Christa M. Lane Hooper was the 2012 recipient of the A. Richard Polis Graduate Scholarship Award at Arcadia University’s Graduate Commencement in May. The award is presented to a student in a full-time graduate program who is listed on the Graduate Dean’s Distinguished Honor List and whose service to the University and to the academic program distinguishes him or her from all other students in the cohort.

Hooper earned dual master’s degrees in International Peace and Conflict Resolution and Public Health. In honoring Hooper with this award, Dr. John Noakes, Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies stated, “Since Christa Lane Hooper started in the dual degree program, she has been a tireless advocate for global peace. Staring with her first year involvement in National Public Health week, and culminating in her internship with Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity Campaign, she has worked to give voice to the voiceless.

“As a student at Arcadia Hooper has traveled all over the world; as a delegate to the Caux Scholars in Switzerland; as a civil society observer and blogger for the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Conference of the Parties in South Africa, and as a participant observer in hydraulic fracturing debates in rural Pa. She has participated in field experiences to Costa Rica, Serbia, Kosovo, Cyprus and Northern Ireland, and has channeled those experiences into a strong resolve for fundamental rights and the realization of the interconnectedness of society. And, in her own words, Christa sees leadership as ‘not something that one possesses, but something that is demonstrated through one’s actions.’”

Read more about Hooper’s experiences at Arcadia.

Photography by Josh Blustein