Andrea Stephania Prego ’21 grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, but is originally from Managua, Nicaragua. She joined the Kenan Scholars program for the guidance and support to combine her passions for business and social responsibility. Andrea is a business administration major and minor in Hispanic studies. Her experience as an immigrant and as a Latina, combined with her interest in business, inspired her to volunteer and later intern for the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte. She is an active member of Latino communities in Charlotte and Chapel Hill, creating events that raise awareness of Latino cultural and social issues. She intends to use her business administration degree and the resources available through the Kenan Scholars program to promote social corporate responsibility to aid the advancement of Latin American and other developing nations.

Hoda (Hidy) Lowea Akila ’21 is from Cary, North Carolina. For Hidy, joining the Kenan Scholars Program seemed like the perfect way to be exposed to the intersectionality of the private and public sectors. She was also drawn to the educational opportunities offered by the program to combine her interest in business and research.

Hidy has spent a significant amount of time developing her research skills as an intern for Professor Maryann Feldman and developed her business acumen as a student consultant for Global Brigades. Beyond that, Hidy has travelled to Honduras to aid under-resourced entrepreneurial communities implement sustainable business practices. She is also on the board of UNC’s Residence Hall Association’s programming committee and is the captain of a Palestinian dance team on campus. Hidy has merged her academic and personal interests by becoming a member of the Delta Sigma Pi professional business fraternity.

Jason Ray Cowan ’21 hails from Lewiston, North Carolina. He decided to join the Kenan Scholars program for the support he’ll get to conduct business research. A student of business administration, economics and entrepreneurship, Jason has volunteered as policy consultant for the Mayor’s Office of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In addition, he volunteers for UNC Student Honor Advocates where he represents students in the UNC Honor Court system. Jason further distinguishes himself as a Morehead-Cain Scholar, Innovation Scholar, Honors Carolina student and director of marketing and recruitment for UNC Student Honor Advocates. Jason is also a member of Sigma Phi Fraternity.

Sydney manages the external affairs team, with a focus on project management and strategic planning. She works across units on the institute’s annual grand challenge, the American Growth Project and other key thought leadership content development. This includes overseeing the efforts of creative development, design, printing, press, content, events, communication campaigns and more, and managing strategic timelines, metrics and collaborations for each project.

Sydney has worked with the institute since 2019, serving as the events manager, program manager for the grand challenge initiative, and assistant director of external affairs. She previously managed museum rental events and associated marketing for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences through their nonprofit support sector, the Friends of the Museum.

She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a bachelor’s degree in art history and museum studies and has studied at the Università Carlo Cattaneo in Castellanza, Italy.

Daniel Bowen ’21 is from Cocoa, Florida, and is a double major in statistics and analytics and public policy with a minor in business administration. He joined the Kenan Scholars program to explore the intersection of the public and private sectors and to meet other students who have similar interests. He looks forward to developing close relationships with fellow Kenan Scholars and getting to know the business community on campus.

Daniel has a background in research at UNC. He has worked as a course assistant for the Public Policy department and a research assistant for the Carolina Population Center. Currently, he is a research services intern at the Kenan Institute where he works to support a variety of business and policy related projects. He is actively involved with the LGBTQ community on campus through the Sexuality and Gender Alliance and the LGBTQ Center.

Catherine Gaither Sugg ’21 is from Raleigh, North Carolina. She is a peace, war, and defense major and business administration minor who was drawn to the Kenan Scholars program because it bridges the public and private sectors and provides unique opportunities for students to connect with leaders across sectors.

For the past three years, Catherine has served as chair of her Raleigh voting precinct. She is a member of the speaker series team with UNC’s Institute of Politics. In addition, Catherine is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and volunteers with Carolina for the Kids, the largest student-run nonprofit in North Carolina.

John (Jack) Burns Deering ’21 comes to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from Charlotte, North Carolina. He was drawn to the Kenan Scholars program’s emphasis on working across sectors to solve problems and its resources to help students use their business knowledge to make a social impact.

Jack, who is double majoring in business administration and public policy, has interned at the YWCA of the Central Carolinas and the United Way. He currently volunteers as an advocate at the Community Empowerment Fund and as a tutor with Helping Youth by Providing Enrichment. As a business analyst for Consult Your Community, Jack provides pro bono consulting services to local small businesses and nonprofits. In his free time, Jack enjoys playing tennis and cheering for his favorite Cleveland sports teams.

Deanna Upchurch ’21 came to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from Watertown, Tennessee. As a double major in business administration and peace, war, and defense, she intends to pursue a career at the intersection of business and government. Deanna decided to become a Kenan Scholar because of the opportunities it offers for professional development and mentorship, faculty-supported research, network of like-minded peers and support for summer activities.

Passionate about cultural immersion and global experiences, Deanna has interned and volunteered with the U.S. Embassy in Rabat, the international NGO Right To Play in Beirut and IHS Markit in London. At Carolina, she serves as the global perspectives coordinator for the Honors Carolina Student Board and is actively involved in the Peace, War, and Defense Alumni Association and the Carolina International Relations Association.

Background

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. During my undergraduate studies at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY, I participated in multiple ecological research projects looking at the impact of nutrient deposition on forest plant systems and the efficacy of potential mitigation techniques. This research took me across the globe from the Adirondacks Forest in upstate New York to Costa Rica. After earning a double major in Biology and Environmental Studies, I attended the University of Michigan Ann Arbor to further develop environmental engineering capabilities. Before coming back to attend graduate school, I applied this interdisciplinary systems thinking approach at NRG Energy as a regional environmental compliance specialist for electricity generating stations and combined heat and power facilities.

Career Path

As an Environmental Specialist at NRG Energy, I was responsible for managing federal, state, and local environmental compliance for water and chemical storage programs at NRG-operated stations in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. During this time, my interest in energy grew as I learned more about the innovation and system-wide changes in the industry. I further recognized that NRG’s strategy to manage the changing industry forces was developed by those with deep industry and business knowledge. In order to tackle large problems effectively and make a positive impact on a global scale, I am pursing my Master of Environmental Management and MBA. At Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, I am delving into the energy and sustainability industries, focusing on the impacts of technology, policy, and finance solutions. At University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, I am developing my general financial and business strategy understanding. Throughout this dual-degree program, I am also focused on refining my ability to be an effective leader and team member. After graduation, I hope to apply these qualitative and leadership abilities to a career focusing on strategically tackling energy industry problems.

Interests and Hobbies

I remain active in the Energy Club, Carolina Women in Business and the MBA Association at Kenan-Flagler. In my free time, I love to be active outside and volunteer at a local animal shelter. When I have a chance to travel, I enjoy exploring the world through trying local cuisines, visiting museums, and adventuring into nature.

Background

I was born in Ghaziabad, India but have lived and worked across most of India and parts of Africa. I did my schooling in my hometown where I pursued my passion for sports and music. As a child, I used to be fascinated with big machinery, and that drove me to pursue Production Engineering at NIT Trichy during my under-graduate studies, helping me understand what goes into creating them.

Career Path

I started my career at TATA Motors working with the engines production facility and developed a stronghold in operations management. Post the automobile industry, I switched to work in the social impact space with a non-profit working towards providing livelihood, water and sanitation facilities and education to rural communities in India and East Africa. Expanding my efforts in the social impact space from the micro level to the macro level, I worked as a development associate to a Member of Parliament in India as my last professional engagement before joining KFBS.

Interests and Hobbies

I am passionate about Social Impact and Diversity, and have participated with the Nonprofit Board Consultant program, MBASA Community service, and Pride Club at KFBS. I am also passionate about music and actively explore music forms from different cultures.