During the fall of 1987, the Graduate College and the Division of Campus Life established awards to recognize outstanding achievement and contributions of graduate students at the University of Arizona who have shown academic achievement despite facing challenging social, economic, or educational obstacles. In years past, the award was presented to two students at the Master's level and two students at the Doctoral level. Beginning in 2018, due to the philanthropic commitment of past Master’s Award recipient, Dr. William Broussard (MA, ‘02, and Ph.D., ‘07—Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of the English Language) six graduate students were awarded the Centennial Awards. Through Dr. Broussard’s continued benevolence, starting in 2022 eight recipients will be selected and awarded the Centennial Award.

Arianna Aquino

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Arianna Aquino grew up in Glendale, AZ. While receiving her BFA in Dance at California Institute of the Arts, she developed a passion for the artistry of dance within choreography. Arianna
spent the next twelve years performing professionally, as well as building and teaching in a dance program at a Title I high school in Brooklyn, NY. There she began her diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) journey and the development of responsive and relevant curricula, programming, and activist performance art.

Arianna is in her second year in the MFA dance program at The University of Arizona. Her interdisciplinary research includes dance theater, music production collaboration, psychology,
social sciences, cultural studies, and DEI. The choreography she has presented at UArizona has been about the female experience; misogyny and capitalism; suicide and addiction; the effects of corrupt leadership; trauma responses; and the personal discovery of the identity of five women from five different cultures in America. Her piece, "MissED UNDERSTOOD", about the experience of colorism and non-gender conforming within the Latin community, was presented at the inaugural Spanish Harlem Dance Festival. Arianna's choreography of consequence is purposed to cause positive social change and raise the awareness of the dancers and audiences that experience and witness her work. Arianna received the 2022 School of Dance Creative Achievement Award.

Arianna began by writing the curriculum for and leading DEI Gatherings in the School of Dance to aid in an inclusive culture within the program. She presented this curriculum at the 2022 National Dance Education Organization National Conference and the 2022 Dance Studies Association international conference. In her first year at the University of Arizona, Arianna served on the Arizona Arts Diversity and Inclusion committee within the Student Affairs subcommittee. Currently she is a JustArts Fellow, and in the Collegiate Teaching and Inclusive Leadership Certification programs. After graduating, Arianna desires to continue developing DEI for collegiate dance programming and presenting choreography that has the power to cause change.

Nitika Mehta

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Nitika Mehta is a master’s candidate in the department of Educational Psychology. She is from a small town in India and moved to the USA in 2021 to further her journey in academia. After completing an undergraduate degree in Psychology Honors from Delhi University in 2013, Nitika earned a gold medal award in 2016 for a master’s degree in Psychology. Along with her studies at the University of Arizona, she is also a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Educational Psychology.

As a child, Nitika endured a schooling system that was flawed at best. Up until the seventh grade, she was beaten, bullied, and ridiculed by her teachers and fellow students because she was not a “bright” student. Her attempts of being invisible to avoid that treatment translated into a person with zero self-esteem and inefficacious confidence in one’s self. That all changed for her when, with the support of her parents, she made the volitional decision to study at a public boarding school. That school, Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, changed her life exceptionally for the better. She fell in love with learning because she could see the power that a wholesome educational institution holds in changing a student’s life.

After her graduate studies in India, Nitika worked with various schools and NGOs. These included populations from low SES groups, disadvantaged backgrounds, and students with special needs. She spent four years understanding how schools in India operate, and what needs to be done to foster a culture where inclusive education can be brought to the forefront. After finishing her masters at the University of Arizona, she plans to continue in the doctoral program. She believes this will equip her to fulfill her dreams of making education inclusive.

Nitika is the recipient of the Dolores R. Kaith Scholarship and the Morton & Malvene Wolstein Peck Scholarship at the University of Arizona. She has also been selected as the Erasmus Circle Scholar for the College of Education (2022). Along with these honors, she is currently a Paul Lindsey intern working with Inspiring Connections Outdoors (Tucson), an organization that provides outdoor opportunities for underserved youth of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Reyna Mendoza

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Reyna Mendoza is pursuing a Master's in Teaching and Teacher Education from the University of Arizona. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Literacy, Learning, and Leadership with an emphasis on Leadership for Equitable Access & Success, as well as an Associate’s in Science from Pima Community College.

Reyna was born and raised in South Tucson, Arizona. Her single mother and grandparents raised her. They were a hardworking Hispanic household, that valued tradition and family.

After graduating from San Miguel High School, Reyna pursued a degree in Architecture from the University of Arizona. However, she realized her calling was elsewhere and changed her major multiple times. During her first year at the University, her grandmother's dementia worsened. Reyna had to step up as a caregiver for her grandmother and earn extra income for the household. During the fall term of 2012, the University dismissed Reyna for poor academic standing. Despite this setback, Reyna did not stop her education and enrolled in Pima Community College. She married in 2014 and had a daughter in 2016, all while still being her grandmother's caregiver. Her grandmother passed in the Fall of 2016 before Reyna went on to graduate from Pima Community College. These events were all before her return to the University in the summer of 2018. Reyna officially divorced in the fall of 2019. As a single mother, she ended the year graduating as the Outstanding Senior for the College of Education.

Reyna has committed time to her community and the University. She served as Vice President of the first cohort of the College of Education Dean's Undergraduate Advisory Board. She also served as a College of Education Ambassador. Reyna has worked at her alma mater since 2012 and has held multiple positions involving student success, equitable services, and data management. Her current role is Student Data Manager and Enrollment Adviser. She has also served as the District and Lasallian liaison for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Reyna has also been on the governing board at Literacy Connects, where she worked with two task forces in Digital Literacy and Social Justice.

After graduation, Reyna plans to pursue her education for a doctorate so that she may become a professor. Then she may further help tomorrow's teachers with the lens that literacy is social justice.

¡Sigue Adelante!

Rafael Romero

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My name is Rafael Romero, I grew up in Rio Rico, AZ, and I am a first-generation college student at the University of Arizona. In May 2021, I received my B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Mechanical Engineering. Now, I am working on my Master’s in Biomedical Engineering and am set to graduate in the spring of 2023.

In my research, I work with Dr. Dongkyun Kang in the College of Optical Science to develop low-cost microscopy technology to help with the diagnosis of diseases worldwide. My most recent project focused on In Vivo skin cancer imaging using advanced biomedical, mechanical, and optical engineering techniques. My career goal is to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for underrepresented communities everywhere.

On campus, I've had several positions as a Resident Assistant, Desk Assistant and Desk Manager in the UArizona Housing Department. Additionally, in the College of Engineering, I have been involved in Engineering Ambassadors, the BME Mentorship Program, Graduate Teaching Assistant, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) as the Advancement of Latinx in Engineering Vice President and Director of Operations. Through SHPE, I’ve volunteered countless hours educating middle school students, high school students, and the community in STEM awareness. As a result of my involvement, I was awarded the highest honor given to any SHPE member at the University of Arizona, the SHPE Presidential Award.

After graduation, I plan to work in the medical device industry and become a leader in my industry. Along with an extensive career, I hope to keep giving back to disadvantaged rural communities and become a mentor for students who come from similar backgrounds as I do. Thanks to the University of Arizona, I can not only achieve my dreams, but also help others reach theirs.

2021 Centennial Achievement Masters AwardeES