Alumni

Margaret Ackerson

Hometown: Deerfield, Illinois
High School: Deerfield High School
Major: Civil Engineering, Minor: Environmental Studies

Margaret Ackerson demonstrated sincere service and leadership commitment through her involvement in her school and larger community as a retreat leader, youth group member, and participant in volunteer activities through her church. She received a 2012 Service to the Community award from the Deerfield Optimist Club. Margaret was recognized for her exceptional academic promise as a "Commended Student" in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program, where she placed in the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2013 competition. She was a member of the Spanish Honors Society, and was a gold medalist in the National Spanish Examination administered by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, scoring in the 97th percentile nationally. Margaret was also a two-year captain of her volleyball club and competed in regional and national tournaments at the Junior Olympic level.

*During her time at SCU Meg was involved in the women's ultimate frisbee team, President of Engineers without Borders, research with Dr. Mark Aschheim in the Civil Engineering Department studying the behavior of straw bale walls under seismic loading, intramural volleyball, basketball and soccer, and studied abroad in Auckland, New Zealand Fall 2015. 

Julia Anderson

Hometown: Beaverton, Oregon
High School: Valley Catholic High School
Major: Civil Engineering

Julia Anderson was an officer on the Valley Catholic Student Council where she was a member of the National Honor Society and the Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica. Julia also participated in the school choir, was a member of the girls swim team, a flutist in the concert, jazz and pep bands, and chief financial officer of the Young Entrepreneurs Business Week program. As an extracurricular activity, Julia enjoys photography.

*During her time at SCU Julia was involved with Campus Ministry, Concert Choir, Pep band, Engineers Without Borders, the Club swim team at Santa Clara and studied abroad in Madrid, Spain Fall 2015. 

Alaina Boyle

Hometown: Rocklin, California
High School: Whitney High School
Major: Psychobiology, Minors: Philosophy, Biology

Alaina treasures laughter, leadership, deep discussions, and service. During high school, she balanced her rigorous coursework with several leadership positions including being Vice President of the National Honor Society, Director of school's annual talent show raising money to build schools in Uganda, and Co-founder/Co-president of Whitney Forum Club (open-minded current events discussion group.) During her first two years at SCU, Alaina has continued cultivating her passions through her involvement in many extracurricular activities. Some of her most valuable experiences have been working as a Research Assistant in the Psychology Department and volunteering through the Santa Clara Community Action Program (SCCAP). Service has become increasingly meaningful in her life and she is happy to be the Department Coordinator of the Health and Disabilities Department of SCCAP this year. She would sum up her SCU experience in two words: community and opportunity. She treasures the strong community she has formed at SCU with students in her dorm, SCCAP, and Johnson Scholars whom she can share both laughter and deep conversations with. She is also very grateful for all of the opportunities she has had through the Johnson Scholars Program, with some of her favorite being meeting the Dalai Lama and traveling to The Gambia, West Africa to teach at Starfish International School. Her recent trip to The Gambia was life changing and she is excited to continue broadening her perspectives by leading the first international Johnson Scholar immersion trip to Nicaragua in Winter 2015!

Khoi Nguyen Bui

Hometown: San Jose, California
High School: Bellarmine College Preparatory School
Major: Biochemistry

Khoi Nguyen Bui is an aspiring scientific researcher. He is an Eagle Scout and Senior Patrol Leader who was honored as Scout of the Year in 2009. Khoi Nguyen is actively involved in his church as an assistant teacher and was a member of the Bellarmine Tutorial Society as a French and Algebra tutor. When not involved in church and school activities, he serves as a math and reading tutor for 1st graders and volunteers at the Sacred Heart Community Service organization.

*During his time at SCU, Khoi volunteered as a catechist teacher at Our Lady of Lavang Parish, volunteered/shadowed in the Chemistry lab on campus, conducted research and was lab assistant for Dr. Suljak in analytical chemistry. 

Cynthia Le

Hometown: Boise, Idaho
High School: Timberline High School
Major: Computer Science and Engineering, Minor: Dance

Cynthia enjoys thinking logically and laughing freely. Throughout high school, in addition to taking many AP classes and being Duchess of her high school’s Life Science Club, Cynthia performed on three dance teams. At SCU, Cynthia has been able to continue developing her passions for STEM, dance and her Chinese culture. The summer after her freshman year, she began working in SCU’s Robotics Systems Laboratory. She also has a great time performing with the campus hip hop team, SCU Hipnotik. Sophomore year, Cynthia was the Co-Activities Director for SCU’s Chinese Student Association (CSA), where she led the planning of their annual Culture Show. One of her favorite things that she is involved in is working in the Undergraduate Admission office as a Student Ambassador because she can share all of the reasons she loves Santa Clara. Cynthia is thankful to have so much support and friendship from the Johnson Scholar family and enjoyed the experience of going on an immersion trip to Tuscon, Arizona to learn about immigration and border issues with some of her fellow Scholars during her spring break of 2015.

Steven Parks

Hometown: Everett, Washington
High School: Cascade Senior High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering

Steven Parks was the recipient of the Outstanding Student Award each year from 9th through 11th grades. Steven excels as a leader. He was president of the National Honor Society, principal oboist of the Cascade High School wind ensemble, principal oboist of the Everett Youth Symphony Orchestra, and an Evergreen Boys State delegate. While juggling these commitments, he still found time to volunteer as a camp counselor and as a math and chemistry tutor, as well as lead microfinance meetings for small business owners while on a Dominican Republic mission trip.

*At SCU, Steven went on the Johnson Scholar immersion trip to Nicaragua, worked as a Student Ambassador in the Undergraduate Admission office, volunteered with SCCAP, Engineers Without Borders, was the architectural team lead for the tiny house CA state-wide competition in 2015, conducted research in the Robotics Systems Lab, studied abroad in Cork, Ireland Fall 2016, and was a Global Fellow in Indonesia summer 2017. 

*Steven graduates from SCU Winter 2018. 

Brynn Sargent

Hometown: Folsom, California
High School: Bella Vista High School
Major: Biology, Minors: Chemistry and Mathematics

In his first two years at Santa Clara University, Brynn excelled both inside and outside the classroom. Competing on both the varsity cross country and track teams, he achieved success, in spite of trouble with injuries, including a school record on the Distance Medley Relay team. He is an avid Ruff Rider, attending nearly all home games for basketball, soccer, and volleyball. Academically, he earned second place in the Freshman Math Contest. Over both summers, Brynn worked in the research lab of Dr. Elizabeth Dahlhoff, a member of the Biology Department at Santa Clara University, studying organismal physiology and evolution focusing on a willow leaf beetle native to the High Eastern Sierras. This coming year, Brynn is continuing in his research position as well as his competition on both the cross country and track teams. Additionally, he will begin planning and preliminary experimental work on his thesis project which will focus on the contribution of allelic variation in fundamental metabolic factors to differences in variable mitochondrial and whole organism respiration.

*At SCU Brynn worked in Dr. Elizabeth Dahlhoff of the Biology Department for three years doing summer field work and lab work in the school year, was a Ruff Rider for athletic games, on the Cross Country and Track teams, and competed in math competitions on campus. 

*Brynn graduates from SCU Winter 2018. 

Josie! Warren

Hometown: Morrison, Colorado
High School: D'Evelyn High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering, Minor: Theater Arts

Josie! tries to find the adventure in daily tasks. In high school she ran cross country and track, qualifying for state all eight seasons, sang lead in her senior musical, and held the role of president for Spanish Honors Society. At Santa Clara she performs for Inoperable Humor Improv, DJs for KSCU, manages the Education Project Team for Engineers Without Borders, and lives with her sorority sisters. As a mechanical engineering major with a theater arts minor, her dream is to build roller coasters, and in 2015 she pursued that goal with an internship on the Harry Potter World Hollywood construction site. Josie! appreciates classic pranks and lives for those times when she gets to be a complete weirdo. She is so grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Johnson Scholar program.

*During her time at SCU Josie led workshops for two Johnson Scholar retreats, served as Vice-President for Engineers Without Borders, was in Kappa Kappa Gamma, team captain for Inoperable Humor Improv, worked at KSCU, Santa Clara's radio station as a DJ, and studied abroad in Prague Fall 2015. 

Raymond Whelan

Hometown: San Mateo, California
High School: Junipero Serra High School
Major: Economics and Finance

Raymond Whelan served as president of the student body and was founder and president of the Junipero Serra High School Democracy Live Club. He was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, was awarded a National Merit Scholarship as a designated National Merit Scholar and has been recognized by the San Mateo County Bar Association for his skill in debate and speech on his high school Mock Trial Team. Ray earned the designation of National AP Scholar. He was awarded his graduating class' General Scholastic Excellence Medal, Service Medal, and was selected co-Valedictorian. Ray was a member of the cross country and track and field teams for four years. He was a CSF Life Member and a member of the National Honor Society. Attentive to the needs in his community, Raymond volunteers at the Mills Estate Villa Senior Home and the Second Harvest Food Bank.

*At Santa Clara University Ray interned with the Miller Center, was a Global fellow in Hyderabad, India summer summer 2015 and studied abroad in London Fall 2015. 

*Ray graduates from SCU Fall 2107.