Four Human Rights Minors Earn Prestigious Public Service Awards
This spring, four Human Rights minors were recognized with prestigious awards from the Stanford Haas Center for Public Service. The 2025 recipients – Aleena Anand, Enrique Flores, Makayla Abril Butters, and Dora Plascencia Macias – exemplify a commitment to translating academic study into meaningful public service.
“The Center for Human Rights and International Justice team is delighted – and not at all surprised – to see so many of our students being recognized for their incredible work as effective advocates and changemakers in their communities and around the world,” said Center Associate Director of Strategy and Program Development Jessie Brunner. “We are grateful to our partners at the Haas Center for their recognition of these dedicated, talented students.”
Aleena Anand: John Gardner Public Service Fellowship
Aleena Anand received the John Gardner Public Service Fellowship, a distinguished program established jointly by Stanford and UC Berkeley in 1985. The fellowship enables graduating seniors and co-terms to work alongside distinguished government and nonprofit leaders. Participants gain exposure to the highest levels of public service work. Anand previously worked as a fellow at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, where she researched structural barriers in refugee protections and advocated for innovative strategies to address them. Through this fellowship, Anand, a first-generation Pakistani-Indian-American, aims to deepen her engagement with refugee law and policy.
Enrique Flores: Tom Ford Fellowship in Philanthropy and the Marion Brummell Kenworthy Award for Student Innovation in Public Service
Enrique Flores earned two significant honors: the Tom Ford Fellowship in Philanthropy and the Marion Brummell Kenworthy Award for Student Innovation in Public Service.
With support from the Center, Enrique has interned with the United Nations Development Programme last summer and is currently interning with Oregon’s Latinx Leadership Network this summer, focusing on public health and immigrant rights.
The Tom Ford Fellowship, established in 2001, provides recent Stanford graduates with intensive, mentored experiences in domestic foundations. The program educates fellows about philanthropy's vital role in society while encouraging them to enter the philanthropic field. Through this fellowship, Flores will work in legal aid and immigrant rights.
The Marion Brummell Kenworthy Award for Student Innovation in Public Service recognizes outstanding young leaders who create innovative solutions to pressing problems and inspire others to take action in public service.
Dora Elia Plascencia Macias: Walk the Talk Service Leadership Award
Dora Elia Plascencia Macias was selected as a 2025 recipient of the Haas Center for Public Service Walk the Talk Service Leadership Award. Established in 1997 by Peter Carpenter, a longtime member and former chair of the Haas Center's National Advisory Board, this award recognizes the exceptional public service activities of students involved in service through the Haas Center and across Stanford.
Dora is a natural student leader inside and outside of Stanford. She has worked with the Oregon Deputy District’s Office and CASA advocating for the rights of children, held various leadership positions within campus organizations, and served as a peer advisor at the Haas Center, among other activities.
Makayla Abril Butters: Innovation in Public Service
Makayla Abril Butters also received the Marion Brummell Kenworthy Award for Student Innovation in Public Service. The award honors the late Marion Brummell Kenworthy, a Stanford alumna who dedicated her talents and experiences to making the world a better place through her participation in student-led programs and her professional work at Saratoga High School after graduation.
Makayla has dedicated her time at Stanford to studying issues of incarceration, public housing, and community resilience. Additionally, she worked with Kona Drug Court through the Liman Summer Fellowship in her hometown of Kailua-Kona Hawai’i, and served as a peer advisor with the Haas Center.