Hanan Sjah receives BC's 2024 Aquino Scholarship
Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences junior Hanan Sjah, whose own experience coping with personal grief has inspired her to pursue a career in pastoral counseling, is the winner of the 2024 电子游戏软件 Benigno and Corazon Aquino Scholarship.
Sjah was presented with the award by University President 威廉·P. 莱希,年代.J., at the annual Aquino Scholarship Banquet on 4月26日.
每年春天颁发给BC大三学生, the scholarship recognizes a strong academic record, 积极参与亚裔美国人事务, and service both on and off campus to the Asian American community. Sjah was selected from among a highly competitive pool of applicants that also included Kristen Kim, 帕特里克·金, 凯文·唐, 和Chloe Wu.
L-R: Chloe Wu; Hanan Sjah; University President. 威廉·P. 莱希,年代.J.; 凯文·唐; and Kristen Kim.
A double major in psychology and communication from Perrysburg, 俄亥俄州, Sjah serves as a MCAS Undergraduate Advising Fellow—a team of peer mentors who offer resources, 例如课程注册方面的建议, EagleApps, 课外参与机会, 学术计划, and transitioning to college—for students throughout the academic year. She also serves on the executive board for ASiAM, BC’s Asian and Asian American literary art magazine, and as the Muslim Student Association secretary.
Sjah的职业生涯始于法律预科, 但她在大二的时候转到了心理学专业, 带着成为治疗师的梦想. Having endured the deaths of her parents—her mother while Sjah was in high school; her father last fall—she has more specifically focused on pastoral counseling in a clinical setting. Next fall, she’ll begin a concentration in clinical psychology.
“I have long wondered how mental health services can be made more culturally competent and relevant for communities, 在我的情况下是穆斯林社区. I have seen firsthand the demand for mental health support for adults; however, expecting therapy to be the only solution can be limiting and culturally ignorant.
“悲伤激发了我对心理健康的热情, and my exposure to illness and death contributes to my fervor for pastoral support,”她说。. “作为一个有抱负的医院牧师, I hope to use culture and religion to enlighten that way I support people through illness, 丧亲之痛, 和危机.”
As a member of the Southeast Asian Student Association, 她是新生代表, 大二的时候还当过秘书. Sjah’s focus has been education and history: She coordinated an event in collaboration with students of other cultures and faiths to demonstrate the religious diversity across Asia.
Sjah has long been involved in the Indonesian Muslim Society of America, the national religious and cultural nonprofit organization that serves the North American Indonesian Muslim community, and currently serves on its youth executive board. 自2019年以来, she’s coordinated the four-day program for young adults and teens at the annual Indonesian and Malaysian Muslim Conference.
“当我没有计划会议的时候, 我整年都在接Zoom的电话, tackling the questions and concerns that pertain to the intersectional identity of being Southeast Asian and Muslim,”他说。. “我们有印尼的传统, 穆斯林信仰, 和城市的混合, suburban and rural upbringing in the United States, we’re interested in efforts ranging from combating racism to finding the best hijab-friendly prom dresses.”
Sjah points to her first college essay—a response to the question, “What is the best way to live?”—as a defining experience: Her answer was the well-known saying of the prophet Muhammad, “系上你的骆驼，信赖真主.”
“It encapsulates the balance we strike between our own efforts and our faith,”她说。. “It’s no coincidence that the research I conducted and papers I wrote in courses across psychology and communication would explore the way religion and culture influence how we live.”
Assistant Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures Wan Sonya Tang noted that Sjah was the Aquino Scholarship committee’s unanimous selection as this year’s winner.
“While her written application and essay were compelling, what really blew us away was her interview. She was poised and polished, but extremely humble. We loved how readily she accepted that she did not have all the answers, and that she was still learning and improving.”
Tang added that Sjah was quick to credit her own mentors such as Academic Advising Center Assistant Director Helen Ha, and how they had helped her to grow into her leadership potential.
“We were most struck by her overwhelming positivity despite the challenges she has faced, and how she has truly tried to build and uplift the Asian Muslim community at BC and nationwide,唐说. “She is exactly the kind of student that the Aquino Scholarship is meant to honor, and we are extremely excited to see what she does next year and where she goes after graduation.”