Congratulations to the College of Humanities’ Outstanding Senior for Spring 2020, Grace Faerber!
Faerber is graduating with a double major in East Asian Studies, Chinese language emphasis, and Global Studies, with a pre-law minor. She has been awarded a Boren Fellowship to fund her upcoming master’s degree program at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center in China, where she will study International Studies with a concentration in International Politics.
During her time as an East Asian Studies major, Faerber studied abroad in China, completed internships at the U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. Senate, and served as a College of Humanities Student Ambassador, where she appreciated the opportunity to share her passion for language and culture study with other students.
“As we enter the world of graduate study, full-time work, and whatever else our degree may bring, we cannot forget nor underestimate the incredible value of a Humanities degree,” she told fellow graduates in her virtual commencement speech. “The understanding of the human experience we gain as Humanities majors provides us with a unique appreciation for anything and everything we do.”
Andrés D. Oñate, instructor for the CHN 460 course, “U.S.-China Relations in the Modern World,” nominated Faerber for the Outstanding Senior award. A former diplomat himself, Oñate says she possesses the skills that are indispensable for a successful career in the Foreign Service.
“I can unequivocally say that she possesses the qualities needed to succeed in whatever endeavor she chooses, be it the State Department, another government office, or higher education. She is intellectually gifted, writes extremely well, is highly motivated, resourceful, organized, trustworthy, dependable, and, importantly, works well with others,” he wrote. “I easily see her ascending to heights one can only dream of at this time in one’s career.”
Faerber told her fellow graduates that “we’re each equipped with unique and valuable skills in communication, critical thinking and problem solving – the most important skill, however, as we enter this turbulent world full of unknowns, is the skill of adaptability.”
“We are explorers, filled with curiosity and wonder about the world around us, the world before us, and the world after us. During our time at the University of Arizona, we have spent hours upon hours marveling at other cultures, practicing other languages, discussing history, critiquing politics,” Faerber said. “I ask that each of you not abandon that sense of curiosity and wonder and instead bring that attitude to the post-graduate world that desperately needs it to discover new medical solutions, build bridges between governments, write the next New York Times Bestseller, and inspire younger generations.”