53 COLLEGE OF URBAN AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS Vincent "Walle" Brown Karinate Amabebe Regina Navarro-Gomez VINCENT “WALLE” BROWN is completing the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program (MURP). Originally from Georgia, Walle Brown’s trajectory started in the American South, jumped to Southeast Asia, and then returned briefly to the south before moving northwestward to Oregon. After graduating from undergrad, completing a Fulbright in South Korea, and completing the MURP, Walle is looking forward to establishing geographic stability. Walle received a Portland Planning Diversity Award from the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning, held two graduate assistantships, and worked more than 10 jobs to finance his degree. Walle is African American and comes from a family of academic high achievement and stunted professional growth due to race-based discrimination. Walle intends to break this chain by becoming a leader of public institutions. At PSU, Walle most fondly appreciates his participation in the Tuition Review Advisory Committee, the PSU Hip-Hop Alliance, and standing up to the powerful institutional forces when they are wrong. Walle will be a mayor, director, real estate owner, and respected community leader. KARINATE AMABEBE, while at PSU, discovered a passion for world cultures and social and environmental issues. She especially enjoyed the opportunity to tutor African refugee children at a local elementary school. Karinate’s father immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria. Through stories, he gave her an awareness of how people live in developing countries and taught her not to take for granted the privileges of being American. As a child, Karinate was homeschooled by her mother, who nurtured her creativity, and encouraged her to pursue her passions. Karinate would like to thank her mother, siblings, and partner for their consistent love, understanding, and support. She would also like to thank the PSU faculty and staff for creating an exceptional learning environment. Lastly, she would like to thank her late father, who taught her the importance of education and that knowledge is a lifetime pursuit. REGINA NAVARRO-GOMEZ built a community of students interested in international affairs, internships, and workshops. She founded the International & Global Studies Student Association and PSU’s first chapter of Sigma Iota Rho. As a first-generation student and parent, it was necessary for her to seek financial assistance to complete her degree. She was awarded four scholarships that were imperative to her academic and professional success. She completed four internships and she is currently an intern with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs and the Assistant Training Director for AMIGOS de las Americas, Portland. Regina plans to continue her work with the State Department and AMIGOS. Her future plans include obtaining a master’s in International Affairs and joining the ranks of the Department of State’s foreign service. Regina would like to thank her parents, daughter, and husband for their unconditional support and the Department of International Studies for their support and encouragement. STUDENT SPEAKERS
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