John F. Kennedy Award Winner Ben Day To Address UMass Boston Class of 2002

(Boston, MA) Ben Day, a 2002 graduate known for his unprecedented scholarship and social activism, has been named the winner of the John F. Kennedy Award, which recognizes excellence in scholarship and community service. He will speak at the University of Massachusetts Boston’s 34th commencement on behalf of the Class of 2002.

A double major in political science and philosophy, Day is graduating summa cum laude. “He is quite simply, the finest student I have ever known: the best read, the most intellectually sophisticated, the most imaginative, discerning, and resourceful,” commented one of Day’s faculty members in recommending him for the award.

Day is no stranger to academic accolades. He was one of twenty students nationwide to win the competitive Fulbright fellowship to travel and study in the United Kingdom. There, he will continue to pursue his research interests in the labor movement and political economics. These interests culminated in his senior thesis, which focused on the social libertarianism and political philosophy of Great Britain’s John Stuart Mill.

A member of UMass Boston Honors Program, he also recently received the Robert H. Spaethling Prize for Distinction in Honors in recognition of his academic work. He also received the merit-based Knapp Scholarship in political science three times, virtually unprecedented for one student.

Day has not only earned various academic awards while at the university, he is also widely commended for his commitment to social activism and community work. He received an award in student leadership for his extensive involvement with the Radical Student Alliance. A founder of the group, he took a leading role in organizing and moderating a series of seven teach-ins that provided a forum for the discussion of ideas, ranging from the political process to the crisis in market driven health care.

He also was a central participant in the Human Rights Working Group, which since September 2000, has organized various human-rights forums, including a recent event featuring noted political activist and linguist Noam Chomsky. He has also worked tirelessly to establish a Human Rights Center and academic program on campus.

In addition to his Fulbright studies in the U.K., Day looks forward to working in labor organizing or labor research. In the near future, Day plans to enroll in the field-training program of the AFL-CIO’s Organizing Institute to continue his commitment to community organizing and academic research.
Day started his career at UMass Boston as a non-degree student with a Boston Globe scholarship. Once here, he “fell in love with the school” and decided to pursue a degree full-time. “I share UMass Boston’s mission of public service in diverse urban communities,” Day said. He also expresses his gratitude in support of his pursuit of fellowships. “The incredible support I’ve received from everyone at UMass Boston – from individuals who act almost as if I can do anything – means far more to me than the evaluation of any committee ever will.”

UMass Boston commencement exercises will be held Saturday, June 1, 2002 at the Bayside Exposition Center. The general procession will be begin at 10:30 a.m. and the main ceremony at 11:00 a.m.

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06.01.02
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