Stories of Impact

Congratulations to the Class of 2024 and Swearer Center Award Winners!

May 22, 2024

Congratulations, Class of 2024!

Congratulations to our graduating students and Swearer award winners! Before commencement, stop by our Open House on May 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. with your family and friends.

The Swearer Center team congratulates the Class of 2024. It has been a privilege and a delight to share this learning journey with you. Your dedicated energy, creativity and contributions to Brown, the surrounding community, and organizations around the country and the world will stay with us as you start your next chapter. We wish you well on your journey into a world that needs your commitment, brilliance and passion, and humility. We hope you will stay in touch!

Swearer Center Annual Community Celebration

Students, community partners, faculty, staff, alumni and family gathered for a reception and award ceremony at Swearer’s Annual Community Celebration on April 26. Mary Jo Callan, Vice President for Community Engagement and Stark Family Executive Director of the Swearer Center, opened the awards ceremony, celebrating our 2024 Swearer Center Award Winners.

“As you continue on from Brown, take to heart that there is no one formula, no linear path to success and fulfillment. But one critical ingredient is being in relationship with others, cultivating a support network and supportive environment. I hope that when you look back on your time at Brown, you think of the Swearer Center as a place where relationships matter, where you were supported, where people cared about you and the work you do every day.”

Speaking to the future, Callan continues, “I hope we will all actively seek out ways to fight these powerful forces and remember that this is accomplished through daily choices and actions. Continue to live with courage to step into the unknown and the unfamiliar and to challenge ourselves, our assumptions and beliefs, in relationship with those who share them and–maybe especially–those who don’t. I hope we will always demonstrate the wisdom and persistence needed to hold multiple, competing ideas and perspectives in tension, and the courage to push past the binary of rigid position and toward the expansiveness of shared interest.”

Swearer Center’s Mario Gomez, Manager of Community-Engaged Learning, continues to uplift the students' accomplishments and ongoing work in his closing remarks, saying, “Every step you take towards liberation, towards equity, towards serving our communities, is worth celebrating.  Every stance you take against injustice, against systematized violence, against institutional repression and stagnation, is worth celebrating. Every action you take to uplift an oppressed community,  to save our world, to advance our humanity is worth celebrating. One day, we will all be able to truly celebrate together in justice and liberation. Until then, we need to keep working. We have our work cut out for us, but we can do it together, with you leading us. That is worth celebrating. That work is worth celebrating. You are worth celebrating. So, let’s celebrate now, and then let's get back to work.”

2024 Swearer Center Student Award Winners

Seven Swearer Center students from the Class of 2024 have been honored for their exceptional contributions to the Center’s mission to build on community strengths and address community challenges through collective action: 

Abelardo Hernández Community Engagement Award
Jada Wooten ‘24  

Engaged Scholarship Award for Undergraduate Students
Alison Lu ‘24

Engaged Scholarship Award for Graduate Students
Erin Aoyama, MA

Derek Canfield Barker Student Leadership Award
Sofia Funk ‘24
Shazain Ahmed Khan ‘24

Derek Canfield Barker Community-Engaged Athletic Award
Leah Carey ‘25
Kenyon Graham ‘25


Abelardo Hernández Community Engagement Award

Jada Wooten ‘24
Throughout her time at Brown, Jada Wooten has been engaging in community-centered work with Swearer through many pathways, including as a Royce Fellow and Community-Based Learning and Research Fellow. Jada helped to co-found and launch the Arts Academy Hattie Ide Chaffee Nursing Home in East Providence, aiming to make the senior home a lively center for the arts through dance, drama, and visual art classes and performances. She also runs the Dance for People of All Ages program, teaching weekly classes to seniors. Reflecting on her experience, Jada shares:

“I often think about art as a way to foster expression, storytelling, healing, community building and social change. The role of art in educational spaces is something I've been able to explore through the Swearer Center. I'm really thankful for all the staff and students I've met in that space who've been a part of how I've explored arts, education and community engagement.”

Presenter Sophia Pray, Manager of Community-Engaged Learning who worked closely with Jada, shares:

“Jada brings a warm and focused presence to her work-- her smile is contagious, her dance moves are electric, and her care is palpable. As soon as she walks into the nursing home, she makes a point to talk to every person there, building meaningful relationships in a characteristically easy-going way. She has learned how to manage and write grants alongside her mentors and conduct evaluations to ensure their programming meets the needs of the residents and volunteers alike, and has recruited many younger Brown students to the program, building out a volunteer force that will continue to grow after she leaves.”

Engaged Scholarship Undergraduate Award

Alison Lu ‘24
During her time at Brown University, Alison pursued a degree in Public Health alongside a certificate in Engaged Scholarship. Through the lens and dedication of engaged scholarship and community-based participatory research, she focused on developing community-based interventions to address addiction stigma and improve health outcomes. This spurred her involvement in collaborative efforts with individuals in recovery, focusing on initiatives like drug policy reform and harm reduction strategies to help people who use drugs improve their health and well-being, first and foremost.Presenter Maya Malik, Swearer’s Curricular Initiatives Assistant Director, further details the impact of Alison’s work, sharing:

“This year, we are honoring one student whose academic studies and supporting co-curricular and extra-curricular activities exemplified the idea of community-engaged scholarship. Over time, Alison was able to refine her approach to sustainable community engagement by prioritizing direct engagement with community members to understand their perspectives and needs. She has collaborated with various organizations including CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, an addiction treatment center, and the Harm Reduction Innovation Lab, dedicated to helping people who use drugs.”

Engaged Scholarship Graduate Award 

Erin Aoyama, MA
Erin Aoyama brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience on community engagement and social justice. Her own research takes up questions of race, place, and community repair within the afterlives of Japanese American incarceration and redress. She is co-director of "Seeing Memory: Landscapes of Japanese American Incarceration," a digital storytelling and mapping project, and is a curatorial assistant at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, CA. In addition to her engaged research, Erin has been the Engaged Research Graduate Assistant at Swearer for the past two years. She is a vital thought partner in the running of the Royce Fellowship and Laidlaw Scholars Program and is truly cherished and beloved by so many students, who turn to her for both academic advice and emotional support. One of her students and nominators shared, 

“Through the Royce Fellowship, Erin has been immensely supportive of me and the project I pursued. Her advice on building relationships based on reciprocity in community engaged scholarship and her guidance drawn from her own research on doing ethical, thoughtful work with archives as connected to communities built an invaluable foundation for me.”

Derek Canfield Barker Student Leadership Award 

Sofia Funk ‘24
Bonner Community Fellow and Bonner Leadership Team member Sofia Funk was integral in selecting and leading the Bonner class of 2027. She worked with Bonner alum and previous Swearer Award winner, Elbie Seibert '23, to set the foundation for the Bonner Leadership Team, which is now an integral part of Bonner programming and on giving Bonners a true say on their experience here. In presenting Sofia’s award, Manager of Community-Engaged Learning, Mario Gomez, said:

“You have mentored younger Bonners as they joined us and have given them the foundation to be the leaders they are. Bonner has changed a lot since you joined. It has a bright future and your fellow Bonners will be amazing stewards of it. And, much of this, this present and this future wouldn’t have happened without your work and passion.”

Shazain Ahmed Khan ‘24
Shazain first worked with the Swearer Center through Students for Educational Equity to assess the effectiveness of Swearer Center programming and has expanded that work with Manager of Community Engaged-Learning, Sophia Pray, and Assistant Director for Student Activities, Antwan Bluster, developing a training curriculum for registered Service groups, which includes discussions about upstream vs. downstream approaches and aspects of white supremacy culture that influence student engagement. Sophia spoke to Aaron’s impact at the Swearer Center, saying:

“This training is now a core part of our shared programming and will continue to inform future generations of student leaders after Shazain graduates. Antwan and I are both extremely grateful for his interest and dedication, especially given his other organizing work through groups like Decolonization@Brown. He co-designed a presentation titled, “What is this Place?” to orient students to the greater Providence community. Shazain invited Swearer’s participation in this project. This invitation for collaboration challenges the traditional student group culture of operating under a siloed model. Rather than veering away from institutional support, Shazain leaned in– he sees the potential and necessity of transformative collaborations between.”

Derek Canfield Barker Community-Engaged Athletic Award

Leah Carey ‘25
As a three-year student-athlete on the softball team, Leah has worked to be a team player, advocate for her teammates and ensure that her team’s voice is heard at all times. As a sophomore, she became a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Executive Board as one of the Ivy League Representatives and now represents all student-athletes as the Ivy League Representative on the NCAA National SAAC Board. She advocates for changes within the division and within the league with equity across sports being her main focus.

Leah has demonstrated a commitment to community engagement, with a focus on supporting LGBTQ+ youth, destigmatizing mental health and encouraging fellow student athletes to be civically engaged. As one of the leaders of the student-athlete LGBTQ+ affinity group named the Student-Athlete Gay Alliance (SAGA), one of her early hopes for the group was to be involved with local organizations that connect with LGBTQ+ youth as a way of providing hope, encouragement, and support. She has worked with House of Codec, a local organization in Providence that works to end homelessness among transition-aged youth through the arts and workforce development. On campus, Leah has worked with mental health groups such as Active Minds and No Empty Seats to help organize an Out of the Darkness walk and raise money in support of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Additionally, she has collaborated with fellow student athletes to encourage others to be civically engaged by registering to vote and understanding the importance of being involved in local, state and national elections.

Kenyon Graham ‘25
While being a student athlete on Brown University’s men’s rugby team, Kenyon has spent time working with Rhode Island Communities for Addiction Recovery Efforts. His outreach efforts at Kennedy Plaza epitomize his unwavering commitment to supporting the most vulnerable members of our community, as well as his work towards fostering an environment of trust and camaraderie among volunteers and staff showcases his dedication to propelling the organization towards greater success in its mission to support individuals in recovery. It is evident that his impact on student athletes transcends the realm of sports, as he champions the importance of community engagement and service. Graham reflects on his experience saying:

“As a pre-med student, finding somewhere meaningful to volunteer has been important to me. Partnering with RI Cares through our club has given me purpose on my journey to med school. My goal bringing the club to the Brown community is that I want to get as many people involved as possible, so that we can help combat it as a disorder and not as a choice. I would consider RI Cares as a team. I like working with different folks to be able to function cohesively and work towards a common goal.”

His nominator from RICAREs shares:

“Through his mentorship and guidance, Kenyon empowers student athletes to recognize their potential as agents of positive change within their communities. By organizing and participating in community service initiatives, he instills in them a sense of responsibility and compassion towards others. Kenyon's leadership in coordinating volunteer opportunities not only provides valuable assistance to local organizations but also fosters a deeper connection between student athletes and the communities they serve.”

Learn more about our annual Swearer Center Student Awards here.

2024 Engaged Faculty Awards

From a very strong pool of nominees, a committee of community partners, students, staff and faculty selected Dr. Scott AnderBois, Associate Professor of Linguistics and Dr. Myles Lennon, Dean’s Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Environment & Society as the 2024 recipients of the Howard R. Swearer Engaged Faculty Awards for Teaching and for Research, respectively. 

Learn more about our faculty award recipients and their work here.

2024 Community Advisory Board Awards

Each year, the Swearer Center's Community Advisory Board (CAB) recognizes three organizations for their work in the community. These awards aim to highlight and support the work of organizations in the public and social sectors that are moving the needle in key areas.

Learn more about Swearer's Community Advisory Board (CAB) Awards here. 

Thank you, Swearer Community!

Thank you to all who came together to make this event possible: Swearer Center staff and student staff members; Will Battersby and Jen Heim from Event Support; Scott Lapham, our photographer and the technicians from NE Showtime Productions. A special thank you for the fantastic food provided by these local businesses: Kabob & Curry, Amos House: More than a Meal Catering and Syroya’s Bakery. 

To see more of the Commencement events and celebrations on social media, follow the hashtags #Brown2024, #BrownU, and #SwearerCommunity. Congratulations graduates! 


 

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