Stories

Three SCU alumni and members of the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society discuss their fields of study, the impact they made on the Santa Clara community, and their post-grad plans. 

By Sarah Stoddard '23

What do a chemistry and political science double major, a history and ethnic studies double major, and a psychology and communication double major have in common? They are all members of Phi Beta Kappa (PBK), the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the United States. Founded in 1776, PBK’s motto is Philosophia Biou Kubernetes, or “love of learning is the guide of life.” Isha Vial ’22, Sydney Shead ’22, and Sarah Zasso ’22 are among the twenty nine Santa Clara University students who were initiated into the honors society for their achievement and breadth of study in the liberal arts and sciences last year. In addition to their academic excellence, they made impactful contributions to the Santa Clara campus community. Now, after graduation, they are beginning career paths where they are able to continue learning in the spirit of PBK’s motto. 

A University Honors student, Vial was drawn to chemistry and political science because they both explain the world around us, albeit in very different ways. “Chemistry helps me understand the physical phenomena that occur around me every day, while political science helps me understand the social and political structures that shape our world,” she says. “Through studying both, I’ve found my passion in the intersection of the two subjects—how can physical science affect the social and political realities that we face, and likewise, how do policy and law shape our scientific practices and priorities?”

In a similar fashion, Shead, a history and ethnic studies double major, chose her fields of study because she enjoys learning about past events and movements through a lens that emphasizes the role of race and culture. “This focus allows me to honor and acknowledge the lived experiences of different groups of people and identify patterns that need to be changed moving forward,” she explains. 

With the goal of pursuing a career in industrial organizational psychology, Zasso, who studied psychology and communication, found her passion in violence prevention on campus. As the co-president of the Violence Prevention Educators, Zasso oriented new members and created content to give to different clubs, Greek life organizations off campus, members of the Associated Student Government, and more. “The [first few] years that I was in the club, no one really mentioned their own stories or talked about their own struggles, and that’s something I always personally found missing,” Zasso says. “So when I got a leadership role, I decided that even though it was going to be hard and awkward and I was afraid of how people would react, I was very upfront with the fact that I was a survivor, and I let it inform the work I did.” Her story resonated deeply with many students who expressed to her that they now felt brave enough to share their own. “My goal was to create a space where people could be comfortable to share their own trauma and heal from it while also lifting others up,” Zasso says.

Zasso isn’t the only one to have made a notable impact on fellow students in the Santa Clara community. During her time at SCU, Vial co-founded and served as President of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy club. “I felt that the club addressed a need on campus that was not a prominent part of conversations at the time,” she explains. 

The mission of SSDP is to educate students and provide resources to enhance safety and create an informed campus community. “I am particularly proud of securing a Wellness Grant from the Associated Student Government in 2022, which allowed our club to purchase 500 fentanyl test strips,” Vial says. Utilizing this grant, the club educated students about fentanyl poisoning and distributed test strips around campus. “Fentanyl poisoning is the leading cause of death for our age group, and our own campus community has suffered loss as a result, so this was extremely meaningful to me as an opportunity to directly protect my community.”  

With Santa Clara’s campus in the rear view mirror, these three are looking forward as they build careers that speak to their passions. Currently attending the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Shead is pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and plans to become a family nurse practitioner. In keeping with her focus on the role of race and culture while at SCU, she looks to make a positive impact on the lived experiences of others. “My goal is to become a compassionate provider who primarily serves marginalized communities,” she says.

Vial, Shead, and Zasso are proud to be a part of Phi Beta Kappa and view it as a celebration of their hard work at Santa Clara in both their academic studies and their contributions to the Bronco community. “As someone who pursued a distinctly liberal arts experience, the values of the society speak strongly to me,” Vial explains. Zasso says with a laugh, “I worked many long hours in that library, so it’s nice to be recognized for that.” 

The motto of Phi Beta Kappa, “love of learning is the guide of life,” emphasizes the honor society’s mission of championing education in the arts and sciences, fostering freedom of thought, and recognizing academic excellence. It serves as inspiration for PBK students to strive for continued learning even past their scholarly studies. “To me, this motto means that learning is never over,” Vial says. “Even though I have finished my undergraduate education, I have only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of what I will learn in this life. Through new jobs, people I will meet, and new experiences, I have so much to learn and explore. It also provides good advice as I enter this next stage of life—as long as I am still learning and enjoying the process of learning, I am in the right place.”