The honorary degree recipients will address graduates and their families at the college’s four commencement ceremonies, with Fenster speaking at two ceremonies on Saturday, May 14; and Valle at two ceremonies on Sunday, May 15 (at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.).
“At the apex of humanity are those courageous individuals who fight to make the world a better place for us all,” said Columbia College President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim in a statement.
Fenster is the managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, an award-winning investigative news magazine that covers business and politics in Myanmar. In May 2021, while attempting to travel home to the U.S., he was arrested and imprisoned by Myanmar’s junta for six months and eventually convicted by a military court of spreading false or inflammatory information, contacting illegal organizations, and violating his visa requirements.
Valle is the CEO of the Chicago-based Center on Halsted, the most comprehensive community center in the Midwest dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community. A longtime activist and community organizer, he founded the Chicago Chapter NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt; and has served as a volunteer and staff member at several Chicago-area non-profits, including Chicago House, Test Positive Awareness Network and Open Hand Chicago.