Kathleen Stephan Named Martin Institute Outstanding Senior

December 08, 2009

The Martin Institute has announced that Kathleen Stephan '10 (pictured left during a service trip to Nigeria) will receive this year's Joseph W. Martin Outstanding Senior Award.

An International Studies major with a minor in Economics, Stephan has an outstanding academic record and has been heavily engaged with the Martin Institute throughout her college career.

"To say that Kathleen is committed to her education is a serious understatement," notes Peter Ubertaccio, director of the Martin Institute. "Kathleen is passionate about issues of justice and working toward a shared sense of community and she demonstrates that passion in every aspect of her life."

Each year, the Martin Institute honors graduating seniors committed to public service. The award continues to be an on-going tribute to the legacy of former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Joseph Martin Jr., a member of Congress from a neighboring congressional district who had a close relationship with the College and received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Stonehill in 1955.

In the summer of 2008, Stephan traveled to Aku, Nigeria to explore ways Stonehill students could assist development efforts in the village of Aku and surrounding areas.

As a follow-up to her trip, Stephan worked on a sustainable development efforts research project through the College's S.U.R.E. program in the summer of 2009.

After taking a course on post-conflict reconstruction and after her trip to Nigeria, Stephan created her own Interdisciplinary concentration of Peace and Conflict Studies.

In 2008, she interned at a refugee resettlement agency in Albany, NY. This semester, she is studying at American University in Washington, D.C. through the Washington Semester's Peace and Conflict Resolution Program. Stephan recently returned from a three week trip to the Balkans where she was conducting field work for the program.

Next semester, she will serve as a Teaching Assistant for the Learning Community Democratic Institutions and Cultural Differences in the United States and the World. Stephan previously worked as a Teaching Assistant for the LC Music, Culture, and Politics and the U.S.-Latin American relationship.

A Martin Institute Civic Ambassador, Stephan is currently applying for several post-graduate ‘year of service' programs.

Contact

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