International Community Achievement Award

The International Community Achievement Award (ICAA) application period is now closed. The ICAA Guidelines for the previous academic year 2024-2025 can be found here, as well as within our Nomination Form. 

ICAA Review Panel

The review panel may comprise a mix of professors from various faculties, a representative from the International Student Initiative portfolio, and a Global Engagement Office staff member. Recipients are notified by email.

Recipients 2024

2024-2025 International Community Achievement Award (ICAA) Winner Bios 

Darwisy Sanusi Azri

Darwisy Sanusi Azri is a Psychology major with a minor in Management, actively engaged in community initiatives and cross-cultural programs at UBC Okanagan. His journey in service began with volunteering at the Central Okanagan Food Bank (COFB), which sparked his passion for making a positive impact. He furthered his involvement by joining the Community Service Learning program as a camp counselor at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. This experience drew upon his earlier work in Malaysia, where he led a mural project and mentored children with cognitive delays.

Darwisy’s leadership capabilities have been demonstrated in various roles, including positions in the Student Experience Office, Student Housing, and the Academic and Career Office, where he assisted students in accessing essential resources. Notably, he revitalized the Southeast Asian Club, serving first as Head of Marketing and later as Vice President of External Affairs. Under his leadership, the club experienced significant growth, with increased participation in cultural events that celebrated the diversity of the ASEAN student population.

In 2023, Darwisy collaborated with the Cool Arts Society to redesign promotional materials aimed at raising awareness for adults with diverse abilities. His Strategic Marketing Project for COFB in 2024 addressed challenges related to donation sustainability, showcasing his innovative problem-solving skills. Through these diverse experiences, Darwisy has reinforced his commitment to service and leadership at UBC Okanagan.

Blaze Grazzini 

Blaze Grazzini (he/him) is a fourth-year combined Creative Writing and Cultural Studies major. Community building and advocacy had been passions of his for several years prior to moving to Canada. Being from the Capital of the United States, Blaze is deeply invested in how we define and position ourselves in community as the world is increasingly more globalized. Through his academic career, he has learned that the foundations for an equitable and diverse community must start with a continued practice of humility and an ethic of love.

Throughout his university career thus far, he has utilized this passion during two years of service as a Residential Advisor and has since restarted the Creative Writing Course Union. In his last year on the UBCO campus, he hopes to continue to create safe spaces, work opportunities, and a sense of community that will outlive his time spent here.

Fanfei Wang

Fanfei is a fourth-year Media Studies student from Harbin, China, dedicated to children’s education and providing services for neurodivergent individuals in her home country. Since high school, she has been virtually teaching English to children in impoverished areas in China, a commitment she continued during her first year at UBCO. In her second year, Fanfei became a residence advisor, helping students feel at home on campus. Additionally, she collaborated with SVPRO to host an event during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, where students and staff wrote letters of support for survivors.

During her third year, she organized the campus-wide “Purple Lotus Symposium” with a team, which featured guest speakers sharing their experiences and insights with student survivors. Participants included representatives from the Okanagan Nation, the Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society, and the KAUR Movement. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and learn about sexual violence in their communities, and the event received lunch donations from the Okanagan Sikh Temple. While studying abroad at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Fanfei maintained her curiosity and volunteered with adults with intellectual disabilities. She also worked with Bangladeshi migrant workers and recently created a documentary featuring one of them, aiming to challenge and change existing stereotypes.

Prisha Walia

Prisha Walia is a third-year student from India pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She is passionate about classical literature, romantic comedies, and pop music, and is deeply committed to altruism. Prisha has volunteered with several organizations, including Childline 1098, Habitat for Humanity, and the Red Cross. She hopes to continue making a positive impact on communities around the world.

Currently, Prisha is part of the executive team of the Indian Student Association at UBC and actively participates in the Palliative Care Association in Kelowna. She is also a member of the Society of Scholars at UBC and enjoys exploring topics such as intercultural communication, mental health awareness, and Freudian methods of psychotherapy.

The cultural differences she has experienced moving from India to Canada have been significant, and the memories she has created here have helped bridge that gap. With a dedication to lifelong learning and a passion for psychology, Prisha has embraced two key principles: an endless curiosity and a deep well of empathy. She enjoys applying the concepts she learns in her studies to real-life situations, particularly as she pursues her passions.

Siya Gupta 

Siya Gupta is a fourth-year student majoring in management with a minor in computer science. She is committed to serving the communities she belongs to. On campus, she writes for the school newspaper to raise awareness about issues related to the Student Union. My articles have successfully influenced significant changes in budgeting policies. She has also served as a Student-at-Large on the Policy Committee of the Student Union Organization (SUO). Moreover, I support the management community by conducting research under Dr. Ross Hickey on campaign finance policies and their effects on charitable contributions. Additionally, I work as a Teaching Assistant, helping students with their academic work.

Siya is passionate about sustainability. She collaborated with the club Innovate, Design, Sustain to build net-zero-accessible homes for veterans. Her contributions included budgeting, funding, and conducting market research for the houses being built voluntarily for the Honor Ranch Society. Furthermore, she continues her work as the Managing Director of Urvari, an environmental and social student organization in India that I helped establish five years ago. The organization has organized multiple cleanup, planting, and donation drives, and they were recently invited to speak at a TEDx event. They have built eco-brick shelters to provide housing for several stray dogs on the streets of Mumbai. Additionally, they have fed over 1,000 homeless individuals, provided them with clothing, and planted more than 500 trees.