Humanities in Action Scholars Spring 2026
We CU, Humanities Research Institute Announce Spring 2026 Humanities in Action Scholars
We CU and the Humanities Research Institute (HRI) are proud to announce the spring 2026 Humanities in Action scholars. The new cohort includes seven students from the colleges of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Fine and Applied Arts.
The Humanities in Action program (HIA) aims to remove some of the financial barriers that prevent undergraduate humanities students from taking advantage of community engagement opportunities.
Selected by a competitive application process, HIA scholars are then matched—through the Community Learning Lab in the School of Social Work—with a community partner to address a vital area of need in the Champaign-Urbana community. The students will also attend workshops to strengthen their community partnerships and build connections with like-minded peers, and will learn more about HRI’s opportunities and the broader community of humanists at Illinois.
Join us in congratulating this talented group of students!
MEET THE SCHOLARS
Michelle Cordova (class of 2028) is majoring in philosophy and Spanish with a pre-law track. A James Scholar and Chancellor's Scholar, she serves as co-enrichment coordinator for Latinx in Law, and is also co-vice president of education for I-CAUSE (Illinois Coalition Assisting Undocumented Students' Education). This past semester, she served as a volunteer at the Refugee Center in Champaign.
Her cultural background as a first-generation Mexican-American and daughter of an immigrant drives her passion for social justice. This past summer, she was a pro bono Intern at a Chicago-based firm, where she saw firsthand how complex the criminal justice system can be. Since then, she's become passionate about advocating for incarcerated individuals and learning how criminal justice reform can reduce crime and prevent mass incarceration. She is equally passionate about immigration reform and expanding access to justice for immigrant and undocumented communities. After seeing the impact of immigration policies in her own life and community, she hopes to use her future legal career to support both immigrant families and people affected by the criminal justice system.
Amari Davis (class of 2027) is majoring in sociology with minors in history and criminology, law, and society. Prior to her transfer, she was involved in several student organizations at Joliet Junior College. She was president of the Black Student Union, a member of the Honors Program, Phi Theta Kappa, TRIO SSS (of which she is now an alum), and Student Government. At Illinois, she is a member of the Student Sociology Organization.
An aspiring professor, she loves reading and writing, and her interest lies in post-modern theory. Some issues that are important to her include education, food insecurity, and prison reform.
Lucas Hennessey (class of 2027) is majoring in urban studies and planning, with a minor in art and design. A James Scholar, he recently volunteered with the McHenry County Conservation District, Habitat for Humanity, and the Urbana Park District. He is involved in the Student Planning Organization (professional development and social for urban planning students), the American Planning Association Illinois Chapter, Young Professionals in Transportation Chicago, and is developing a registered student organization called Bus Club.
He advocates for bottom-up city planning that allows all people to live safely and comfortably within, to understand, and to shape their communities. He enjoys visiting cities and towns of all kinds and observing their interpretations of the built environment, as well as appreciating trains and buses.
Jacky Mejia (class of 2028) is majoring in integrative biology and Spanish and a recipient of the President's Award Program. As a volunteer at Yankee Ridge Elementary School, she supported a first-grade classroom by helping students learn to read and write in Spanish. Beyond academics, her focus was on helping the children connect with their cultural identities, feel proud of their roots, and see the value in being bilingual. This experience deepened her commitment to advocating for justice and supporting marginalized communities. Outside the classroom, she has also taken part in community protests and helped distribute resources such as food, clothing, and information to families in need. These experiences have shown her how powerful collective action can be, especially during times when many in our communities live with fear or uncertainty. As a first-generation college student with the privilege of having a strong voice, she feels a responsibility to use it to uplift others, stand up for their rights, and ensure that every person, especially young students, know they belong and deserve to be heard.
In the future, she hopes to become a pediatrician and eventually open medical centers in Guatemala and other low-income countries. Her goal is not only to provide healthcare, but to truly understand the people, their stories, and the challenges they face beyond the exam room. Growing up around communities impacted by limited access to care and witnessing medical injustices abroad has shown her how deeply structural barriers affect families. She wants to help build systems where children and their parents are treated with dignity, compassion, and cultural understanding. This vision drives her passion for global health, equity, and fighting for the rights of communities whose needs are often ignored and not seen.
Jatin Mirzayi (class of 2027) is majoring in history. Before coming to the University of Illinois he studied in Edinburgh, Scotland. Living and traveling abroad has taught him about how little communication is shared between people globally. He previously volunteered at homeless shelters and realized how precarious the living situation of so many people is—and how easily they can, by one turn of bad luck or a seemingly transient poor decision, end up on the street. He takes an interest in language and is learning both Russian and Persian. At the University of Illinois, he is an editor for the Undergraduate History Journal. He also has an interest in informational transparency and intellectual dissemination globally, which has led him to contribute to translating or digitizing old historical documents and articles.
Bianca O’Shea (class of 2028) is majoring in political science. She is a co-founder of Stand With Planned Parenthood Ottawa, and a special event organizer with Planned Parenthood Generation Action here on campus. A long-time activist in women’s rights, animal rights, and environmental rights, she has done extensive work in protecting reproductive freedoms in the United States alongside the protection of marine animals from aquariums like Shedd and Sea World while bringing awareness and fighting against the animal abuse within circuses, which helped lead to the Illinois ban of animal circuses.
Julie Roman-Catalan (class of 2028) is majoring in human development and family studies and is in the Illini Mentor Program. Based on her internship at a Chicago Public Library, she was nominated to attend NYEC Youth Days in Washington, D.C. to talk to politicians and advocate for youth programming. She is very passionate about youth programming and believes it is essential for positive youth development.