Introducing Our 2022 MLK Scholarship Finalists
Lubens Benjamin
Lubens Benjamin is from Boston, MA. He is majoring in Marketing and pursuing a minor in Philosophy. The AHANA+ Leadership Council has been one of his most significant commitments because it has been integral to his growth and development while at Boston College. He has worked at the Student Summer Admissions Program and served as a mentor in both the Big Brothers Program and the Multicultural Leadership Experience Program. He also served as a leader in the APPA Program and on a Kairos retreat. Campus Ministry Associate Director Ryan Heffernan describes Lubens as a student who is “open to growth, intellectually gifted, religious, loving, and committed to justice…in short, everything we hope for in our students.” Lubens is inspired by Dr. King’s notion of Beloved Community, writing: “We must reach the unheard voices and fulfill their needs. To do this, we must come together as human beings and admire what we all bring to this family.” After graduation, Lubens hopes to be an agent of change through working on nonprofit campaigns that benefit educational programs in his childhood neighborhood.
Tamara Hyppolite
Tamara Hyppolite is from Tewksbury, MA. An Option Through Education Scholar. She is a Nursing major and is minoring in Psychology. The Lift as You Climb and Bowman Advocates programs have been two of her most meaningful commitments while at Boston College. According to Tamara, being a Bowman Advocate provides “the opportunity to learn more about how I can help different communities that are affected by bias and hatred in the United States.” She has also participated in the Jamaica Magis and Magis Civil Rights programs. Tamara is inspired by Dr. King’s message of hope, writing: “Dr. King made it clear that to make a difference in the world we have to first believe that a difference can be made.” Andy Petigny, Associate Director at the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center, describes Tamara as “a quiet leader, determined, passionate, and exudes the ideals and philosophies of Dr. King, to be appreciated for all the hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance she has shown.” After graduation, Tamara will pursue a PhD in nursing, specializing in psychology, in order treat children who are struggling with mental health while also educating parents on how to better help their children.
Kudzai Kapurura
Kudzai Kapurura is an Economics major and an African and African Diaspora Studies minor from Salem, OR. An Option Through Education Scholar. She was designated America’s Best College Poet in 2021. Her most meaningful commitment was her participation in TedX, and her TedX. talk explores concepts including opportunity, perception of privilege, and aspiration as a first-generation American. She also notes her work in Courageous Conversations as being impactful, where she had the opportunity to host conversations about race and social justice. Among her other accomplishments, Kudzai has served as a BAIC Ambassador, a participant in Dialogues on Race, a Student Orientation Panel Speaker, a Magis Civil Rights trip participant, a Resident Advisor, and a Co-Chair for the Black History Month Opening Ceremony. Cooney Family Director of the PULSE Program writes that Kudzai “has the imagination and vision of an artist, and the practicality of an economics major, and she uses her gifts and skills to draw people to her and build community as a leader.” Kudzai regards Dr. King as exemplifying “the power of inspiration and social progression through oratory.” She wishes to pursue a career in law in order “to bring proper judicial accountability to flawed societies.”
Michael Martins
Michael Martins is a Political Science Major and International Studies Minor who is from Walpole, MA. Michael credits his work at the Bowman AHANA Intercultural Center as his most meaningful commitment at Boston College, where he has been able to “engage in important conversations that bridge the gaps we have on campus.” Michael is also a mentor for the Boston College Democrats FLAME Mentorship Program and participated in the Magis Civil Rights Immersion Trip. Outside of campus, Michael was an intern for The Coalition for Social Justice, where he engaged in politics at the local level. Richard Paul, Assistant Director of the African & African Diaspora Studies Program, notes Michael’s “scholastic achievements, commitment to justice and equality, work ethic and commitment to his own personal development as well as to that of others.” Michael describes Dr. King’s vision as “direct, inclusive, and radical,” holding that “justice does not come into being automatically …and creating it poses a threat to power which requires us to fight for it.” Michael wishes to pursue a career in law or politics in order to “foster the dignity of all members of the Beloved Community.”
E’Sachi Smalls
E’Sachi Smalls is from Bronx, NY and is a Nursing Major. She cites her employment in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, where she has worked since her freshman year, as among her most formative experiences at Boston College. According to E’Sachi, through the Student Affairs office, she has “learned a number of valuable skills at this job that have shaped me into a better student and person.” E’Sachi also serves as an MLE Mentor, the Head Coordinator for Nursing Outreach, a Student Ambassador for the Student Admissions Program, and a Bowman Advocate. According to Mary Colleen Simonelli, Associate Dean of the Connell School of Nursing, E’Sachi “works tirelessly toward the improvement of the lives of others through service and uses her talents to provide leadership for change.” Dr. King has inspired E’Sachi to be an “extremist for love,” because “it is not enough to have courage and ideals; I have to bring those ideals to fruition through my life choices and actions.” E’Sachi hopes to pursue a career in nursing. Noting the health disparities that disadvantage Black women, she wants to specialize in women’s health in order to “heal black women who have suffered for far too long.”