Unfortunately due to COVID-19, we were not able to have a physical awards show. However, we were able to honor UAB’s Blazer of the Year through social media!
This year’s theme is #CelebrateBlack #UnifyBlack #ExperienceBlack
Our goal is to unify all back cultures to celebrate the achievements of the outstanding performance of students in multiple aspects of excellence from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Nominations Now Closed
Location: This will be a virtual announcement on Instagram and other Social Media Platforms
Date: April 25, 2020
Time: All day!
RECAP
Categories include:
- Past Present Future Award
This award went to Gardendale High School’s Black History Committee 🎤🏆
We interviewed Deandria Davis who is the leader of this year’s committee. The 2020 BEA Coordinator, Sheleka Laseter, (virtually) sat down to talk to her about her experience leading this project. Ms. Davis is a graduating senior of Gardendale High School and current freshman attending Lawson State Community College. With a strong family lineage around this program, Deandria carried the mantle that was passed to her and with along with her committee, created an amazing show for her community!
- Blazer of the Year
This award went to Ms. Benignie Dorsainvil who is a junior majoring in Biomedical Sciences & Public Health with a Global Health Concentration. She is also minoring in Chemistry and Art Studio with a New Media concentration.
Growing up in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, she used the images that she saw of her people that were homeless and uneducated, and used them to fuel her passion to explore the major she has chosen at UAB. Looking to pursue her goal of becoming a Cardiothoracic surgeon, she would like to work towards the goal of achieving global health equity by serving the World Health Organization. This year at UAB, her hand has been involved in many amazing projects and organizations such as UAB TRIO where she serves as a tutor and sits on the TRIO Advisory Council as the President and a Peer Success Coach, the Undergraduate Student Government where she serves as a School of Health Professions Senator, UAB Blazer Spirit Council where she acts as the Assistant Director of Spirit Events, and UAB Service Learning and Undergraduate Research where she is an ambassador. Her community merits this year also quite grand as she has served with Grace Missions Inc. and the Council for Opportunity in Education. Ms. Dorsainvil states, “In the future, as a doctor and a public health professional, I want to use my knowledge of global health to leave a long-lasting impact on the communities that I work with.” Ladies and gentlemen, please join us in congratulating Ms. Benignie Dorsainvil on becoming our 2020 Blazer of the Year! 🐲🏆
- 2020 Timothy Alexander Award for Alumni Achievement
This award went to Justin Sims
Growing up with the words of his late mother, Pandora Sims, etched into his heart and memory, Justin has taken it upon himself to take those words and affirm young people the same way his mother’s words still affirm him. Since graduating from UAB in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in 2015, Justin has taken every day as a new opportunity to empower young men and women to achieve higher and dream larger. From Mobile, Alabama, Justin came to UAB and hit the field running, literally. Joining mentoring organizations on campus after walking on to the UAB football team. Justin has taken the same principle of “affirmation” that came from the powerful voices of his mother and aunt and made it tangible for younger people to receive in the forms of two children’s books he released this past year entitled, “Young King, Young King” and “Young Queen, Young Queen.” The Timothy Alexander Alumni Achievement Award is one that highlights trailblazing alumni that never stopped looking to achieve greater and help their community to do the same, just as the award’s namesake has done for the campus of UAB and city of Birmingham. Now, Justin Sims is carving his own name into the legacy of the many great, young leaders that are doing the same.
