At the reception, PhD student Ye Zhang Pogue of Brandeis University Heller School received the Barbara Wakefield Award, which is presented annually to a student who has contributed significantly to community-building within and outside of Heller. Dean Weil introduced Pogue, noting her track record as an advocate for international students on campus. He added, “You even took your passions to the federal level, challenging the current race question on the 2020 U.S. Census with Asian Americans for Equal Rights and the Asian American Grassroots Coalition. Despite a heavy course load and employment, you advocated relentlessly in the public sphere.” Pogue delivered a passionate acceptance speech, speaking about her identity and her ongoing advocacy work. “I am an Asian. I am Chinese. I am a woman. I have an invisible disability. All these factors definitely shaped my experience; however, I am beyond the combination of all these boxes and labels. What really defines me are my choices, not the things I could not choose. I chose to serve the community,” she said.
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