14 Students Honored with Tufts 2026 Presidential Awards for Civic Life

"My time at Tufts University has been shaped by a commitment to civic life grounded in service, leadership, and the belief that education must be connected to community impact. Through my work with TUPIT, I have focused on advancing criminal justice reform and supporting pathways for formerly incarcerated students, helping to expand access and opportunity for those too often excluded from higher education. Tufts has also given me the space to amplify my voice through TEDx, where I explored issues of justice and systems change, and to deepen my engagement in food justice through my work with Haley House, addressing inequities in access to basic needs with dignity and care.

Each of these experiences has been inspired and strengthened by the mission of Tisch College, which challenges us to combine academic excellence with meaningful civic engagement in service of addressing society’s most urgent challenges. I am honored to be part of a community that calls us not only to learn, but to act, and I carry forward a continued commitment to equity, justice, and collective well-being."

"From Samburu to Tufts, my journey has been shaped by communities that believed in me. Real impact does not demand extraordinary wealth or intellect - it demands the will to act, a good heart, and sustained dedication to the common good. For those who do receive privilege, civic leadership means transforming that advantage into enduring systems that expand access for generations beyond our own."

"As a first-generation student and oldest child of immigrants, I grew up quickly to support my family. But at the same time, I struggled to ask for help. This was until my elementary ESOL teacher, Mrs. Harley, started staying after school for hours tutoring me. This was my first example of the power of community. Someone looking out for you, for no other reason than to help you fulfill the potential you have.

But it seems we all have trouble asking for help, in some form or another. What if we thought about it this way? To inconvenience someone is to build a bond. To let others inconvenience you is to strengthen it. This is how communities outlast the shallow "how was your weekend?” This is how, in moments of overwhelm, we find we don't have to carry things alone.

That belief is what changed how I move through the world. When you know you don't have to carry things alone, the "crazy" things you want to do, start to feel possible. It's what pushed me to host conferences, build businesses, and take on the kinds of projects that seemed "crazy" to some. What I've come to understand is that the "crazy" thing usually just means no one has done it yet. Mrs. Harley stayed after school until 7pm for years with no extra pay for a kid who struggled to ask for help. That probably looked "crazy" to someone. To me, it was everything.

Someone is waiting for the "crazy" thing only you would dare to do. To them, it will mean everything."

"To me, civic engagement centers around making your voice heard on the issues that matter to you, honoring your lived experiences and identity while doing so. This conviction is part of why so much of my civic engagement journey has centered around voter rights and advocacy, with the recognition that there are countless structural barriers to voting - especially for those with marginalized identities. Everything that I do seeks to fight against these barriers, and empower people to make their voices heard - even when countless people tell them that they are not worth listening to. As a first-generation American and queer person, I am beyond honored to have been able to bring my own identity to the table the past four years at Tufts and to be recognized for doing so. Thank you to everyone that has supported me and my work as we create a just, equitable future, filled with the hope that the world can become a better place."

"Civic engagement, to me, means learning from different viewpoints, especially those that you disagree with. We all come to university with unique perspectives and firm opinions, but quickly discover just how much more there is to understand about the world. University should be a time when students are humbled; when we are forced to reevaluate our intellectual foundations and think critically about what is “truth.” It should be a time to debate ideas over identities, and to emphasize growth over being right. Through my work on campus with clubs such as CIVIC, the Federalist Society, The Tufts Tribune, and with the Center for Expanding Viewpoints in Higher Education, I have created spaces where students are challenged to think beyond their bubbles. We are all better off, as individuals and as a democracy, when we can understand and empathize with other perspectives."

"For me, civic engagement is not only a passion; it's an obligation. From attending my first protest in 7th grade to being elected National President of the J Street U National Board to testifying before Congress, I have remained steadfast in my belief that peace, justice and human rights are not naive, but necessary. My Tufts community has been instrumental in supporting me throughout this journey and I could not be more grateful. Every day, I am inspired by my peers at Tufts, by students across this country and by friends and activists internationally who work tirelessly to realize a future where dreams of reconciliation and justice in Israel/Palestine become reality. As Rabbi Tarfon once said, 'it is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.'"

"When visitors traveled hours to see my work, when conversations extended beyond the images on the wall, and when my opening reception became a night where artists, musicians, students, and local visitors gathered in one shared space, I began to understand the transformative power art has always held, the ability to transcend barriers and forge connections across communities and landscapes. That's where I position myself as a visual artist.

During my time at Tufts, my work extended beyond campus to local galleries, families, and communities. Through artist talks, exhibitions, and conversations, I came to understand art's agency in sparking dialogue, fostering emotional exchange, and building meaningful connections.

That commitment to community led me to think about the systems and structures that shape the arts and creative world. Through building Artrium, a community-driven platform across online and in-person spaces, and leading a team across art and technology, I seek to address challenges of fragmentation, accessibility, and visibility, creating pathways that turn connection into sustained opportunities for artists and creatives at all levels.

I'm deeply honored and grateful for the community at Tufts and SMFA, for nurturing the values that continue to guide how I create, build, and lead."

"We live in a time of fire and noise, where the line between truth and fear grows thin. At Tufts and the Fletcher School, I found something rare -- the kind of knowledge, discipline, and leadership that illuminates what is worth holding on to: freedom, choice, and human dignity. As President Reagan put it, 'Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.' I carry that with me -- and try to live up to it wherever I go.

My civic life comes from my own Georgia and from Ukraine, and continues here in the United States. Both have endured invasion, war, and occupation in the face of Russia’s imperial ambitions -- across generations, including seventy years under Soviet rule. And yet, we have never submitted. I’ve seen what it means when force is used against people for believing in freedom -- and still, they choose to stand. That choice, again and again, is what makes those values real.

Tufts and Fletcher don’t just teach these ideas  -- they stand for them, at home and beyond. As I write this, my friends are in the streets of Tbilisi and across the country. They rely on the one thing no one can take from them: people power -- to protect our democracy and our freedom. I dedicate this award to them--with the hope that Georgians, alongside Ukrainians, will free our countries, and that their courage will bring more light, and a deeper sense of liberty, to a world that needs both."

"One lesson I would share with current students is that lived experience can be a powerful source of voice, leadership, and change. As someone from a first-generation immigrant background, much of my path to civic engagement began by noticing barriers — in education, in access, and in community — and believing they could be challenged and changed.

At Tufts, that conviction led me to advocate for changes in the computer science curriculum through CS Student Council, support students as a mentor through the Emerging Scholars Program, and help build systems of support and belonging for first-generation, low-income, immigrant, and underrepresented students across campus through organizations like the FIRST Center.

Over time, I learned that civic engagement is not only about big public moments, but also about the steady work of showing up for others — supporting students, making systems easier to navigate, and creating spaces where people feel they belong. Through my work mentoring students on campus and supporting college access through QuestBridge, Matriculate, and the Virginia Latino Higher Education Network, I saw firsthand how quiet, consistent support can become the foundation for meaningful change.

As I close this chapter at Tufts, what I will carry with me most is the reminder that community is built through the ways we support, uplift, and learn from one another. My most cherished memories are rooted in that spirit: teaching, organizing, celebrating culture, and helping others recognize their own potential. I am deeply honored by this recognition, and I hope it reflects the principle that has guided my time at Tufts: that the doors opened for us should remain open for others."

"My time at Tufts has been defined by continuity: returning, staying, and growing within the same community over time. Across roles as a student, researcher, teaching assistant, and organizer, I have come to see civic engagement not as a single effort, but as a sustained commitment to building, connecting, and contributing. Through my work in nutrition data science, alongside teaching and leadership, I have focused on creating spaces where knowledge can extend beyond the classroom and connect to real-world impact. This recognition reflects a journey shaped by the people and communities that made it possible, and one I will continue to carry forward with intention."

"Growing up as a Latina American, my identity has always guided me toward a path of civic engagement and service. When choosing a dental school, I knew I wanted to be part of a community that not only celebrated diversity but also encouraged meaningful engagement with underserved populations. At Tufts, I found that environment, one that empowered me to connect my passion for dentistry with my commitment to advocacy, education, and equitable care.

This recognition is not a reflection of my work alone, but of the collective effort of mentors, classmates, and community members who made these initiatives possible. I am deeply grateful for the support and collaboration that allowed these projects to grow and create meaningful impact. My advice to current students is to lean into community, seek out opportunities to serve with intention, and remember that the most lasting change is built together."

"How do we become healers when the systems we are trained in are broken? How do I learn to offer the best holistic primary care to patients when medical services may be out of reach or lead to bankruptcy? And how do I affect change from my clinic when federal policies sow fear into entire immigrant and transgender communities? 

These questions led me to understand that to be a healer I would need to learn from mentors in both medicine and organizing. I have been blessed to find those mentors in Family Medicine and immigrant activism spaces and have spent my time in Medical school dedicated to bridging the distance between academia and activism.
We are not the first generation to feel anxious about our future nor angry at our government, but we have certainly seen a disproportionate share of human suffering at the hands of Covid-19, international conflict, and police brutality all instantly visible on our smartphones. As a student it can feel impossible to address any of it. But hopelessness of the many is part of the trick of systems that benefit the few. In its face we can recognize that our collective traumas are also a foundation for collective action. Start small, but start! Kindness multiplies and systems shift with learning how to care for one another in a world that doesn’t teach us how. So, share a meal, join a local organization, find mentors you admire and dare to transform our fractures into healed futures."

"Civic engagement has been the theme of my medical school experience. At a time when the most vulnerable are politicized and achieving health is increasingly inequitable and inaccessible, it was clear to me from day one that I needed to advocate not someday, but now. Being able to use my medical education to benefit both my future patients and my current communities is a privilege, one I do not take for granted. Advocacy takes many forms, from representing vulnerable voices in front of legislators to sitting with a patient who has been overlooked and hearing their story, and every form of advocacy is needed today. As I become a physician, I know that my civic engagement, my advocacy, does not stop at graduation, but will continue to develop and find a place in every stage of my career."

"My path to civic engagement is founded on the deeply held belief that there is no single type of knowledge, and that research and sustainable development must be community-based and driven – centering local priorities rather than those of researchers or policymakers. I consider working in Turkana County in northern Kenya for close to a decade as one of the greatest privileges of my life. My experience in participatory One Health research has taught me that we can only tackle the most pressing issues of our time, from climate change to emerging infectious diseases, by centering community voices and bringing people together – across sectors and ways of knowing.

Pastoralists are among the most marginalized communities in the world, yet possess irreplaceable knowledge about rangeland ecosystems, infectious diseases, and climate adaptation – knowledge that has significant implications for the rest of the world that are too easily overlooked. I remain committed to advocating for their meaningful inclusion in research, governance, and climate policy. I am honored to receive the Presidential Award for Civic Life, which reflects the collective effort and engagement of my mentors, Tufts colleagues, local partners, and especially the Turkana community themselves — without whom none of this work would be possible."