2nd Lieutenant Alisa Friel-Watanabe ’23, Engineers

An International History major from Edmond, Oklahoma, Alisa was the recipient of the 2023 Martin Beitler Ethics Essay Award. Her senior honors thesis, “Making A Minority: How China Used Nationalistic Policy to Minoritize Uyghurs and Respond to Separatism,” was selected as the 2023 award for its exploration of important ethical questions about the persecution and “minoritization” of the Uyghurs in China.  Her project also synthesized a growing field of scholarship by American, Chinese, and Uyghur scholars, while preparing clear explanations of nationalism in its many forms.  Alisa has been passionate about expanding diversity at the Academy. In 2021, she worked with a small team of History Department cadets on a capstone project to update West Point’s notable alumni list to recognize the diverse array of minority cadets throughout history and their notable contributions to West Point and the Army.  During her time as a cadet, she was also active in the Asian-Pacific Forum and Jewish Chapel ((Hillel) Clubs. Alisa will go to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri to attend the Engineer Basic Officer Leadership Course (EBOLC) before reporting to her first duty station at Fort Bliss, Oklahoma.