The Center for Buddhist Studies and the Department of East Asian Studies are pleased to announce that Miles McDonald and Quinn Veno are 2026 Winners of the Khyentse Foundation Best Undergraduate Student Award. John Han receives the Khyentse Foundation Best Undergraduate Student Award—Honorably Mention. An award ceremony took place in conjunction with the East Asian Studies ceremony on Friday, May 8, 2026.
Miles McDonald is a first generation college student from rural Louisiana and Georgia. They worked hard all throughout school and eventually came to the University of Arizona to pursue a degree in Anthropology and East Asian Studies. Later on, they plan to attend graduate school and become a researcher in linguistic anthropology at a university. They graduate in Fall 2026 and plan to look for jobs abroad shortly after.
As a Junior in the Religious Studies program, Quinn Veno has been deeply absorbed in Buddhist studies. His ultimate goal is to work as a Buddhist Chaplain in healthcare or hospice, drawing on the compassionate wisdom of Buddhist teachings to provide spiritual care for people in difficult circumstances. He is grateful for his support network and all of his professors.
John Han is a junior Physiology major intending to go to medical school once he graduates. In his free time, he boxes, plays guitar for a death metal band, and plays Dungeons and Dragons.
The Khyentse Foundation Student Award was set in 2018 at the Center for Buddhist Studies to encourage the University of Arizona graduate and undergraduate students to study Buddhism and its related subjects. Since 2001, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and a team of volunteers have been committed to providing funding for individuals and organizations seeking to make the dharma available to the world. For more information: Student Awards | Center for Buddhist Studies | University of Arizona.