2024 MLK Unsung Hero Awards

SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster University is pleased to announce the recipients of Westminster’s 2024 MLK Unsung Hero Awards: Dan Fenn, Keaton Schrank, Dr. Kelly Asao, Camala Richard, the Westminster Career Center, Shireen Ghorbani, and Salt Lake Film Society. The Unsung Hero Awards are given to individuals, groups, and organizations who are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive campus and community.

“As we reflect on the life, work, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it’s also a meaningful time of year to recognize the individuals and groups on our campus and in our communities who are making a difference in support of the good for us all. Each Unsung Hero Award recipient advances the cause and commitment to diversity in their own way and in their own sphere of influence, doing so with courage and conviction led by their values of equity, inclusion, representation, and love,” said Dr. Tamara Stevenson, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Chief Diversity Officer at Westminster University.

Each award recipient will be recognized during the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Luncheon on Friday, January 26, 2024. The event will be held at the Tanner Atrium in the Jewett Center for the Performing Arts from 12–1:30 p.m. Seating is limited for this event. The event is free, but registration is required.

2024 MLK Unsung Hero Awardees

Dan Fenn - Student

Dan Fenn (he/xe) is a first-generation student with a passion for equity and justice. In 2021, he co founded the Disability Justice student program with alum Quinn Winter after struggling to meet the demands of university life due to his disability during his first year. Since then, xe has collaborated with co-coordinators Quinn Winter and Miranda Ritter to create events, programming, and a more welcoming and accessible campus and community at Westminster University. Dan loves talking to fellow Westminster community members about both the joys and hardships of being disabled and would like to invite anyone to join the conversation.

Keaton Schrank – Staff

Keaton Schrank (she/they) runs the Environmental Center and Basic Needs Program at Westminster University. In her work with the Environmental Center, she oversees the Organic Garden and Bike Collective as well as other student-centered programs that support co-curricular learning around sustainability and environmental justice. Students in the Environmental Center engage in critical thinking and hands-on learning to help them better understand how their passions and interests align with and can support environmental work in their communities. She also manages Westminster’s Basic Needs Program, including the on-campus basic needs pantry, the Purple Basket. Keaton maintains stock in the Purple Basket, collects student feedback to ensure that needed items are available in the pantry, administers emergency funding for students, and assists students in their applications for local, state, and federal aid programs.

Keaton is incredibly passionate about supporting students during their time in school and considers it an honor to work with students during a time of such transition and growth in their lives. She cares deeply about helping students feel welcomed, included, and supported at Westminster, and she’s a fierce advocate for students receiving equitable access to the resources that they need to be successful both in and out of the classroom.

Dr. Kelly Asao – Faculty

Dr. Kelly Asao joined the department of Psychology at Westminster in 2019. Since then, she has been a powerful advocate for diversity, equity, access, and inclusion on campus. Dr. Asao serves on the leadership team for First Scholars, Westminster's nationally recognized first-generation student success program. She regularly mentors students in the McNair Scholars program. She also collaborates in planning several campus-wide events, including UndocuWeek, MLK Rally and March, Sex Positive Week, and Japanese American Day of Remembrance and Topaz incarceration camp excursion. Her teaching reflects her commitment to challenging biases and highlighting traditionally marginalized voices. Dr. Asao's current research focuses on increasing the sense of belonging in underrepresented student populations, reducing prejudice against LGBTQIA+ individuals, and understanding the psychology behind human morality.

Camala Richard - Alum

Camala Richard currently teaches fourth grade at Nibley Park School K-8 in the Salt Lake District. She has been fortunate to be an educator for over 25 years, all of which have been in the Salt Lake City School District. She holds a BA in education from Westminster University and a master of education from the University of Utah; she also studied music at the University of Utah. She embraces diversity, inclusion and equity for each student and the student body. She values guiding students as they begin their journey through life. She teaches academic content and focuses on her classroom environment and the emotional needs of students and families. Over the years, many students return for advice or to give her an update about their lives. She has received several awards over the years including Exemplary Teacher Award, Kiwanis Club Award, and was nominated for Teacher of the Year in the Salt Lake City School District last year. She feels her career path serves her passion well, which is working with youth. She credits her broad education at Westminster University and the top-notch education department for providing her with a valuable educational experience and the ability to serve as an educator.

The Westminster Career Center – Campus Unit

The Westminster Career Center serves the campus community by working with our undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni to enable them to connect their Westminster experiences to post-education goals. Whether they are exploring options, developing professional skills, or actively searching for employment, our certified career coaches, student employment manager, student employees, and faculty fellow provide individualized guidance using industry best practices. The center strives to create leading edge 24/7 resources, campus events, and policies to enable all graduates to prepare for their futures.

The Career Center is made up of the following dedicated people:

Trisha Jensen, Director and Career Coach
Lisa Heiskell, Career Coach
Audrey Clare, Career Coach
Haley Mahler, Student Employment Manager
Piper Nutting, Career Ambassador
Belen Busquets, Career Ambassador
Gabby Smock, Career Ambassador
Dr. Kim Zarkin, Faculty Fellow for Internships

Shireen Ghorbani – Community Leader

From Peace Corps to public office, service is an important through line for Shireen Ghorbani. Shireen is a passionate advocate for expanding access to affordable healthcare, building an informed and engaged community, and working to expand reproductive justice and freedom in our state. She holds two master's degrees in organizational communication and policy. Professionally, Shireen is the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. She previously worked as a director of community health for Intermountain Health and as an associate director of organizational development for Facilities Management at the University of Utah (shout out to all the facilities people who keep your campus running too!). Shireen held elected office as a member of the Salt Lake County Council and was the 2018 Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Utah’s 2nd District. Shireen currently serves on the board of the YWCA Utah, UAF Legacy Health, Utah Cancer Action Network and frequently volunteers in the community. She previously served on the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness and the Rape Recovery Center board.

Salt Lake Film Society (SLFS) - Community Organization

Film fuels dreams, ignites conscience, and sparks community. The mission of Salt Lake Film Society (SLFS) is to exhibit, create and preserve cinematic experiences. Founded in 2001 by mission-driven, community-based film lovers, SLFS operates Broadway Centre Cinemas and the Historic Tower Theatre (under vision/renovation). SLFS presents a diversity of film programs and related cultural film festivals such as Masima: Pacific Island Film Tour, Filmexico, and Czech Film Tour, along with archival films and current independent features/documentaries. Film Society projects educate, entertain, and inform about and through cinema. We promote diversity through representing filmmakers and stories from BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and underrepresented communities in cinema. SLFS fosters local film talent and strengthens film appreciation and participation. SLFS programs and venues ensure that the potent ideas and voices in film are accessible to everyone in our community.

Dan Fenn