COM Recognizes Four With DEI Leadership Award
COM students Rafeeat Bishi, Alanis “Laney” Broussard, Katarina Quach and Eliza Yang were named recipients of the 2024 Erin Victoria Edwards Award for Leadership Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, presented during COM’s annual student awards ceremony March 16.
The awards are made by COM’s DEI Committee to COM seniors and graduate students for demonstrating strong leadership in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in their “major fields of study, professional activities and internships, in the classroom, or in their communities at large.”
Rafeeat Bishi.
Laney Broussard.
Kat Quach.
Eliza Yang.
Bishi will receive a Bachelor of Science in film and television. While at BU, she used storytelling for social impact. As social impact producer for the film Promise to Stronger Days, Bishi recruited an all-woman, above-the-line crew and partnered with local organizations for survivors of abuse. Bishi worked with Charcoal Magazine, a student-run multimedia art publication that highlighted the narratives and artistry of people of color; Pay It Forward, an organization offering free advertising services to minority-owned small businesses; and BlackMuslimTV as its creative production lead to connect with audiences across 2000 platforms. Bishi’s goal after graduation is to continue building equitable spaces in the media and use film, community engagement, and leverage resources to inspire others for change.
Broussard will receive Bachelor of Science degrees in journalism and public relations. As a first-generation student Broussard is passionate about helping students from different socio-economic backgrounds access education. She arrived on campus with a Posse Foundation scholarship, and during her first year was honored by Pres. Joe Biden for starting a non-profit, Soul to Speak, during COVID-19, which provided students of color with increased access to instructional videos and workshops. Broussard was a member of BU Student Government’s Executive Board and worked for the BU Admissions Student Diversity Board to help connect prospective students to on-campus groups. Beyond BU, Laney remained connected to the Veritas School of Social Sciences, a program that recruits, trains and matriculates Black youth into a summer debate residency at Harvard University to create bridges to higher education access. After graduation Broussard plans to highlight stories of marginalized communities through her communication work.
Quach will receive a Bachelor of Science in public relations this month. As a first-generation student and a proud transgender woman of color, Quach has thrown herself into activities at Boston University to create spaces in which others feel safe and a sense of belonging. At the Newbury Center, Quach was the first co-editor-in-chief for the Newbury Center’s Elevate Magazine, dedicated to sharing the stories, experiences and art of first-generation students at BU. Later, she worked as the center’s social media coordinator, a role normally reserved for graduate students. Quach interned with the AIDS Monument in Los Angeles and volunteered at the SAGE Center in New York City. Kat was selected as one of the inaugural 100 recipients of the Obama Foundation’s Voyager Scholarship, a competitive award for her commitment to public service, and she will be inducted into BU’s Scarlet Key Society during Commencement Weekend. She plans to work in a non-profit public relations role to create more diverse, inclusive and equitable spaces.
Yang will receive her Master of Science in media ventures. As a volunteer starting at 15, she supported children’s education in Myanmar and Eswatini, and so discovered the transformative power of storytelling and media in enacting social change. Yang created a podcast exploring the beauty of Taiwanese culture, which was later expanded into magazine features. She worked as a communications officer at Greenpeace East Asia, gaining insights into climate-related DEI human-rights issues – the focus of her work as a media ventures student. As community assistant for the BU Los Angeles Study Abroad program, she organized student life events, and mediated student concerns to find solutions. As social media manager intern at ElectraCast, she uses metrics to amplify the platform for stories from LGBTQ+ and Black communities.
As a symbol of the award, COM presented each recipient with an honor cord, a certificate and a $500 stipend. The award is named in honor of Erin Victoria Edwards, a former COM student who demonstrated outstanding leadership through her DEI initiatives.
