In May, UW Bothell senior Puneet Birk was awarded the Chancellor鈥檚 Medal, an award that recognizes graduating students who have inspired their peers and faculty by overcoming significant obstacles while completing their degree or certificate program.
鈥淚 was in shock,鈥 said Birk, a first-generation college student. 鈥淵ou always think about how other people feel when they win an award, but I was bringing this home to my house. It felt surreal.鈥
Recipients of the Chancellor鈥檚 Medal are nominated by UW Bothell faculty, staff or fellow students, and those in this 20-year-old鈥檚 circle were unanimous: She鈥檚 been an inspiration to those around her through academic excellence, her resilience in the face of family hardship and her work as an influential student leader.
鈥淧uneet embodies the very essence of the Chancellor’s Medal 鈥 she鈥檚 an inspiration, overcoming profound personal challenges to not only succeed but also uplift those around her,鈥 said Ahmed Mohamad, a senior majoring in Business Administration who served as ASUWB vice president.
Pushing for more
Birk, who was a Running Start student, joined UW Bothell as a junior. She sought to challenge herself, taking a full load of classes and applying to become a legislative liaison for the Associated Students of the 糖心vlog视频. The student lobbyist position required her to temporarily relocate to Olympia and inspired her to declare her major in Law, Economics & Public Policy.
鈥淎fter working with the legislature and working with an entire team at a lobbying firm, I just fell in love with policy and the entire process of it,鈥 said Birk. 鈥淎lso, my dad is a businessman and I鈥檝e seen him work with legal parties. It鈥檚 always interested me.鈥
Aside from her studies, Birk has held two part-time jobs as a student leader. In spring 2023, she became the youngest-ever elected president of the ASUWB. Meanwhile, she also served as president of the Washington Student Association, a student-led nonprofit organization that facilitates statewide student organizing and advocacy at colleges and universities.
鈥淔or nearly two years, I鈥檝e watched Puneet triumph as a student leader,鈥 said Brittany Mayes, Birk鈥檚 adviser and associate director of Student Engagement & Activities. 鈥淎s ASUWB liaison, she really trailblazed best lobby practices for her team members and advocated for her fellow students in Olympia. She took her role as president very seriously, too.鈥
Fostering student joy and inclusion
Birk researched the feasibility of creating a 鈥渃ommon hour鈥 on campus when she served as ASUWB president. During this hour, the hope is that no classes will be scheduled so that students can have more time to engage with student clubs and enjoy their college experience. Over this summer quarter, the registrar鈥檚 office will begin analyzing how this blocked hour can be effectively implemented.
To deepen student representation and to establish more checks and balances for the ASUWB team, Birk helped build up a student senate after it was dismantled during the coronavirus pandemic.
鈥淲ith our growing population, I realized we were a team often trying our best to represent nearly 6,000 students. It鈥檚 just not an equitable representation of all the demographics. There are just not physically enough hands,鈥 Birk said. 鈥淪o, our vice president, our policy and personnel coordinator and I 鈥 each of us 鈥 did a lot of work on creating the bylaws and structure for recreating a student senate.鈥
Birk also worked to help improve campus safety and expand food options in the new campus dining hall.
鈥淗er presidency was about creating a more engaged, inclusive and supportive campus community,鈥 said Mohamad. 鈥淪he wanted every student to feel seen, heard and valued.鈥
Meeting hardship with grace
Even as she鈥檚 triumphed as a student and a student leader, Birk has faced some personal challenges. When she started at UW Bothell, her mother was dealing with a series of critical health issues that forced Birk to take on more responsibilities at home.
鈥淭he biggest challenge was navigating my mom鈥檚 mental health, especially because mental health is a completely different thing for her generation,鈥 Birk said. 鈥淢y caretaking involved trying to explain what these challenges can look like, such as what anxiety truly is. So, I was not only trying to make sure that everybody was on the same page of how we could help mom get better but also ensuring that we were actively helping her to get better.鈥
Then, in April 2023, Birk lost her 鈥淏ig Dad,鈥 her beloved grandfather who was a fixture of their family and of their larger Sikh and Punjabi communities.
鈥淗e practically raised us. I feel losing him really opened my eyes to grief, and it also brought me closer to my religion鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut it was a lot, and as a student, the homework never stops, so I really had to push through.鈥
Birk has not only overcome, but she has excelled. She made the dean鈥檚 list this year and has continued to stay involved with numerous school clubs and mentor fellow ASUWB members.
鈥淭he loss she endured could have dimmed any spirit, but Puneet鈥檚 resolve only grew stronger,鈥 said Mohamad.
Her presidency was about creating a more engaged, inclusive and supportive campus community. She wanted every student to feel seen, heard and valued.
Ahmed Mohamad, senior, Business Adminstration
A bright future
Birk graduated in June with her bachelor鈥檚 degree, and she is looking forward to law school. She鈥檚 currently studying for the Law School Admission Test, which she will take later this year. She hopes to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, or University of California, Berkeley, (or perhaps an Ivy League school) and eventually practice corporate law.
During UW Bothell鈥檚 Commencement ceremony at T-Mobile Park, Birk was recognized by Chancellor Esterberg as recipient of the 2024 Chancellor鈥檚 Medal and, as ASUWB president, gave her final speech to her classmates.
Her remarks centered around her beloved grandpa鈥檚 mantra, 鈥渒ush roh.鈥 This means 鈥渟tay happy,鈥 in Punjabi, Birk explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a reminder to embrace joy in every moment, regardless of life鈥檚 challenges and uncertainties.鈥
With her enthusiastic demeanor, compassionate leadership, enduring work ethic and deep devotion to family, Birk beautifully embodies her grandfather鈥檚 mantra 鈥 and the ethos behind one of UW Bothell鈥檚 most prestigious student awards.
