At the conclusion of a night of reflection around the theme “Dangerous Unselfishness”, lifted from Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “Mountaintop” speech, Cultural Studies PhD candidates Ayondela McDole and Shauna Rigaud as well as Cultural Studies alum Dr. Tauheeda Yasin were announced as recipients of the 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Evening of Reflection awards.
The Emerging Alumni Award was presented to Dr. Tauheeda Yasin, celebrating "an alum of George Mason University who embodies the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and embraces the university's commitment to diversity, well-being, and innovation in their career, academics, and professional values."
Dr. Yasin was recognized not only for her research on poverty and justice, but also for her active involvement in the Northern Virginian muslim community's collective efforts at the integration of Afghani refugees into society. She teaches courses on Religion, the Humanities, and ESL at the Northern Virginia Community College.
The awards were handed out by Austin Deray, Assistant Director for Graduate Student Life at George Mason University, and Yara El Mowafy, Mason alumna and humanitarian aide and international emergency worker as well as namesake of the Graduate Student Yara Mowafy Award. Mowafy noted this year's winner of that Award, Cultural Studies PhD candidate Ayondela McDole, for her work as the past-president and founding member of the Black Graduate Student Association, and her membership on the Student Voice committee as well as the steering committee of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force (ARIE) here at George Mason.
Last but not least, Cultural Studies PhD candidate Shauna Rigaud was asked to the stage to receive the inaugural Graduate Student Spirit of King Award. Shauna is a current officer and founding member of the Black Graduate Student Association, member of the Student Voice committee as well as the Curriculum and Pedagogy committee on the ARIE task force. She has advised and worked with undergraduate student groups and students around community engagement, social justice, and civic duties, continuing her service for youth work prior to her doctoral studies.
The Cultural Studies PhD Program would like to extend its congratulations to Tauheeda, Ayondela, and Shauna on this recognition of their work for social justice causes. You can watch the award ceremony here.
February 21, 2022