Nine University of Arizona students were honored Tuesday with Centennial Achievement Awards for their perseverance and leadership in the pursuit of academic success. This year's recipients include two undergraduates and seven graduate students.

Undergraduate awardees receive a $250 stipend, while graduate awardees receive $500. All awardees receive an engraved plaque.

"I have always held the success of our students, the experiences we provide them, and the opportunities we create for them as our North Star, our main focus," said University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella. "We wouldn't be a university if we weren't focused on our students."

The following students were recognized. 

Robynique Kendryna
Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Science
A first-generation college student, Kendryna has turned personal challenges into a powerful drive to uplift others. Her passion for human development and family science stems from her own experiences, including the loss of her mother during her teenage years. These challenges inspired her to pursue a career dedicated to supporting children and families facing similar hardships.

Octreyvian Killian
Bachelor of Science in Learning, Literacy and Leadership, and Bachelor of Arts in German Studies
Killian has navigated a lifetime of challenges with resilience and determination, turning adversity into strength. He faced significant hurdles early on, including health struggles and periods of homelessness that led to interruptions in his educational journey. A standout student who has worked to advocate for underrepresented communities, Killian expects to graduate summa cum laude in May. 

Samantha Barrera
Juris Doctor
Barrera is a first-generation immigrant from Great Britain, a mother of two, and a first-generation college student pursuing her Juris Doctor and a certificate in criminal law and policy from the James E. Rogers College of Law. A survivor of domestic violence, Barerra will begin a judicial clerkship after graduation that she considers a pivotal step toward her goal of serving as a prosecutor and offering pro bono family law services to survivors of domestic violence.

Rodrigo Guerra Su
Master of Science in Applied Economics and Policy Analysis
Guerra Su was born in Managua, Nicaragua, and grew up navigating the challenges of widespread poverty and political instability while remaining determined to pursue an education. Graduating summa cum laude, Guerra Su is the first in his family to study abroad and earn a degree from a U.S. institution.

Margaret Mercer
Master of Science in Wildlife Conservation and Management
Mercer blends a lifelong passion for animals and nature with a commitment to preserving biodiversity. Her research has focused on the effects of human presence on North American carnivores, with a goal to support conservation efforts and protect the world's ecosystems.

Michael Cardenas
Doctorate in Neuroscience
A Tucson native and U.S. Navy veteran, Cardenas researches how brain-body communication influences decision-making. He studies drugs that alter bodily states without directly affecting the brain and examines their impact on decision-making tasks to better understand how the brain processes physiological changes and how these responses bias behaviors.

Onur Ural Burns
Doctorate in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching
Burns' research centers on educational technologies and language teacher education. He is the first in his extended family to earn a master's degree and is currently pursuing a doctorate. Originally from Turkey, he has navigated systemic academic restrictions in his home country, the challenges of COVID-19 lockdowns during his early doctoral years, and the loss of his parents in a devastating earthquake.

Asya Gorlova
Doctorate in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching
Originally from Russia, Gorlova studies refugee language education and collaborates on research investigating LGBTQIA+ perspectives on language learning materials. She also contributes to the Multilingual Academic Corpus of Assignments: Writing and Speech project, which develops resources for Russian and Portuguese language learners.

Maiya Grace Block Ngaybe
Doctorate in Public Health
Drawing from her multicultural background, which includes Sudanese, Ethiopian and German heritage, Ngaybe is committed to advancing health equity, global health and public health resilience – all while balancing her studies and the care of her young child. Her research explores how informatics can strengthen public health responses to crises such as pandemics and climate change.

Read more about the undergraduate honorees, master's student honorees and doctoral student honorees on the Dean of Students website.