GLAS Majors Receive Chancellor’s Student Service Leadership Award
Introduction
Congratulations Belle, Harshil and Emma!
Belle Htet (she/her) is a 4th year undergraduate student majoring in Global Asian Studies (GLAS)with a minor in Business Administration at the University of Illinois Chicago.
She is an international student from Myanmar and serves as an E-board member for the GLAS program, where she helps support student engagement and community building. Her interests center on cultural diplomacy, global engagement, and building connections across diverse communities.
After graduating from UIC, she plans to pursue a career in international relations and hopes to one day work in an embassy as an ambassador.
Recipient of the Chancellor’s Student Service Award
Harshil Choudhary (he/him) is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Illinois Chicago, pursuing a dual degree in Criminology, Law, and Justice and Global Asian Studies, with minors in Public Policy, Social Justice, and History.
He serves as the founder and president of WeDesi, a student organization focused on building community and belonging for South Asian students on campus. Harshil has gained experience across multiple areas of the justice system, including work with the U.S. District Court, for the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Probation Office, Chicago Police Department, and Oak Park Adjudication Office.
Alongside this, he holds several leadership roles on campus, including Commuter Mentor, Service Leader, and APIDA Awareness Month Chair. His work is grounded in access to justice, community engagement, and supporting underserved populations.
After graduating in May 2026, he plans to spend a gap year in Chicago gaining further legal experience before attending law school to pursue a career in criminal and immigration law.
Recipient of the UIC Co-Curricular Leadership Certificate, UIC Service Volunteer Award, Chancellor’s Student Service Award, and the Jane Addams Distinguished Service Award (2026).
Emma Adaya (she/her) is a 4th year undergraduate student majoring in Global Asian Studies (GLAS).
She is also a student organizer involved with New Students for a Democratic Society UIC (New SDS UIC), where she advocates and rallies around progressive causes and movements present within and outside of campus. After graduating from UIC, she plans to continue her work in social justice by not only fighting for the needs of marginalized communities, especially the Filipinx/a/o community, but also encouraging people to get involved in the ongoing and expanding resistance movement in Chicago.
Recipient of the Chancellor’s Student Service Award