Up Close with Student Award Winners: December 2024

We are so excited to celebrate our Spring 2024 Lunsford Award and Boothe Award winners! You can read their award-winning essays and watch recordings of their presentations through the Boothe Prize and Lunsford Award websites.

Spring 2024 Boothe Prize Winner: Lela Rose Hanson

For “Postcard Cemeteries: Reclaiming Mission History for the California Public,” written in Peter Tokofsky’s Who Speaks for the Past: The Rhetoric of Public Memory.

Lela is a prospective Geophysics and Data Science double major from Los Altos, CA. She is interested in studying how landscapes are built both literally (geophysics, ecology, management) and culturally (land values, (pre-)history, community belonging), and wants to go into academia, federal, and/or nonprofit work in the future. In her free time, she enjoys folding origami, reading (especially sci-fi), hiking, embroidering, dancing, baking, and creating theater, particularly as a member of the Stanford Shakespeare Company.

She says, “PWR 1 ‘Rhetoric of Public Memory’ was a highlight of my first year at Stanford and it changed the way I write for the better. For my RBA, I wanted to research how public memory of colonization is facilitated in the state of California and the political effects this education has on Californian citizens today. The California missions have fascinated me since I first visited Mission San Juan Bautista on a school trip in fourth grade. They’re presented as these still, sterile gardens when they were actually working, often violent places that were ground zero for colonization and resistance in Alta California. My RBA was an opportunity for me to revisit the narratives I received as a child and to explore the cutting-edge of museum and memorial design in my own backyard.

In writing my RBA, I gained experience in managing dozens of sources (I highly recommend Zotero!) and investigating myself at two missions in the Bay Area. In interviewing the docents at these mission museums, I gained new perspectives on mission history education that contributed significantly to my final paper. Additionally, my instructor Peter Tokofsky gave me excellent criticism and encouragement throughout the process. I had never worked with a teacher with a background in journalism before, and his suggestions to improve clarity greatly strengthened my writing overall. Looking back on my RBA, I am most proud to have made an original argument for the relevance of mission history to every person living in California, including everyone on this campus.

The critical thinking and communication skills I learned from PWR will be essential in my future career as a scientist and an educator. As I consider majors, a key factor in my decision will be how much I will be able to write in my future career. Whether describing my research for a journal, writing essays for the public, or sharing my ideas through theater, I feel significantly more confident in my writing after taking this class and look forward to writing for the rest of my life."

Spring 2024 Boothe Prize Honorable Mention: Itai Reingold-Nutman

For “Words As Weapons: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict of Narratives,” also written for Peter Tokofsky.

Itai grew up in Sunnyvale, CA, and plans to major in Computer Science but continues to explore several other interests. Outside of school, he loves playing chess and tries to compete as much as possible.

He had this to say about his experience in PWR 1: "I arrived at Stanford eager to explore various interests, including Philosophy, Psychology, and Political Science. Admittedly, I was initially unsure about how useful PWR 1 would be and worried it was a requirement that would distract me from my academic pursuit. But, I was wrong. PWR 1 managed to combine the freedom to explore a meaningful interest with direct and thorough mentorship and has emerged as a rewarding and memorable experience.

My positive experience in PWR 1 was largely shaped by having a deep interest in my research topic. Growing up in America, I never studied the politics of Israel, or put much thought into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But, following October 7th, along with much sadness, anger, and mourning, I felt a profound desire to understand the conflict better. On a personal level, I started reading and conversing about the conflict. But, on an academic level, PWR 1 gave me the resources, structure, and mentorship to explore the topic.

Throughout the quarter, PWR 1 evolved into an outlet, where I would research, write, and reflect on a meaningful subject. The assignments were not chores, but useful steps towards engaging with the topic. I look forward to using the lessons from PWR 1 in my future explorations, and I am extremely grateful for the rewarding experience that this course provided me with.”

Spring 2024 Lunsford Award Winner: Haya Bakdounes

For “Humanizing Homelessness: Restoring Empathy, Dignity, and Health Equity to the Bay Area Unhoused” composed in Sarah Pittock’s course Hope, Health & Healing: The Rhetoric of Medicine

Haya is a pre-medical student majoring in Biology with a concentration in Neurosciences. As a Syrian-Taiwanese American, born and raised in Kuwait, she is passionate about uniting cultures, communities, and people from all walks of life. Academically, her fascination with the human brain translates into stroke recovery and neurorehabilitation research at Stanford’s George Lab. Haya’s heart lies in health education, advocacy, and accessibility, demonstrated by her endeavors to build positive impact through various organizations, such as the Stanford Housing Equity Project. In her free time, you may find her composing music, teaching karate, or working as an EMT.

She had this to say about her PWR2 experience: “I feel profoundly grateful that PWR2 not only enhanced my writing and presentation skills, but also equipped me with the confidence to lead my life with purpose and conviction. Through our engaging classes and dynamic performances, Dr. Pittock taught our class to lean into our passions, own our narratives, and harness rhetoric as a means to connect, educate, and inspire. “The Rhetoric of Medicine” deepened my love for public speaking and ignited a stronger passion for health advocacy, which I feel empowered to pursue alongside my future career path as a physician.”