International Student Community Achievement Award winners (front row, from left) Oliver Szeleczky, Suud Nahdi and Manuel Leckel. Selection committee members (back row, from left) Teresa Flanagan, Cigdem Eskicioglu, Jeannine Kuemmerle and Abu Arif. (Missing are award winners Yolanda Moser, Sim Ziijian and Adi Prabowo and selection committee members John Burton and Jessica Stites Mor.)
Six international students at UBC's Okanagan campus have been recognized for their contributions to the campus and community with the International Student Community Achievement Award.
"The university is extremely proud of the contributions of our international students," says Teresa Flanagan, Manager of International Programs and Services.
"From visual and performing arts to forestry research, from peer support to the promotion of intercultural understanding, this year's recipients have demonstrated consistent effort to make a difference -- locally and globally -- right from our campus," Flanagan says. "This award is a tangible way to recognize those efforts and applaud their passions."
The International Student Community Achievement Award is given annually to international students who contribute to the local community and excel academically. To be eligible, nominated students must be international undergraduates returning to UBC's Okanagan campus in September.
This year's recipients are:
- Yolanda Moser from Venezuela (Bachelor of Arts)
Moser was recognized for high academic achievement and for the support she provides fellow students within and beyond the classroom. A nominator noted that Moser "not only feels like she belongs in this community and is part of this campus, but helps create the foundation for others to feel quite at home also." - Manuel Leckel from Germany (Bachelor of Management)
Leckel was recognized for significant contributions to the cultural mosaic of the Okanagan campus, from the creation of the German Club to ongoing support of the International Student Club and Aboriginal Programs and Services, as well as outstanding performance as tutor in the Academic Resource Centre. - Adi Prabowo from Indonesia (Bachelor of Arts)
Prabowo was recognized for his extensive involvement in campus events and activities, while maintaining a strong grade-point average which included six courses. His role as producer in the Hope for Haiti fundraising event earlier this year was also noted by the committee. - Sim Ziijian from Singapore (Bachelor of Science)
Ziijian was recognized for the dedication with which he has pursued research goals and for his commitment to the environment and biodiversity conservation. - Suud Nahdi from Tanzania (Bachelor of Science)
Nahdi was recognized for his involvement in several initiatives, including serving as a Residence Advisor, planning the first-ever African Awareness Week on campus, and student leadership conferences in Vancouver and the Okanagan. - Oliver Szeleczky from Hungary (Bachelor of Fine Arts)
Szeleczky was commended for his contribution to original art, in various forms. His collaborative work “Marathonologue” premiered at the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.
"International students are essential and vibrant members of our UBC community," says Flanagan, noting that their unique stories and abilities add to community diversity in the region.
More than 500 undergraduate and graduate international students representing 74 countries are enrolled at UBC's Okanagan campus in the 2010-2011 academic term.
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