Tia Davis, a UNC junior studying public relations and entrepreneurship, won the University’s 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship, including a $1,500 award. Runners up, who won $1,000 awards, are journalism major Jeremy Knight and psychology major Asif Kahn.
The three were recognized during UNC’s 31th Annual MLK Birthday Celebration for following Dr. King’s example by working to improve the quality of life of the community and the campus.
Davis, a Buckley Public Service Scholar from Norfolk, Va., is vice president of the Carolina Association of Black Journalists. She has also been actively involved in UNC Habitat for Humanity, UNC Student Congress’ Congressional Research Service, and the UNC Campus Y.
During fall 2011, she helped develop social entrepreneurship strategies for the Cape Town Department of Economic and Social Development, as part of the Honors Semester Abroad in South Africa. She previously interned at J.P. Morgan.
Khan, a Public Service Scholar and Carolina Research Scholar from Chapel Hill, is interested in human rights and health disparities among minorities and refugees. He founded the Refugee Community Partnership and serves on the board of the Human Rights Center of Chapel Hill-Carrboro. He is actively involved in the UNC Muslim Students Association and UNC Aasha.
He has conducted nano-chemical research with a SMART grant from the Office for Undergraduate Research, and he works in a campus neuroscience lab. He had a summer internship at an educational nonprofit in Dhaka, Bangladesh, supported by UNC Carolina Leadership Development.
Knight is a Robertson Scholar from Grayson, Ga., interested in public relations, education and urban planning. He co-directs Carolina Kickoff and is actively involved in Student Government. He has taught a leadership course to local middle-school students and conducted community development work in Sierra Leone.
This summer he hopes to do urban planning work in the mayor’s office in Sydney, Australia.
Scholarship recipients are selected by a committee of representatives from UNC’s Office of Minority Affairs, the department of African and Afro-American Studies, the Black Student Movement, the Office of Student Government, the Center for Public Service, the Division of Student Affairs, the Carolina Union and the Campus Y.
