Isaac Erazo

11/21/14
Honors in Action Report
Breaking the Boundaries and Borders of Immigration
For the Iota Xi chapter Honors in Action Project, the scholarship team devoted their
projects towards the theme of boundaries and borders. We noticed that the students population in
our school was very diverse and that many students migrated from different countries to study in
the United State. Unfortunately, many of these foreign students were struggling to succeed in
their academic careers as it is very common for foreign students to lack financial and educational
needs.
The panelist of the Honors in Actions Project consisted of successful immigrants such as:
Freeholder Granados, Mrs. Erika Uchinati, and Dr. Shahin Pirzord. Freeholder Granados is the
son of Portuguese and Salvadorian immigrants who is in charge of economic development, job
creation, and educational aspects in the county of Union, New Jersey. Freeholder Granados
recalled his dads stories during the Honors in Action presentation, and described how his dad
had to work for different individuals who were willing to offer him a job at which ever pay rate
they desired when he first arrived to this nation.
Mrs. Erika Uchinati is a Rutgers Student who once served as President of the Iota Xi
chapter herself. Mrs. Uchinati inspires academic success among immigrant students and serves
as example that academic goals can be achieved whenever those goals are possible and the
student is dedicated. Mrs. Uchinati also recalled her childhood experience and mentioned when
she did not had a bed to sleep in back in her native Lithuania.

Dr. Pirzod arrived to this country seeking refugee from his native country of Iraq,
leaving all his family and friends behind. However, Dr. Pirzod showed academic brilliance and
Perdue University funded him with scholarships so that he may obtain his Bachelors Degree in
Chemistry. Today Dr. Pirzod acquires a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, teaches at Brookdale
Community College and serves as advisor for the Alpha Pi Theta chapter.
I believe that the Honors in Action Project generated great success and that all the
attendants of the event at our schools auditorium left the panel motivated to master their
academic goals. Furthermore, the questions prepared for the panelists were carefully conducted
based on the scholarship team research of boundaries and borders for academic success, issues
involving immigrant students, diversity among cultures, and financial and academic needs for
higher education; in order to satisfy the need of all attendants at the event. Based on the
pamphlets collected at the end of the event, the percentage of students who found the scholarship
team event as helpful towards their personal benefit was an extraordinarily 92%.