2024 Undergraduate Scholarship Awardees

Breanna Bonner, Alan B. Slifka Award

Breanna Bonner, from Kansas City, Missouri, is a rising sophomore double-majoring in Human Rights and Political Science. She plans to pursue a masters in Human Rights before attending Law School. Breanna is also an incoming floor mentor for the Human Rights and Actions Learning Community, a mentor for the Human Rights Close to Home Program, Director of the Human Rights Council for UCMUN, and an incoming Undergraduate Research Fellow for UConn Humanities Institute (UCHI), exploring Black Women’s intersectional invisibility within historical and contemporary liberation movements. In her free time, she enjoys embroidery, exploring campus with her friends, ice skating, and checking in on her hometown.

 

Sophie Lemire, Laura Rubbo Award

I am a rising senior in the honors program studying Economics and Human Rights with a minor in International Studies and Social Responsibility and Impact in Business. A large portion of my studies focus on corporate social responsibility and the intersection of business and human rights. I spent the 2022-2023 academic year studying at Amsterdam University College developing my work in an international framework. On-campus and off-campus I dedicate my time to activism and volunteering. After graduation, Sophie plans on attending law school and hopes to work in international law.

 

 

Alahaniss López-Zea, Mark S. Rudy Award

My name is Alahaniss López-Zea. I am a senior double majoring in Political Science and History with minors in Latin American Studies, Human Rights, and Spanish. On campus, I am a member of PuRSA, the Event Planner for Confetti for Kids and VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Empower Women in Law. Outside of school, I am an advisor to YROW, a youth leadership program that helps connect Latin American youth with university information and resources, while empowering their voices. My interest in human rights grew out of being exposed to the many struggles minorities face while growing up in Waterbury. However, the decision to combine Political Science, Spanish, Latin American Studies, and Human Rights is also heavily influenced by my upbringing in Puerto Rico. Both in Waterbury and in Puerto Rico, I see people fighting to be heard and to have their human rights defended. Currently, I am advocating for better academic resources for Waterbury students. I am also in the process of completing an internship with the Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services, in this internship one of my roles has been to help the attorneys as a translator for Spanish-speaking individuals, enabling them to understand their rights and the legal process. In the future, I hope to use my knowledge to become an attorney and a resource to my community.

 

Mariam Vargas, Mark S. Rudy Award

Mariam is a rising junior at the University of Connecticut and is working towards a degree in Political Science and Global Studies with a minor in Human Rights. She is interested in pursuing a career in International Security, International Relations and Policy. At UConn, Mariam is the co-president of the Dominican Student Association, she serves as the senator for the Puerto Rican Latin American Cultural Center at the Undergraduate Student Government. Mariam has also served as a Research Assistant at UConn through the Office of Undergraduate Research, researching state-led extreme violence. After an experience at the 2022 Kosovo Summer Academy, where she learned about interethnic conflict prevention and peace building, after this experience, Mariam felt a strong commitment towards addressing genocide and promoting peace. Mariam has been selected as a 2023 Rangel Scholar for the highly selective Charles B. Rangel Summer Enrichment Program at Howard University. In her free time Mariam enjoys traveling and learning languages.

Sophia Stanganelli, Mark S. Rudy Award

Sophia Stanganelli, a rising junior from New Hampshire, is driven by her firsthand experiences of witnessing workplace human rights violations and her personal journey with mental health. Inspired by these encounters, she aspires to become a human rights lawyer. Currently, she is excited and honored to utilize a scholarship opportunity to volunteer in Costa Rica during the upcoming winter. This decision was influenced by Professor Anne Gebelein's course, "Human Rights on the U.S Mexican American Border", where Sophia gained a deep understanding of the struggles faced by migrants. Committed to effecting positive change during her undergraduate years, Sophia aims to challenge negative narratives surrounding immigration and mental health.

 

Foluke Akinkunmi, Open Society Foundation Award

Foluke Akinkunmi is a rising junior pursuing a major in Political Science and minors in Africana Studies and Human Rights. Through her involvement with the Dodd Human Rights Center, African American Cultural Center and the BSOUL Learning Community, she has gained a deep understanding of the power of community dialogue for social justice. Her experiences, including a study abroad trip to Ghana, have shaped her perspective and fueled her desire to research common human rights violations across the African diaspora. In the future, she aims to make a meaningful impact as a lawyer, advocating for justice and equality, combining her passion for human rights and her legal ambitions.

 

Jackson Lee, Open Society Foundation Award

My name is Jackson (he/him) and I am a rising junior. I am studying human rights and economics. I am currently working on measuring the amount of housing insecure students at UConn. I am from Connecticut and found the human rights program through the human rights and action living learning community.

 

 

Sara Trueax, Open Society Foundation Award

Sara (she/her) is a senior in the honors program studying Economics and Human Rights with a minor in Social Responsibility and Impact in Business. Growing up in Wethersfield, CT, she was brought along with her mom to her job working for the SEIU 1199 Training Fund where their motto is "Knowledge is Power". Both parents had an immense impact on her and instilled a great amount of value on building and maintaining a resilient and connected community that values our natural world. A significant emphasis in her education is on corporate social responsibility and the intersection of business and human rights and this is also the basis of her thesis for the honors program. Off-campus, Sara serves on the Human Rights Commission for the Town of Wethersfield, has worked and volunteered with several non-profits, and has two delightful rescue cats named Wiggy and GeeBee. After graduation, Sara will continue her studies at UConn with a master's in human rights beginning Fall 2024 and plans to focus on how to utilize her Economics B.A. to further promote human rights and show just how powerful knowledge can be.

 

Aish Benzy, Open Society Foundation Award

As a double major in human rights and neurobiology, my unique perspective on the intersections of science and social justice drives me to pursue dentistry. My research in the Behavioral Neuroscience Lab, particularly using virtual reality technology to address addiction, has deepened my understanding of the connection between technology and human rights. I believe that dentistry offers an opportunity to use innovative approaches to transform healthcare and promote equity and justice for underserved individuals. Through community service as an EMT volunteer and involvement with programs like UCONN Health Leaders and Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, I witnessed firsthand the impact of systemic inequalities on healthcare outcomes. I envision reshaping the perception of oral health, advocating for equitable dental care, and creating a world where every smile reflects the true essence of good health and the realization of human rights.

 

Helen Nguyen, Open Society Foundation Award

Helen Nguyen (she/her) is a rising senior with a triple major in Human Rights, Sociology, and Economics. Her introduction to human rights as a field of study began in high school with an ECE course that partnered with UConn. From there, she grew her passion taking courses such as International Human Rights Law and Corporate Social Responsibility. Helen is particularly interested in the intersection of business and human rights, and how businesses have the power to either impair or uplift our communities. In the spring of 2023, she studied abroad in South Korea and witnessed how social and economic inequalities transcend international borders. She is committed to upholding social justice through advocacy work and is planning on pursuing a legal career after graduation.

 

Amelie Manion, Wiktor Osiatynski Award

I am a queer immigrant, born in Ethiopia, that finds great pleasure in advocating for people like myself - those that find themselves as a minority in society. I enjoy studying English and history, but pushing myself to do things outside of what I enjoy is something I try to do. Something that encouraged me to become a human rights major was: my personal experiences in a biracial family, bullying when going to primarily white schools, dealing with self loathing (as a product of racial/sexual identity) in adolescence. In high school, though I hadn't known human rights was a major, I did participate in the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) every year. In the future I would like to see myself doing a highly professional form of advocacy, like law, but I know that the future is uncertain and I strive to just find a job that makes me feel happy in my own rite.