Initiates at Santa Clara University (2021)
Elected as juniors in 2020
Max Bjorni. Max is a senior majoring in both neuroscience and biology. He joined SCU EMS during his first year and since then has served as a shift lead and member of the Leadership Team. He went abroad during his sophomore year as he co-led a medical brigade to Panama to provide healthcare services to rural populations. He began performing on-campus research with Dr. Lindsay Halladay as a first-year student and as a junior was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship for his work. He credits these and other lab experiences as having an immense influence on his desire to pursue science as a career. After graduation Max will be moving to San Francisco to work as a research assistant in the Feinberg lab at UCSF where he will study sensorimotor integration in the brain. He hopes to eventually apply to graduate programs in the neurosciences.
Alexandra George. Alexandra is a philosophy and political science double major. She researched criminal justice reform with Professor Colleen Chien in the SCU School of Law. Alexandra also studied compassionate release as a Hackworth Fellow with the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. A member of the University Honors Program, Alexandra wrote her senior thesis on judicial activism. The Political Science Department awarded Alexandra the Shallo Prize for the graduating senior most proficient in the study of political science. Alexandra was the communications chair of the Honors Advisory Council and the president of the SCU Harry Potter Club. Alexandra is excited to complete a fellowship with JusticeCorps before attending law school.
Elected as seniors in 2021
Jessica Britt. Jessica is a sociology major with a computer science minor. A native of Rocklin, CA, Jessica studied two and a half years of Arabic before spending a semester in Beijing, China. She has held several positions throughout her time at school, including Jean Donovan Fellow, various research Fassistantships, and Welcome Weeks Coordinator. For her senior thesis, she investigated the construction of gender roles on MTV's Are You the One?. Next year, she will be joining the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and serving at a nonprofit in Chicago called New Moms.
Mika Brown. Mika is a psychology major with a women's and gender studies minor. She served as a camp counselor with the Santa Clara University chapter of Camp Kesem, a summer camp for children impacted by a parent’s cancer, and has volunteered for numerous non-profit organizations dedicated to providing mental health support to those in need. She studied abroad in London where she further explored her passions for helping those with mental health challenges at a group home, shadowing hospital appointments and lending a helping hand. Mika will be pursuing her doctorate degree (PsyD) in clinical psychology in San Diego after graduation, a dream she has had since high school AP Psychology.
Tate Calem. Tate is a mathematics major and computer science minor. He was a Community Facilitator in the Da Vinci Residential Learning Community his junior year and has tutored with the Math Learning Center for three years. He enjoys creating board and video games and listening to new styles of music. For his honors program thesis he developed a new comparison sorting algorithm. Tate will study at the Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education on his path to become a high school mathematics teacher. He is a co-recipient of Pi of California’s David Logothetti Prize for demonstrating outstanding potential as a future teacher.
Courtney Davis. Courtney is a philosophy major with a minor in digital filmmaking. She served as captain and president of the women’s rugby team, competed on SCU’s Ethics Bowl team and held an officer position in the student government’s public relations branch. As a Hackworth Fellow at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, she researched issues related to disinformation and social media companies. In her free time, she enjoys making short films and playing guitar. Courtney intends to pursue a career as a writer.
Emily Eudy. Emily graduated summa cum laude with a psychology major and a minor in mathematics. While at Santa Clara, she was a first baseman for the Division 1 softball team, tutored college and high school students in math, and also worked at summer camps with kids in her hometown in Southern California. Her love for educating children led Emily towards a career in teaching. She will be attending Claremont Graduate University where she will earn a Master of Education and her teaching credential to teach high school math. She is a co-recipient of Pi of California’s David Logothetti Prize for demonstrating outstanding potential as a future teacher.
Sahale Greenwood. Sahale is a double major in political science and communication. During her time on campus, she wrote the opinion column for the university newspaper, worked at the school magazine, and wrote for the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. She worked as a journalist at a local newspaper, reported and shot for an online lifestyle publication, published a peer-reviewed article with the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, and spoke at their national conference. Her hobbies include camping, hiking, surfing, photography, reading, writing, and cooking. After graduation Sahale will continue her reporting and photography with The Outdoor Journal.
Maria Gregg. Maria is a sociology and political science double major with a minor in history. Her interest in political science led her to intern in the Irish Parliament while studying abroad in Dublin, her passion for sociology drives her current research for Dr. Molly King on people with disabilities’ access to information on climate change, and her love of history accounts for the stacks and stacks of historical novels cluttering all rooms of her apartment. After graduation, she will continue her research with Dr. King while working on graduate applications for joint-degree programs combining a law degree and doctorate in sociology.
Lauren Hewitt. Lauren is an environmental science major with minors in political science and French studies. She was involved with the Ignatian Center as a student assistant in the Thriving Neighbors Program, an immersion participant, and an immersion co-coordinator. She also interned with the Center for Sustainability for two years. Lauren served as a peer educator for French and environmental science courses and as a board member for the Undocumented Students and Allies Association. After graduation, Lauren will serve as a youth coordinator with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps at the Margaret Donnelly O’Connor Education Center in Mount Laurel, NJ.
Haley Howard. Haley is a political science and ethnic studies double major with a minor in religious studies from San Ramon, CA. At Santa Clara, she served on the board of the Black Student Union, worked on the staff of the Multicultural Center, and served as a research assistant. In her junior year, Haley attended the University of Oxford where she studied equity and power as the recipient of the Mansfield Visiting Student Scholarship. As a senior, she was co-chair of SCU’s Inclusive Excellence Student Advisory Council. After graduation, Haley will continue work as a research assistant while applying to graduate programs. Haley is the valedictorian of the Class of 2021.
Briahna Jackson. Briahna is a psychology and ethnic studies double major from Richmond, CA. On campus, she has served as a community facilitator and assistant resident director in Campisi Hall, Embrace facilitator for the Office of Multicultural Learning, and peer advisor in SCU’s Career Center. She currently works as a Behavior Technician to promote functional communication and adaptive living skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. Briahna will begin her Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA, where she intends to focus her studies on multicultural and community psychology. Briahna is the recipient of the Saint Claire Medal given to the female graduate judged most outstanding in academic accomplishments and overall contributions to the University.
Felicia Jarrin. Felicia is an English and political science double major with a journalism minor. She worked as a writing partner at the HUB Writing Center, was an executive director of the Santa Clara Student Alumni Council, and studied abroad in London. Her literary analysis paper, “Ending the Cycle of Abuse,” won the English Department’s 2021 Woodall Prize, and she presented the paper at the 2021 Macksey Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium. After graduation, Felicia is moving to Valencia, Spain, to work as an English teaching assistant. She then plans to pursue a PhD in English with a specific focus on Latin American literature and feminist studies.
Jessica Joudy. Jessica is a computer science and English double major. In the past four years, she worked as a tutor of K-9 students, and as a teaching assistant and grader in various computer science courses. She conducts research with the S.C.E.M.B.I. project, where she contributed to a modern edition of The Elder Brother and the curation/research of Archives & Special Collections. She has been awarded both the Library Undergraduate Research Award and the Katherine Woodall Prize for her senior thesis on the recovery of 18th century women’s novels. She will take a gap year before pursuing a graduate degree in English.
Daniel Ko. Daniel is a neuroscience major with a minor in biology. During his time at SCU, he worked as a chemistry tutor through the Drahmann Center and served as a research assistant in Dr. Halladay’s lab. He has also been involved in the pre-health fraternity Delta Epsilon Mu and in the mental health awareness club Active Minds. As a member of the University Honors Program, Daniel wrote his honors thesis on the effect of early life stress on the brain. After graduation, he plans to gain more clinical experience before applying to medical schools.
Ayush Kris. Ayush is a biochemistry major with minors in biology and history. He received the Denardo and Bastiani awards for his research with Dr. Grace Stokes on the interactions of pharmaceuticals with model cell membranes. Ayush shares his passion for the sciences by tutoring chemistry and acquainting incoming LEAD scholars with research experiences offered by the Biochemistry Department. He also enjoys engaging with his community through volunteer work as a pianist and EMT. Ayush is currently working at a biotechnology startup founded out of Stanford University and plans to apply to medical schools.
Vasudha Kumar. Vasudha is a sociology major and mathematics minor who grew up in transit between the Persian Gulf and a small town in South Asia. During her time in college, she has pursued research on housing and gentrification, social justice pedagogy, financial literacy, and surveillance technologies. For her research, she received the Witold Krassowski Sociology Award from the SCU Sociology Department. As a community organizer, Vasudha has also worked on tenants’ rights and labor justice. After graduation, Vasudha hopes to pursue professional opportunities that allow her to combine her passions for research and social justice.
DJ Lambert. DJ is a double major in economics and political science with minors in computer science and mathematics. He studied the politics and policy of the European Union while he studied abroad in Germany. During a summer working in Bolivia as a Global Fellow, DJ was introduced to social entrepreneurship and its potential to help build a better world. He continued exploring social entrepreneurship as a Miller Center Fellow working virtually with an affordable housing social enterprise in Uganda. DJ plans to continue supporting the creation of social impact by applying his experience in data analysis.
Grace Lin-Cereghino. Grace is from Stockton, CA, and is graduating with majors in public health and Italian studies and a minor in urban education. While at SCU, she greatly enjoyed her time as a co-chair of the Undocumented Students and Allies Association in addition to working as an Arrupe Fellow at the Ignatian Center, Vari Italian Studies Fellow at the Museo Italo Americano, and community facilitator in Unity and Loyola RLCs. Next year, she will be attending Stanford’s Teacher Education Program, constantly being inspired by her Camp Kesem campers and students at Sacred Heart Community Service and College of Adaptive Arts.
Chidu Nachiappan. Chidu is a biology major and an economics and chemistry minor. He has worked in the Biology Department with Dr. Bayless identifying functions of conserved proteins in a model organism that, when mutated, are associated with epilepsy in young children. He also worked as a TA for introductory biology courses. Beyond campus, he volunteered as a research assistant in the CoPsyN Lab at the Veteran Affairs Hospital working with Gulf War Veterans dealing with insomnia. After graduation, he plans on working as a scribe before going to medical school.
Michelle Nguyen. Michelle is a double major in biochemistry and music from Milpitas, CA. She was a research assistant in Dr. Amelia Fuller’s peptoid synthesis lab, studying synthetic organic materials that mimic biological molecules. She has co-authored two publications, and has been recognized as a REAL scholar and ALZA Science Scholar for her research work. She volunteers at the Kaiser Santa Clara Hospital in the pediatrics department, and is a nationally certified referee and coach in Taekwondo. After graduation, she will spend a gap year working as a scribe and EMT before attending medical school to become a pediatrician.
Galen Ogden. Galen is a double major in economics and philosophy, with a concentration in ethics and values. She is passionate about environmental issues and has pursued a pathway in Sustainability during her time at Santa Clara. She further pursued this interest during her internship with Apple’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) team. Over the past four years she has also interned abroad in Barcelona, Spain, and held various leadership positions both on and off campus. After graduation, Galen is enthusiastic to return to Apple to start her professional career with the Finance Department.
Maria Parker. Maria is a political science and philosophy double major. She is part of the University Honors and Political Science Honors Programs, for which she wrote her thesis on legal avenues to establish broader rights for the LBTQ+ community. While at SCU, Maria established the University's first mock trial program, which has become a nationally competitive team and brought home dozens of awards to SCU. She also worked as a peer educator for Dr. Peter Minowitz’s Introduction to Political Philosophy class. After graduation, Maria will work for the international corporate law firm Ropes & Gray as a paralegal before heading to law school.
Charlotte Parque. Charlotte is a junior psychology and music double major with a minor in sociology. She works as a research assistant in Dr. Kathryn Bruchmann’s Social Comparison and Cognition Lab and Dr. Bhagwat’s Early Cognitive Development Lab. She is also working on her senior thesis, which examines the relationships among self-compassion, goal orientations, and academic self-efficacy. This summer, she will be conducting an independent research project under the guidance of Dr. Ayelet Fishbach of the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. After graduating, Charlotte plans to pursue further education in social psychology.
Cory Peters. Cory, a junior, is a double major in mathematics and computer science. While at Santa Clara, he worked as an individual tutor and a study group leader at the Mathematics Learning Center to enable student success in calculus courses. This summer, he will attend the Groundwork for Operator Algebras Lecture Series at Michigan State University. At GOALS, he hopes to gain valuable experience and looks forward to meeting new people. Cory plans to continue studying mathematics after graduating from Santa Clara.
Alex Quan. Alex is a neuroscience major with minors in art history, philosophy, and biology. Originally from San Diego, Alex is the senior Honzel Fellow of the Markkula Center’s Healthcare Ethics Internship, a research assistant in Dr. Lindsay Halladay's behavioral neuroscience lab, a three-year co-director for the culture show presented by SCU’s Chinese Student Association, and the current Quality Assurance officer for SCU EMS, where he volunteers as a campus EMT. He will study medical ethics in the Harvard Master of Bioethics program while applying to medical schools. Alex is the recipient of the Nobili Medal given to the male graduate judged most outstanding in academic accomplishments and overall contributions to the University.
Sara Rabinowitz. Sara is a double major in psychology and communication. She has served as a peer advisor for the Psychology Department and has worked as a research assistant in Dr. Read’s child development lab. She has also served on the executive board of SCU Own It, a conference dedicated to professional development and female empowerment. She studied abroad in Spain where she stayed in a homestay and volunteered as an English language teaching assistant. She now works as a classroom assistant at a school serving children with learning differences, ADHD, and anxiety. Sara will take a gap year and apply to graduate schools to become a school psychologist.
Briana Reynolds. Briana, an anthropology major and public health minor, played softball and also conducted research on access to healthcare for migrant patients with Dr. Miranda of the Public Health Department. For her senior project, she produced an NSF grant proposal to research the roots of vaccine hesitancy surrounding COVID-19 through an anthropological lens. She plans to continue with her interest in the healthcare field by pursuing a career in medical research.
Meg Richter. Meg is a psychology major who completed her honors thesis on how language influences thinking styles and culture. A member of SCU EMS, she also pursued her passions in music and theater throughout her years at the University. She also spent a considerable amount of her senior year accumulating clinical experience, caregiving for a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Following graduation she will be serving with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, working in a permanent housing facility for the chronically homeless in Boise, ID, while applying to graduate programs in psychology.
Katherine Rose. Katherine is a psychology major with minors in sociology and public health. In her junior year, she founded and presided over Every Vote Counts, an organization focused on increasing voter turnout and civic engagement on college campuses. She has worked as a research assistant for Dr. Tim Urdan on teacher identity development, and has since focused her honors thesis on the importance of positive teacher-student relationships for teacher identity development and student success. Amidst the pandemic, Katherine co-authored an article discussing the prevalence of intimate partner violence during Covid-19 in Traumatology, a journal published by the American Psychological Association.
Carlin Ross-Kempt. A double major in English and Philosophy, Carlin studied abroad in Bologna, Italy. Her favorite courses at SCU were Metaphysics with Professor Brian Buckley and Life Writing with Professor Juan Velasco. Outside the library, Carlin worked as a court advocate and a court reporter. She had 21 articles published by the Davis Vanguard Court Watch before graduation. Next year, Carlin will take a sales position at Inspirata, a Cancer AI and Informatics company.
Abby Roubal. Abby is a political science major with a minor in public health science. She is originally from Colorado Springs, CO, and spent part of her junior year in Washington, D.C., through the Washington Semester Program. Abby completed internships in the offices of Senator Michael Bennet, the Health and Medicine Counsel of Washington, and on the campaign of Rep. Jason Crow. She also served as a program coordinator with the Santa Clara Community Action Program and was active in the SCU Jewish Student Union. After graduation, she is moving to D.C. to pursue a career in public policy.
Ethan Schauer. Ethan, a junior, is a biochemistry major and biology minor. As a DeNardo Science Scholar, he is performing research in analytical chemistry with Dr. Steven Suljak. Before COVID, he worked as a community facilitator in Campisi Hall, served on the leadership team for Core Christian Fellowship, and volunteered at a long-term pediatric care-facility. A native of San Diego, CA, Ethan is an avid surfer and spent three summers working as an EMT Lifeguard on the beaches of San Diego. Next year, Ethan will finish his studies at SCU before applying to medical schools.
Riley Scherr. Riley is an anthropology and biology major. He has served on SCU’s EMT squad as assistant director and then head of the Bring Health Home Program. He has also volunteered at the Hazel Hawkins Emergency Department, Hospital para los Indigentes in Costa Rica, and OrthoNorcal orthopedic clinic. His research has focused on agricultural fieldworkers’ health experiences in Costa Rica and his hometown on California’s central coast. Outside of work, Riley enjoys songwriting. After graduation, he will work as a medical assistant, apply to medical schools, and seek to share his research findings with the San Benito County Health Department.
Hayley Seeno. Hayley is a studio art major from the Bay Area. While at SCU, she completed her pre-medical studies while pursuing her passion for art. She worked in Campus Ministry her junior year as president of Christian Life Community. Her senior year, she was a Healthcare Ethics Intern with the Markkula Center. Hayley also was the lead artist for an app dedicated to infant care education that is now deployed in rural Uganda. She currently works as a researcher in clinical trials for women’s health for a non-profit in Berkeley, CA. She will be applying to medical schools this year.
Cozmo Smith. Cozmo is a mathematics major with an emphasis in applied math and a minor in Japanese studies. In his math career he earned the Balles Award for outstanding mathematical achievement at SCU. He also studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan, at Sophia University his sophomore year because he was just that eager to live abroad. For three years, he served as a student leader and administrator of the campus Bible study, New Life on Campus. Cozmo will begin full-time work after graduation in continual pursuit of becoming a mad scientist of mathematics.
Robert Stallman. Rob is an engineering physics major from Ashland, OR. During his time at Santa Clara, he led campus tours, studied abroad in Ireland, and tutored students in physics. He also enjoyed spending time gardening on campus and broadcasting groovy tunes as a DJ for the campus radio station. For his senior honors thesis, he developed a novel web application to make comparisons between 40 different nuclear fuel cycles on the basis of waste production. Rob is passionate about sustainability in all respects, and plans to begin a career in sustainable energy generation and storage.
Marcello Vial. Marcello is a double major in psychology and philosophy from Woodside, CA, who has conducted research on the relationship between nostalgia, avoided negative affect, and helping behavior with Dr. Koopmann-Holm of the Psychology Department in her Cultures Impacts Emotion Lab. He has also conducted mental health equity research for Sutter Health’s Mental Health and Addiction Care Service and studied abroad in Perugia, Italy, where he helped to design a narrative survey as part of a proposal to the United Nations. Marcello will pursue further clinical and organizational experience with Sutter Health before applying to graduate schools.
Alexa Williams. Alexa, a sociology and communication double-major, is from the Bay Area. She has taken on a variety of enriching leadership roles such as president of the Commuter Student Union and as an officer for the co-ed community service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. Alexa was also a Hackworth Fellow through the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and conducted research on commuter issues, a project that later evolved into her honor’s thesis on commuter status and faculty/commuter relationships. As a Global Social Benefit Fellow through the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, Alexa partnered with Innovation Works Baltimore, a social enterprise that works to close the racial wealth divide in Baltimore. She has also worked as a research assistant and co-authored an academic paper in the health science/communication field. After graduation, Alexa plans on working in social science research.
Kathryn Wilson. Kathryn is a double major in psychology and economics with an emphasis in pre-law. As a Singapore native, Kathryn enjoys traveling and experiencing new cultures and cuisines. She studied abroad in Denmark in the fall of 2019, where she led a research study on the effects of emotional disclosure on self-stigmatization in Copenhagen’s mentally ill patients. On campus, Kathryn is an active member of Alpha Kappa Psi. After graduation, she will be joining her family in San Diego as an incoming sales consultant trainee for Unum Insurance. She hopes to apply to law schools within the next few years.