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Undergraduate Awards

Each academic year, the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE) recognizes students for exceptional contributions to the CCSRE community through research, activism, and community-building.

Portrait of Albert Camarillo

Albert M. Camarillo Senior Paper Prize

This award recognizes one graduating Senior for excellence in the completion of the Senior Paper.

2025 Albert M. Camarillo Senior Paper Prize Recipient

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. 

2025 Albert M. Camarillo Senior Paper Prize Recipient

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.

Past Recipients of the Albert M. Camarillo Senior Paper Prize

2024: Kevin Thor & tuesday utz

2023: Jayden Ashley Lim

2022: Jasmine Sky Nguyen

2021: Judy Tsegaye & Jassary Rico-Herrera

2020: Kimiko Hirota

2019: Alan Arroyo-Chavez

2018: Kathryn Treder

2017: Aleksa Zivkovic 

2016: Trent Woodward 

2015: Dahlton Brown

2014: Andres Gutierrez-Kingkade

2013: Alok Balram Vaid-Menon

2012: Tessa Victoria Pompa

2010: Michael To

2009: Stefanie Kathleen Tsosie

2008: Sylvia Nguyen

Arturo Islas, Jr. Prize

This prize is awarded based on outstanding academic achievement, a demonstrated intellectual interest in Chicanx studies (broadly defined), a commitment to advancing opportunities for Chicanx students in higher education, and an interest in pursuing graduate studies. 

Eligibility | Must be a graduating senior.

2025 Arturo Islas, Jr. Prize Recipient

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. 

Past Recipients of the Arturo Islas, Jr. Prize

2024: Jackeline May Can

2023: Ximena Sanchez Martinez

2019: Janet Diaz & Miguel Samano 

2018: Andrea Flores

2017: Julian Alberto Pena

2016: Melissa Diaz & Peter Madsen 

2015: Clarisa Reyes-Becerra 

2014: Omar Medina & Brenda Muñoz 

2013: Aracely Mondragon & Maritza Urquiza 

2012: Erica Fernández

2011: Ada Ocampo

2010: Ivan R. Jiménez 

2009: Sergio Rosas 

2008: Olga Medina

Dorothy Steele Award for Community Outreach, Engagement, and Social Justice

Created in honor of CCSRE’s first Executive Director, Dorothy M. Steele, this award recognizes the exceptional work of a graduating senior who integrates service to the community with their academic pursuits. It acknowledges that what is learned in the classroom can provide the skills and tools to work for a better world. 

Eligibility | Must be a graduating CCSRE major or minor.

2025 Dorothy Steele Award for Community Outreach, Engagement, and Social Justice

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!

2025 Dorothy Steele Award for Community Outreach, Engagement, and Social Justice

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!

Past Recipients of the Dorothy M. Steele Award for Community Outreach, Engagement, and Social Justice

2023: Elsie DuBray

2022: Jennifer Shah

2021: Shannen Torres

2020: Araceli Garcia & Will Paisley

2019: Ian Carlo Torres Macato 

2018: Andrea Flores & Yeji Jung

2017: Melodyanne Cheng & Lauve Gladstone 

2016: Samantha Ablaza Wills

2015: Henry Garcia & Katherine Nasol

2014: Kristian Davis Bailey & Hana Al-Henaid

2013: Todd Phelps

2012: Michael Tejada & Michael Tubbs

2010: Aria Florant & Bethany Woolman

2009: Margaret Sher-Ping Chen

2008: Rachel Vernon

George M. Fredrickson Award for Excellence in Honors Research

The George Fredrickson Award For Excellence in Honors Research is presented to students whose honors thesis demonstrate the academic rigor and commitment to justice that George Fredrickson believed were necessary dimensions of scholarship. Fredrickson’s scholarship focused on  the history of white supremacy with an eye toward abolishing its grip on U.S. culture and a founding member of CCSRE.

2025 George M. Fredrickson Award for Excellence in Honors Research

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.

Past Recipients of the George M. Fredrickson Award for Excellence in Honors Research

2024: Mahina Kaomea

2023: Evan Kanji

2022: Josiah Keoni Rodriguez

2021: Anna Greene & Shannen Torres

2020: Huanby Phan

2019: Ian Carlo Torres Macato 

2018: Sadhana Senthilkumar, Honorable mention: Diana Zhao

2017: David Alban Hidalgo

2016: Alizabeth McGowan, Honorable mention: Peter Madsen

2015: Shelby Sinclair, Honorable mention: Clarisa Reyes-Becerra

2014: Miranda Shepherd, Honorable mention: Thanh Nguyen 

2013: Victoria Yee, Honorable mention: Todd Phelps

2012: Daniella Beavers, Honorable mention: Thuy-Van Duong

2010: Luke Taylor, Honorable mention: Erika Chase

2009: Cynthia Fong Liao, Honorable mention: Holly Miowak Stebing

2008: Siobhan Persis Greatorex-Voith

 

Margarita Ibarra CSRE Community Building Award

The Margarita Ibarra Community Building Award was established in 2011 in honor of Margarita Ibarra, who served as CCSRE’s Student Services Coordinator for 14 years. This award is given to the graduating student who best exemplifies Ibarra’s commitment to building and sustaining a dynamic community for learning, support, and leadership. 

Eligibility | Must be a graduating CCSRE major or minor.

Headshot of Phong Nguyen

2025 Margarita Ibarra Community Building Award Recipient

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!

Past Recipients of the Margarita Ibarra Community Building Award

2024: Emily Rodriguez

2023: Maya Castillo & Gema Quetzal

2022: Kevin Calderon & Josiah Keoni Rodriguez

2021: Theresa Gao

2020: Kimiko Hirota & Tenzin Yuthok 

2019: Lauren Seabrooks & Carson Smith

2018: Jasmin Espinosa

2017: Leo John Bird

2016: Hui Min Annabeth Leow

2015: Jonathan Spratley

2014: Andres Gutierrez-Kingkade 

2013: Holly Fetter & Aracely Mondragon

2012: Thuy-Van Duong & Tenzin Seldon