The Stamps Scholars program recently profiled scholarship recipient Graciela Best in their newsletter, Aspire. It has been reprinted with their permission.

Scholar Spotlight: Graciela Best

Graciela Best is a second-year Scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she majors in history and Latina/o studies with a minor in Spanish. Passionate about preserving and sharing historical knowledge, Graciela plans to pursue a Master’s degree in library and information science after graduation, and is particularly interested in U of I’s joint degree program, which combines the MS with an MA in history. Graciela has used her Stamps enrichment funds to engage in transformative global learning experiences, including a short-term study abroad program in Prague, Czech Republic, during which she explored the rich history of the area. On campus, Graciela is deeply involved in fostering historical scholarship and creating inclusive communities. She serves as president of U of I’s chapter of Phi Alpha Theta-Epsilon, the university's National History Honors Society, and in November 2024, played a key role in organizing its Regional History Conference, titled "Conflict and Culture." This two-day, undergraduate-led event featured seven panels with presenters from institutions including Loyola Marymount University, Loyola University Chicago, Missouri State University, Ohio State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and U of I. Graciela is also the social media director for the Society of Minority Students in History and is the secretary for Women of Pride, a queer-discussion-based organization that provides a welcoming space for students of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Her future aspirations as a librarian and historian reflect her passion for connecting people with knowledge and preserving history for future generations.