Katie Schiff
Redefining Success: Refugee Education and Oakland International High School
Sociology 113AC
The 2014 Student Research Prize was awarded to Katie Schiff for submitting her senior thesis entitled 'Redefining Success: Refugee Education and Oakland International High School.' Her thesis explores the effectiveness of English language development for high-school age refugees enrolled in Oakland International High School (OIHS). Katie developed an interest for this innovative study while enrolled in an American Cultures Engaged Scholarship (ACES) course, Sociology 113AC and volunteering at OIHS. Katie embodies the principles of community-engaged scholarship by examining the promotion of cultural competency at OIHS, the effectiveness of their programs, and the many social and racial issues that high-school age English learners are forced to confront upon their arrival to the United States.