excellence in Honors Research for her honors thesis. Titled, The Jezebel Flute: Female Jazz Flute Players, Black Feminism, and 'The Masculine Jazz Spectrum', Rabiah's award-winning thesis explores concepts of Black feminism and sexism in Jazz, as well as the gendered perception of the flute. Through seven interviews with professional female flute players from around the world, and critical engagement with scholarship by Linda Dahl, Nicole Rustin-Paschal, Sherrie Tucker, Sarah Pellegrinelli, and Sally Placksin, Rabiah constructs a powerful new framework: The Masculine Jazz Spectrum. This thesis not only expands the academic conversation on gender and music but does so with clarity, depth, and artistic resonance. The accompanying debut album, Jezebel: Rewritten, brings her research full circle–transforming theory into sound and scholarship into lived expression. 

Congratulations, Rabiah!

Read Rabiah's honors thesis here.

Phong Nguyen is the recipient for the 2025 Margarita Ibarra CSRE Community Building Award. As the Asian American Studies student liaison for the past two years, Phong has demonstrated unwavering dedication to community building both within the Asian American Studies and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity programs. A leader across multiple campus spaces, Phong serves on the A3C Advisory Board, directs plays with the Asian American Theater Project, and conducts honors research as a Hume Honors Fellow. His work significantly expanded student engagement in Asian American Studies through creative programming, such as organizing panels on activism and community-centered gatherings that foster belonging. Known for his warmth and ability to make others feel seen, Phong has helped make Asian American Studies a welcoming space for all. His academic research further reflects his commitment to justice, focusing on the deportation crisis affecting Southeast Asian American communities and the ways youth resist through performance. From building institutional connections across campuses to advocating for Asian American Studies in K-12 education in Illinois, Phong's impact is both wide-reaching and deeply personal, making him an invaluable member of the Stanford community. 

Congratulations, Phong!