AAST Celebrates 2024-2025 AAST Scholarship Recipients
On Friday, May 10, AAST recognized the four recipients of the 2024-2025 AAST Scholarships. Tuan Nguyen, brother of Tone Nguyen, and Dr. Timothy J Ng were able to join the program’s celebration.
After the students were selected, we asked them how being in the Asian American Studies Program has had an impact on their experience at UMD. Thank you for sharing your reflections!
Timothy J Ng Scholarship in Asian American Studies
Lahiruni Dias Amarawardena ('25) | Government and Politics - International Relations, AAST Minor
"Being an AAST minor has greatly influenced my life. I believe it has nurtured my passion and commitments to my community, helped me engage in my personal history, and assist me in envisioning a hopeful future for APIDA and other marginalized communities. Over the course of three years, I've learned so much about collective identity, had conversations with other APIDA students, built relationships with staff and faculty, and engaged in activism within AAST and affiliated organizations like AASU. AAST has also made me more passionate about involving myself in academia professionally, as I am beginning to consider a career in ethnic studies, or involving myself in those educational efforts in some shape or form."
Linh-Thong Huu Nguyen Memorial Scholarship
Avipsa Hamal ('26) | Psychology, AAST Minor
"The Asian American Studies program has genuinely improved my educational experience at UMD hugely. I have learned to appreciate and embrace my Asian American identity through this program's various classes highlighting the unique histories of Asian Americans. In high school, there was limited exposure to classes about people that look like me and the AAST program has shown me that my people are heavily underrepresented in American history. This imbalance motivated me to advocate for Asian Americans and their place in education. I also became more involved with other issues concerned the APIDA community through the Asian American Student Union on campus. Overall, AAST has been an enlightening experience that has shown the importance of ethnic studies in college."
Major General Antonio Taguba Profiles in Courage and Leadership Scholarship: Tara Davoodi ('25)
Government and Politics, AAST Minor, Creative Writing Minor
"The Asian American Studies Program has undoubtedly changed my collegiate experience in so many meaningful ways. Taking classes on Asian American history and the South Asian American experience have allowed me to understand complex feelings about my own identity and connect them to a real, tangible past. One of the aspects of this program that I particularly appreciate is that it encourages activism and advocacy, and doesn't shy away from it. Through the relationships I have formed with professors and peers, I have been able to transfer my classroom knowledge to the real world, whether that is through advocacy and community education with the Asian American Student Union, or through writing on and engaging with hot-button issues pertaining to Asian America, like affirmative action. This community has given me not only a grounding for understanding the complexities of race and ethnicity, but also has provided me with an invaluable support system. With AAST, I have found classes that I truly care about, which has made my experience at Maryland infinitely more engaging and exciting."
Major General Antonio Taguba Profiles in Courage and Leadership Scholarship: Angela Tan ('26)
Physiology and Neurobiology, AAST Minor
"I have absolutely loved my experience in AAST classes and being in the Asian American Studies Program has been great! It is nice to join a community of others that are also interested in learning more about the history and experiences of Asian Americans. As an Asian American myself, I didn't realize how little I knew about the history of Asian Americans until I took my first AAST class. Being in the Asian American Studies Program has definitely diversified my experienced at Maryland and helped me to become a more culturally competent individual."
AAST is grateful to our endowment donors that continue to support our undergraduate students in their academic pursuits. Congratulations again to our scholarship recipients!