Nebraska Wesleyan’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, held Friday, January 20, included recognition of this year's advocates for diversity. Honored were students Julisa Aburto Sanchez and Ruth Ekka, Professor Jaime Cano and former Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion Wendy Hunt.
Diversity Advocate awards
Assistant Professor of Spanish Jaime Cano
"Dr. Cano has consistently shown commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on our campus. Dr. Cano currently serves as the advisor for a new student organization, NWU Latinos. He is among the most engaged student organization advisors, and he has worked very hard to make sure this new organization had support so that they could make an impact on our campus. NWU Latinos is fostering inclusion and a sense of belonging for Latinx students on our campus. They are also educating our campus by creating celebratory and educational events highlighting Latinx culture, including the very successful Dia de los Meurtos event earlier this fall," said one of Cano's nominators.
Former Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion Wendy Hunt
"Wendy worked diligently to increase awareness of issues related to diversity and inclusion at Nebraska Wesleyan University for faculty, staff and students. Her passion to see change is evident. I have personally worked with Wendy on issues related to diversity and she is committed to everyone having the same opportunities. This is evident from the programming and work she has done at NWU," said one of Hunt's nominators.
Julisa Aburto Sánchez, sophomore, biology major
"Julisa has continually demonstrated a willingness to raise awareness in and outside our campus with her actions and leadership skills. [Julisa took the initiative] to create an organization that represented and raised awareness of the Latinx community on campus. She inspiringly noticed a lack of representation on our campus and decided to create the Latinx Organization at NWU. I know that her enthusiasm for enriching our campus community makes our university a more welcoming place for all," said one of Sánchez's nominators.
Mary Butler award
Ruth Ekka, senior, social work major
The prestigious Mary Butler Award recognizes a junior or senior who identifies as a student of color, is in good academic standing and demonstrates the ability to enrich the campus through extracurricular involvement, leadership, responsibility, and concern for others.
"Ruth's enthusiasm in promoting the importance of diversity and understanding differences never stops. She has been an extremely responsible and strong leader, and never shies away from making a difference on our campus. I am very impressed by her leadership and willingness to assist people and benefit the DEI programs and NWU," said one of Ekka's nominators.
Congratulations to this year's advocates for diversity, and thank you for all you do to make our campus a more inclusive place!