A chemistry student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is the recipient of the Wendel Wickland Student Achievement Award by the National Student Exchange.
Christian Lopez, a rising junior, was an exchange student at Stony Brook University in New York City for 2019-2020 and was selected for demonstrating the best use of his study away exchange participation.
“Christian Lopez stepped out of his comfort zone to go on exchange from an island in the middle of the Pacific to an island in New York City,” wrote his nominator Holly Garriques, coordinator of UH Hilo’s National Student Exchange program. “He experienced a bit of culture shock his first few days at Stony Brook University but soon got involved on campus and had the time of his life.
“Christian joined the tennis team, traveled to other states to compete, got involved with the Philippine United Student Organization and Japanese Student Organization, and participated in numerous events throughout the semester,” she added. “He definitely personifies the spirit of the National Student Exchange by overcoming his fears and making the most of his exchange experience.”
Lopez received a $500 stipend.