SOPHOMORE COHORT

HONOR

Anna Duong

Amanda Figueroa-Nieves

Eva Strelitz-Block

Cameron Waltz

Anna Duong

Plan II

Moving to Austin from Jackson, Mississippi was full of changes. However, as I look back on my freshman year, I am immensely grateful for a time that encouraged me to grow into myself and lean into others while experiencing the safety that close-knit communities provide. As a double major in Vocal Performance and Plan II, I was able to explore a variety of interests through several organizations. The first community I joined was The Butler Opera Center, where I performed in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and played the role of Susanna in a series of opera scenes from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. I also participated in two student government organizations, the First Year Leadership Organization (FLO) and the Undergraduate Mentorship Agency (UMA). Even after the shift to online education due to COVID-19, I was able to stay connected with groups from UT. One organization, Healing with Harmonies, moved their mission online. While we would traditionally perform music in-person at hospitals, nursing homes, and children’s homes, we now perform individually on Zoom for nursing home residents across Texas. I was also able to work with Project Protect, a UT student-developed organization that raised thousands of dollars for protective equipment for healthcare workers. Even though my freshman year was unconventional, I consistently felt supported by my community both in person and online. In the year ahead, I am looking forward to pursuing new friendships in the Dedman Distinguished Scholars Program and improving my piano skills!

Amanda Figueroa-Nieves

Plan II/Public Health

I’m a rising sophomore majoring in Public Health and Plan II Honors from Coppell, TX. Freshman year was definitely a journey to remember; it allowed me to find greater confidence and make a space for myself on the Forty Acres. I became involved in several different student organizations I now hold close to my heart. In the Senate of College Councils, I was an At-Large member for the Academic Policy Committee, which I will co-chair this year. I also (somewhat spontaneously) applied to The Daily Texan’s news department. I worked as a general reporter for the spring and summer semesters, and I plan to continue working for the paper in the fall. Plan II Pre-Medical Society provided me with a supportive community, which I will serve as a Volunteering and Projects Coordinator this year. This summer, I’m keeping myself busy by volunteering as a contact tracer for UTHA and taking summer courses. In the upcoming year, I am very excited to continue my involvement in these organizations, start volunteering in the Plan II/KIPP partnership, reconnect with my amazing friends (and Cabo Bob’s burritos), and continue growing personally. Not to mention, I am beyond thrilled to get to know my fellow Dedman scholars!

Eva Strelitz-Block

Plan II/Anthropology

My interests fall in the gaps, the cross roads, places of intersection: literary and disciplinary borderlands. In both my academic and extracurricular pursuits, I am looking to “stalk the gaps” to unlock new ways of seeing and understanding the world. I am majoring in Plan II and Anthropology, and pursuing certificates in Spanish for Medical Professionals and the Plan II track of the new Bridging Disciplines Program: Patients, Practitioners, and Cultures of Care. Ultimately, I aim to become a physician, the kind of doctor whose science is informed by an understanding of the complexities of people’s lived experiences. As a wannabe Sarah Koenig, the soundscape of my day, whether I’m running around Town Lake or rushing to class, is a podcast like Invisibilia or Crime Junkie. Like my podcast heroes, I eagerly dive down the rabbit holes of big ideas, driven by my interest in the minutiae of the inquiry and desire for resolution. As I’ve grown, the mysteries that absorb me often go unsolved, though this makes them no less engrossing. I am excited to be a part of the new Sophomore Cohort. I am looking forward to being surrounded by intellectually curious, thoughtful, and engaged students studying a wide array of disciplines.

Cameron Waltz

LAH/IRG, Asian Studies, Asian Cultures & Languages

I’m a sophomore triple majoring in International Relations & Global Studies, Asian Studies, and Asian Cultures & Languages (Mandarin Chinese). Since arriving at UT last fall, I’ve been able to take an active role in student and academic life. After taking on the role of Liberal Arts Council’s Co-Chair of the Campus & Community Focus Committee in the spring, I was elected as LAC’s Vice President for this coming year. I also co-founded two organizations: The first being a campus chapter of the John Quincy Adams Society, an organization dedicated to restraint in American foreign policy. The second is Global Macro Team, which connects business and liberal arts analysis to the global economy. I also interned on a congressional campaign for my home district in North Texas. This coming year, I’m looking forward to taking a leading role in the College of Liberal Arts’ Covid-19 response and branching into new research and internship opportunities related to my fields of study. Further down the road, I look forward to one day mastering Mandarin Chinese and preparing for a career in US-China relations and help to redefine America’s role in the world.