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School of Humanities
Mackenzie Ostrowski
Most likely to empower voices through media
Mackenzie Ostrowski (B.A., film and media studies, minor in global sustainability), the UCI School of Humanities graduation student speaker, grew up watching nature documentaries and was fascinated by the use of science communication and storytelling within films. When she joined KUCI, the campus radio station, she had the opportunity to develop shows that both uplifted and educated her community. In producing these shows and short films, she began to see opportunities to merge her film and media studies education with her desire to engage with sustainability.
Ostrowski believes being involved on campus is one of the best things a student can do and credits UCI as integral in developing her leadership skills. Among other roles on campus, she took her own advice and co-founded UCI’s Cine-Collective and became the Undergraduate FMS Journal Lead. In recognition of her continued involvement, she received the Distinguished Anteater Award.
Ostrowski plans to enroll in graduate programs that develop her knowledge of environmental humanities and will allow her to further transform her community through multimodal media.
Naja Spotsworth Christmas
Most likely to shape U.S./South Korea diplomacy
Naja Spotsworth Christmas (B.A.s, Asian American studies and East Asian cultures, minors in Korean literature and culture, international studies) is determined to become the first African Diaspora woman to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. Despite facing arduous roadblocks, including the loss of her parents at a young age, she persevered and supported herself and her younger sister through university.
Christmas found fulfillment within the Department of Asian American Studies, where she says each professor, course, book and symposium was the definition of perfection. Her research focuses on the intersectionality between the African and Korean Diaspora in America and Korea, aiming to shed light on the lived experiences and highlight positive interactions throughout history.
Christmas plans to attend law school and pursue a JD and a Ph.D. in philosophy program with a Global Asia focus. After taking the foreign diplomat exam, she hopes to contribute to the further development of positive relations between South Korea and the U.S. through a diplomatic career.
Alexis Nguyen
Most likely to heal the world
As a pre-medical student, Alexis Nguyen (B.A., art history) initially planned to major in biology at UCI. But after taking an art history elective class her freshman year, she changed plans as she discovered art’s power to broaden perspectives and deepen insight into important questions.
Nguyen is grateful for the breadth of leadership, research and volunteer opportunities available at UCI. Along with serving as ASUCI Chief of Staff and the president of four other organizations, she co-founded Students for Health Humanities, the first global health humanities organization led by students. Her contributions to the campus have earned her many awards, among them the Chancellor’s Award of Distinction.
Graduating from UCI at 19 years old, Nguyen will spend the next year completing medical school applications while continuing to research, volunteer, work in the hospital and serve in the church. She hopes to become a physician who advocates for caring with compassion in healthcare and making the field of medicine more humane.
Federico M. De Palma
Most likely to become the U.S. Poet Laureate
Shortly after emigrating to the U.S. from Argentina, Federico M. De Palma (B.A., Spanish, minor in education) began his higher education journey at thirty-five, balancing raising his newborn son while working full-time.
He majored in Spanish to reconnect with his Latino roots while affirming his passion for literature, especially poetry. Along with winning various poetry awards, he was nominated as International Poet Laureate by the honor society Phi Beta Kappa in 2021 for his poem, “Immigrant’s Song,” written in English – De Palma’s third language after Italian and Spanish. In completing his thesis in the Humanities Honors Program, he was inspired to pursue graduate studies.
De Palma will be remaining at UCI following graduation to pursue a Ph.D. in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese this fall. While he dreams of sharing his love for literature as an educator, he plans to continue writing poetry and hopes to publish collections of his work before receiving his doctorate.
Matthew Costa
Most likely to strike a chord with students
Matthew Costa's (B.A., English, minor in psychological science) passion for creativity, and his recognition of the importance of effective communication skills in today’s world, made English the perfect major for him. Costa firmly believes in the transformative power of literature and its ability to give individuals a voice to express their ideas.
One of Costa’s most rewarding experiences during his academic journey was conducting a year-long research project on the portrayal of artificial intelligence in literature. Serving as a Peer Academic Advisor (PAA) in the School of Humanities also proved invaluable, allowing him to support fellow students and strengthen his teaching abilities.
After UCI, Matthew hopes to use what he learned as a PAA and work in an academic setting before pursuing further education, potentially law school or graduate school for education. He’s particularly passionate about music and hopes to find ways to educate and support others in pursuing their own musical passions.
Dilruba Asici
Most likely to champion equality and justice
To Dilruba Asici (B.A., history, minor in humanities and law), studying history feels like time traveling. Upon choosing her major, she turned to her love for exploring different cultures, practices, societies and time periods.
Asici credits her classes at UCI and the projects she’s completed for expanding her worldview and equipping her with the analytical tools necessary to challenge conventional narratives. As a transfer student Asici has only been at UCI for two years, but in that time she has had the opportunity to work with experts in the history field, gain guidance from professors and showcase her research at conferences.
Asici found her stride in joining student government, advocating for students through her work at ASUCI. Following graduation, she plans to study for the LSAT, the first step to reach her goal of becoming a human rights lawyer who fights against hate crimes and anti-immigration.
Ashley M. Rojas Jimenez
Most likely to educate across borders
Ashley M. Rojas Jimenez (B.A., Chinese studies, minor in Spanish/English bilingual education), a bilingual student fluent in Spanish and English, is passionate about bilingual education and the crucial role of bilingual teachers in second language development. Combining her interest in Chinese language and her desire to explore its rich history and culture from a non-Western perspective, she pursued a major in Chinese studies.
Her tutoring experience at a local elementary school reinforced the need for bilingual education and the significance of nurturing a supportive environment for students mastering two languages simultaneously. This realization, coupled with her enthusiasm for learning about different cultures and sharing her own through language, solidified her aspiration to become a bilingual educator.
Post-graduation, Rojas will intern at a graduate school of education, conducting research on residency programs and contributing to program enhancements. She plans to travel abroad as an English teacher assistant for elementary students and pursue a master's degree and teacher credential in the future.
Alexander Ramirez
Most likely to stop climate change
Alexander Ramirez (B.A., classics, B.S., biological sciences) is keenly interested in the contrast between the smaller-scale levels of society and the larger social problems we are grappling with. Using his interdisciplinary knowledge of the humanities and the sciences, he hopes to contribute to combating climate change.
During his studies, Ramirez combined his biotechnology class insights with research in classics, exploring biological questions with a historical and analytical lens. He also had the opportunity to contribute to the Hobbs Lab, where he focused on incorporating scientific research into community engagement.
Ramirez hopes to complete a post-baccalaureate fellowship in climate research and environmental sustainability at UCI and develop attainable sustainability solutions for the community. After completing the program, he plans to study for the LSAT and become a patent lawyer, utilizing his knowledge of biotechnology to advance sustainable climate mitigation and engage in community advocacy for human health measures.
Benjamin Fuller
Most likely to uncover secrets from the past
Given the chance to re-choose his major, Benjamin Fuller (B.A., history, minor in international studies) would pick history a thousand times over. To Fuller, studying history is important because he believes there is no better way to understand the world we inhabit than by trying to understand how and why we got here.
While initially apprehensive of the transition from community college, he quickly planted roots at UCI, finding a community of supportive students and faculty within the history department. Fuller credits the freedom to take diverse classes and fashion his own educational path as transformative for broadening his understanding of the world.
After taking a gap year, Fuller plans to earn a masters in public history before becoming a museum curator or archivist. He wants to share the knowledge and joy that history has brought him with the larger community.
Ananya Devarajan
Most likely to become a bestselling author
Ananya Devarajan (B.S., neurobiology, minor in English) has always valued an interdisciplinary curriculum and created one for herself at UCI, striking a balance between neurobiology and behavior and English. Working as a peer tutor at the Writing Center for the last three years has been one of her most fulfilling and transformative experiences at UCI.
Devarajan has been a writer since the age of six and her first novel went viral on Wattpad when she was in high school. This summer, her debut young adult romance novel Kismat Connection will be published by HarperCollins, making Devarajan one of the youngest Indian American fiction authors in the U.S. The desire to see pieces of her cultural identity represented in the media, she says, is one of her biggest motivating factors.
Post-graduation, she will be attending the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she hopes to continue her work in the healthcare and publishing industries.
Sarah Semaan
Most likely to fight for the planet
Sarah Semaan (B.A., philosophy, B.S., Earth system science) has known that she wanted to become an environmental lawyer from a young age. When she came to UCI, she decided that a combination of coursework in philosophy and Earth system sciences would get her there.
One of the most rewarding experiences for Semaan has been her involvement in student government, where she served as ASUCI President during her final year. Working with fellow students and administrators on a daily basis has taught her invaluable skills in leadership, communication and fostering community. But she thanks her philosophy professors for her unabashed empathy, which she will proudly use as a framework to navigate all of life’s intricacies.
Semaan’s summer following graduation is packed as she focuses on her internships and applies to law schools to reach her goal of fighting for the betterment of the planet.
Rachel Wang
Most likely to fashion the future
As an avid reader and writer, Rachel Wang (B.A., English, minor in psychological science) followed her heart and majored in English with a specialization in English for future teachers. While initially planning to teach high schoolers, Wang’s time at UCI led to a passion for academia.
She has had the opportunity to help instruct various courses, including teaching her own lower-division undergraduate seminar on Webtoons through UTeach. She also served as President of the Campuswide Honors Student Council and the English Majors' Association, where she found a sense of belonging and formed meaningful friendships.
This fall, Wang will pursue a Ph.D. in literature at UC Davis, focusing on women's fashion and identity in eighteenth-century British literature and contemporary literature/popular culture. Above all, her goal is to cultivate meaningful educational relationships as a professor of English, regardless of who or where she is teaching.
