An award-winning documentary filmmaker focusing on environmental issues. A DACA recipient turned permanent resident with dreams of being an immigration lawyer and civic leader. A comedy writer sharing stories of radical Black joy. Mykhailo Bogdanov, Lenin Plazas and Ally Johnson are among the 6,300 DePaul University students set to graduate this weekend.
Six ceremonies will be held at Wintrust Arena in Chicago’s South Loop June 11-12. A seventh ceremony was held in May for the College of Law. Details about the ceremonies, including information about a livestreamed video of the events are online at https://bit.ly/DPUGrad2022.
DePaul graduates leave campus with big dreams after taking advantage of the university’s educational and experiential opportunities during their college careers. These three exceptional students are among the many graduates who have already put their knowledge into practice through videography, writing and leading. Here are some stories from the Class of 2022:
Mykhailo Bogdanov | M.S. in Environmental Science | College of Science and Health
Growing up in Ukraine, Mykhailo Bogdanov took every chance to enjoy nature and art. After earning a B.A. in Film and Television from DePaul in 2020, he enrolled in the graduate environmental science program to learn more about conservation. Two years later, Bogdanov leaves DePaul as an award-winning filmmaker and as a finisher of the Chicago Marathon, which he ran to raise money for the Chicago Parks Foundation.
Ally Johnson | MFA in Screenwriting | Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
Ally Johnson started working toward her Master of Fine Arts in screenwriting at DePaul amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, and as millions demonstrated in outrage following the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other people of color. She channeled her emotions and thoughts into the screenwriting program to share the stories of marginalized communities – particularly stories of radical Black joy. Now she’s a full-time employee on CBS’s Emmy award-winning daytime talk show “The Talk.”
Lenin Plazas | B.A. in Political Science | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
At just 9 months old, Lenin Plazas' parents used medical visas to bring him from Ecuador to Chicago so he could be treated for a rare heart defect. The family never left. Now a permanent resident, Plazas plans to become an immigration lawyer and dreams of seeking political office to help people in their time of need, just as his family was helped in theirs.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up