The Utah Valley University (UVU) President's Scholarship Ball has a rich legacy and tradition of excellence. For more than 30 years, this annual event has brought together supporters to provide full-tuition scholarships for high-performing students who are awarded the Presidential Scholarship.
We look forward to seeing you at the UVU President’s Scholarship Ball on October 07, 2023. If you are unable to join us and would prefer to support future scholars, please click below to donate.
Led by UVU senior and first-generation student Kate Hickman (they/them), a group of five students from UVU’s Center for Social Impact (CSI) traveled to the University of Oxford in June to participate in the "Map the System" competition.
The goal of their project “Nuclear Pollution in the Navajo Nation” was to understand the system that historically and currently debilitates Navajo land and people through atomic and nuclear waste pollution.
“We wanted to share this story, but told reliant on Indigenous narratives,” Kate said on their team’s approach.
Kate and their teammates did exactly that. Their research not only impressed the competition, including students and post-doctoral candidates from Ivy League universities, but also hosts from the University of Oxford. The group’s work received recognition as an “Excellent Undergraduate Project.”
“It goes to show that people at any level, from any place, can have something unique and important to contribute,” Kate said.
This engaged learning project provided Kate with the perfect opportunity to apply the knowledge learned and skills gained during their time as a student at UVU. As a result, Kate experienced immense growth. They expanded their leadership, research, and visual representation skills. They also became proficient in systems thinking and analysis.
Kate describes the nine-month journey as one of the most significant of their life. In addition to new skills, they also acquired a greater level of awareness on the pressing pollution issue facing the Navajo Nation.
"A really important personal, professional, and academic benefit that I’ve gotten from this project is a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the issues facing Indigenous communities and how we can address that as a society.”
The long hours and hard work paid off for Kate in a myriad of ways. They were chosen as a CSI Social Impact Fellow for the 2022–2023 academic year and they plan to help create a database that stores research material created by the center and its students. This would allow research, including “Nuclear Pollution in the Navajo Nation,” to have an impact long after it is completed.
Kate, a bioinformatics major, is now better prepared to succeed in all their aspirations thanks to the life-changing experience.
“It was a success for the research, the students involved, and UVU at large,” they said.
If you'd like to make a donation to the Presidential Scholarship fund or serve as a sponsor, please contact Director of Annual Giving Vicky Hopper.
All donations are non-refundable.
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