Congratulations to the 2021 Oliver Chapman Award Recipient Insiya Naim
Wednesday, May, 26th, 2021 Campus Events International Center Events
On May 19, 2021 the International Center and the International Club (I-Club) held the 29th Annual Oliver Chapman Leadership and Community Service Award ceremony. This award, created in the memory of Oliver Chapman (E'92), recognizes an outstanding senior who has contributed to the international community through leadership and community service, whether locally or in national or international settings. The nominee should be a person who has enriched the lives of others and who has demonstrated leadership and service while having an impact on the Tufts international community. Tufts students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to nominate a deserving student, and the recipient is selected by a committee of student peers.
This year's Chapman Award recipient was Insiya Naim (A'21, Cognitive Brain Science). Insiya's examples of service included multiple campus positions where she exhibited strong leadership skills. As a sophomore, she was the student representative of the Academic Affairs Committee on the Tufts Board of Trustees. In this role, her input was vital in the conception of a subcommittee on student life, which served to alert University administration to issues faced by students on campus. She was subsequently elected International Community Senator, and in this capacity worked closely with the International Center and the TCU Senate to address critical problems faced by international students. Insiya also served as the associate treasurer of the Allocations Board (ALBO), and she was lauded by her peers for her work in ensuring equitable funding for international-themed clubs. Within the I-Club, she helped to modernize the Club's budget models, and she has also maintained membership at different levels within the Tufts Association of South Asians (TASA).
Insiya was also a GO Pre-Orientation host advisor in her sophmore year, and GO Coordinator during her junior year, where she helped to co-organize a memorable introduction to Tufts for incoming students. Outside of the international community, Insiya was also the president of the Leonard Carmichael Society at Tufts and oversaw programming of the largest student organization on campus dedicated to community service in areas of health issues, homelessness, literacy and education, and youth mentoring. Many students who nominated her recognized Insiya for her boundless and infectious energy, enthusiasm, and eagerness to welcome students regardless of their national origin or identity. A consummate connector, she has fostered community in many different spaces, and supported directly and indirectly different social justice causes, highlighting the need for social justice advocacy in varied situations.
The International Center and the I-Club congratulate Insiya for her tremendous accomplishments and for this deserved recognition.
Other finalists for the Chapman Award included Uzair Sattar, Katrina Dilamanta, Boris Sorkin, Yongyi (Katrina) Wang. All of the finalists were congratulated for their incredible service as student leaders during their time at Tufts.
The Chapman Award Ceremony was a part of a year-end virtual recognition for the graduating class of 2021. A recording of the Ceremony is available through this Zoom.