Congratulations to the College of Humanities’ Outstanding Senior for Winter 2023, Alexandra Doe!
Doe is graduating Magna Cum Laude with a dual degree, a B.A. in Spanish and a B.S. in Physiology and Medical Sciences, plus a minor in Sports Nutrition, and plans to pursue a career as a physical therapist.
Doe is a recipient of the Dean’s Exemplary Award, the Academic Year Academic Distinction for three years, and the Wildcat Excellence Tuition Scholarship. She volunteered with Keep Tucson Together, assisting immigrants with translating and interpreting legal documents.
“Studying Spanish, and this is true for everyone who studied within the College of Humanities, has allowed us to become more human, and better humans,” she told her fellow graduates at Friday’s convocation. “We will take what we’ve learned, whether we studied French, Religious Studies, or Africana Studies to name a few, and use it in our personal lives and careers to be more compassionate, inclusive, empathetic, and better critical thinkers who are open to multiple different ways of thinking and backgrounds. I’ve learned through studying Humanities that I have been given the tools to be able to assist those in need, the under-represented, or those who don’t have access to resources most do.”
Last summer, Doe completed an internship at a physical therapy clinic, the Physio Shop, where she was offered a position as a physical therapy technician to gain experience to prepare for applying for the University of Arizona’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, which will begin in Fall 2025.
“In our lives we will meet people from all different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and language, and we’ll need to communicate, work with, listen, and respect those differences. Because we studied Humanities, we will all be better physicians, marketing assistants, court interpreters, historians, whatever we end up doing, we will improve people’s lives, our community, and world relations,” she said.
Kristin Doran, Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, taught Doe in a Spanish 350 course, online during the height of the pandemic, and was one of several faculty members who nominated doe for the honor.
“Alexandra’s superior work and outstanding preparation and participation did not waiver,” she said. “Alexandra was a catalyst for class discussions and a sincere and caring leader. She was reliable and set herself apart from her peers. Now, at the end of Alexandra’s undergraduate career, we can see that this outstanding performance in my course was not an outlier, but rather a consistent thread that ran through her undergraduate career.”