Class of 2023 Coverage
On Monday, April 17, Irene Nazario ‘23 received the Outstanding Student award for the Chancellor’s Creating Community Awards.
The Chancellor’s Creating Community Awards recognizes outstanding faculty, staff, colleges, units, students and student organizations that have made exceptional efforts and contributions in the areas of equity, diversity and inclusion. The student award recipient demonstrates a balance between their educational goals and their desires to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the NC State community.
Irene was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and moved to Georgia when she was four-years-old. She was the co-director of Sube Ritmo, the only Latin dance team at NC State, and was a member of Dancing With Wolves Ballroom Dance Club. She conducted research with invasive turtle species and with the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State as an Undergraduate researcher for the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians. She was also a member of the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association. After graduation, Irene will be part of the Class of 2027 for the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Irene was nominated for her work as an advocate for the Latinx community both on and off campus. She worked as a panelist for the CAMINOS program, an on-campus program where incoming students participate in workshops to learn about university student life, engage in topics as they relate to the Latinx/Hispanic community and higher education, and receive assistance with the college application and financial aid process.
Irene supported the Park Scholarships program by translating brochures and application materials to support Spanish-speaking students, and translated presentations in real-time during the Park Scholarships Finalist Weekend.
Recently, Irene partnered with the NC Museum of Natural Science to translate several exhibits throughout the museum. She researched museums across the United States and identified places of need for underrepresented communities. When she found a lack of programming and accessibility for Spanish-speaking guests, she proposed providing QR codes that would translate the exhibits to Spanish. She shared her research findings to museum stakeholders and was met with overwhelming support as well as an interest to adopt and continue implementing her project.
Her nomination read, “As an immigrant herself, Irene understands the need for culturally responsive representation and resources. She is continuously partnering with other groups and offices on campus to be of service to incoming classes of Latinx students, reassuring them that there is a place for them here.”
Congrats, Irene!