Initiates at Santa Clara University (2023)
Gabriela Arcangeli. Gabriela is a junior psychology and child studies double major and a member of the University Honors Program. She is highly involved in the Psychology Department as a student assistant and a lead peer advisor. Beyond campus, she volunteers for the Bill Wilson Crisis Hotline and has accumulated over 100 hours of service. She is also an intern at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, developing research-based mental health programs and co-facilitating these therapeutic groups for community members. During her senior year, Gabriela plans to apply to Masters of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) programs. Ultimately, she hopes to work with adolescents and families in a residential treatment setting, specializing in trauma and addiction.
Zoë Baumbach. Zoe is an economics major with classics and philosophy minors. She led Santa Clara's TEDx student organization as creative director and held weekly conversations with other economics students in the Civil society Institute of the Leavey School of Business. As a freshman, Zoë won the Arete Prize — the best thesis or research paper on a classical topic for the academic year — for her essay, "The Legacy of Roman Architecture in Nazi Germany: Hitler's Inspirations for World Domination and Cultural Superiority." Zoë plans a career in litigation consulting.
Maggie Brick. Maggie is an economics major with minors in sustainability and Spanish studies. She studied abroad in Barcelona, played club lacrosse at Santa Clara for three years, and participated in intramural soccer. She also worked on-campus as a teacher’s assistant for a microeconomics class and as a research assistant for the Economics Department. After graduation, Maggie will start her professional career as a transfer pricing associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Francisco.
Blake Bruno. Blake is a political science major with a pre-law emphasis and a minor in English. A native of New Orleans, he has worked as a writing partner at SCU’s HUB Writing Center, and served as vice president of the SCU Motorsport Club. He has pursued an interest in creative writing, earning first place in the 2023 McCann Short Story Contest, and had works selected for the poetry publication Transcendence. Blake will work as an attorney’s assistant at Martzell, Bickford & Centola in New Orleans while applying to law schools.
Carter Clees. Carter is an English major with minors in economics and music. A native of Phoenix, Carter has a passion for creative and analytical writing that is only narrowly exceeded by his love of saguaro cacti. He has served as the fundraising director of the Santa Clara Mock Trial Team, as standards director of his fraternity, and has interned at the law firm Hertz Lichtenstein and Young in Los Angeles. Carter has played guitar in Jazz Combos throughout his four years at Santa Clara, occasionally performing for wind ensemble and student recitals. His off-campus band, 3PM Oats, recently opened for artist Bryce Vine at the APB Spring Concert. Carter will be moving to New York City to continue his education at Cardozo School of Law.
Caroline Cotler. Caroline is a psychology major with a journalism minor. She was a member of Dr. Kirsten Read’s Language and Learning Lab and was awarded the Hayes Fellowship to conduct summer research for the Lab. She was a teaching assistant for a statistics and methods course and served as the secretary of the Psi Chi Honor Society in Psychology. Caroline completed a senior thesis for the University Honors Program in which she explored adolescent resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Caroline will pursue a master's degree in marriage and family therapy at Northwestern University.
Amrita Dhami. Amrita is a neuroscience major and a transfer student. For her honors thesis, she researched the effects of famines in South Asia and other regions with a history of recurring and severe famines. Her focus was on understanding the influence of these famines on the health of diasporas, utilizing epigenetic mechanisms as a crucial framework. Amrita was also the founder and president of the Shanti Bhavan club, a community facilitator, a teaching assistant, a peer health educator, and a member of Alpha Sigma Nu. Amrita plans a career in medicine.
Kiana Harker. Kiana is a junior biology major. She has been awarded an ALZA Science Scholar award to continue conducting research in Dr. Carter-O’Connell’s biochemistry lab on PARP-14, an enzyme involved in biological functions like DNA repair, cell division, and inflammatory responses. Kiana spends time working at a pediatric clinic, where she enjoys learning about medical diagnoses and bringing smiles to patients. She hopes to attend medical school in the future.
Chloé D’Hers. Chloé is public health major with minors in environmental studies and professional writing. Over the past few years, she has served as a communication fellow for SCU's Healthcare Innovation and Design Lab as well as a research assistant and communications lead for SCU's Agroecology, Climate Resilience, and Food Justice Lab. When she is not in class, Chloé can be found assisting deans in the Office of Student Life or serving her fellow classmates at The Hut, an iconic Santa Clara landmark. Chloé plans to work for several years before pursuing a master’s degree in health communication.
Mary Francis Garcia. Mary Francis is a neuroscience major with a minor in biotechnology. In the past year, she has served as a neuroscience peer advisor and health professions peer advisor. She was the Honzel Fellow for the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics where she mentored students in the Health Care Ethics Internship and wrote a report on artificial intelligence as a patient preference predictor. In addition, she completed developmental neuroscience research under Dr. Laura Cocas, examining the role of neuronal adhesion proteins Neuroligin 1,2,3. Mary Francis will be applying to medical schools.
Anna Goldberg. Anna is a political science major. While she started as an economics major in The Leavey School of Business, she discovered her love for the humanities and politics two years in when she transferred into political science. Anna loves to read books about history, do yoga, and spend time with her cats. She is hoping to go on to a career in criminal justice reform and help tackle the injustices that exist in our system of mass incarceration.
Hayley Harrison. Hayley is graduating with a degree in psychology with public health and chemistry minors. The captain of the Cross Country and Track team, she also worked as a research assistant in the Read Language Learning Lab where she studied child language acquisition during reading and wrote two papers currently under review. In the fall, she will be attending the University of Oregon to pursue a master’s degree in couples and family therapy. She is enthusiastic about a future of helping those in her community through relational counseling.
Katie Holmes. Katie, a psychology and communication double-major with a retail studies minor, is a member of the University Honors Program. She has taken on the role of lead peer advisor in the Psychology Department for the past two years, where she also works as a student assistant. She served on the executive board of the health and fitness community SCU CHAARG as the vice president of membership, and she is also a member of the Zeta Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi. Katie will be working at Alvarez & Marsal, a management consulting firm, in San Francisco following graduation.
Andrew Johnson. Andrew is a political science major as well as a cadet in the US Army ROTC program. For his achievements in the ROTC program, Andrew was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate and received the George C. Marshall Award from the Military Science Department. Outside of the classroom he was the president of his social fraternity, vice-president of the mock trial program, a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, and participated in internships in the US House of Representatives and in the Judge Advocate General Corps of the US Army. Andrew will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army and attend UC Berkeley Law School.
Bryce Klassen. Bryce is a mathematics major from Mesa, Arizona. He has worked as a community facilitator in the Casa Italiana residence hall for the past two years. He has also served as the production manager, vice president, and president of the Stand-Up Comedy Club on campus. He plans to pursue a career in data science.
Liana Korotzer. Liana is a neuroscience major with minors in biology and public health. On campus, she has enjoyed serving as a shift lead for the campus EMS squad and performing in the Images dance shows. For her honors thesis, Liana studied how to effectively educate students about important public health information, such as drug safety. She also studied abroad in Edinburgh and loves to run, read, and listen to podcasts in her free time. Next year, Liana will work as a clinical assistant at an orthopedic clinic in San Francisco while she applies to physician assistant schools.
Mae Krause. Mae is a junior majoring in public health and anthropology. She is in the University Honors Program and is a member of the Santa Clara Belles, a women’s service organization. She is also a peer advisor for the Public Health Department. Mae is a De Nardo Science Scholar, and is researching postpartum health education and postpartum experiences in San Jose with Dr. Veronica Miranda (Anthropology) and Dr. Alice Villatoro (Public Health). In her free time, Mae works as a tutor, and enjoys hiking and reading a good book.
Judith Li. Judith, a double major in economics and sociology, was elected as a junior in 2022. She has served as the president of the SCU Microfinance Club, which focuses on fundraising zero-interest loans for social entrepreneurs under the poverty line. Judith has volunteered as a math tutor in a predominantly Latinx middle school and worked as an economics tutor on campus. She served a Global Social Benefit Fellow, conducting an action research project on clean water in East Africa. As an international student, she loves working with people from diverse backgrounds. She prizes strong cultural competency, respect, and compathy in cross-cultural contacts. Judith is the recipient of the Saint Clare Medal.
Claire Long. Claire, a biology and dance double major with a chemistry minor, recently celebrated the completion of her dance senior-thesis project Voyage. Heavily involved on campus, Claire explored ethics through the Markkula Health Care Ethics Internship, conducted public-health social impact research as a Miller Center Fellow, and worked in Residence Life for two years. Passionate about SCU’s pre-health community, she served as president of the professional pre-health fraternity Delta Epsilon Mu and as co-president of the new Health Professions Peer Advising Program. Claire will work as a dermatology MA/scribe before pursuing her dance medicine career.
Farrah Moreno. Farrah is a psychology and child studies double major. She has been a part of Dr. Bhagwat’s Early Cognitive Development Lab on campus, currently working on mindfulness interventions with children ages 4-6. Her previous research delved into the menstrual education of adolescents and young adults, in efforts to help advocate for better menstrual education in schools across the US. In the fall, Farrah will attend the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Lucinda Nevils. Lucinda is a psychology major with a double minor in English and creative writing. She studied abroad in the Psychology and Neuroscience Program at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. She was the Marketing Director for the Santa Clara Review, the university’s student-edited literary magazine. Lucinda recently interned for Allied Global Marketing, and hopes to continue pursuing a career in the film and media industry.
Michael Nguyen. Michael is a junior, double majoring in neuroscience and music, with a minor in biology. He is a research assistant in Dr. Lindsay Halladay’s behavioral neuroscience lab, studying the effects of early-life stress on behaviors such as fear, anxiety, and maternal care. He was selected as a De Novo Fellow and as a national Barry Goldwater Scholar. He is the principal clarinetist of the SCU Wind Ensemble and studies with Professor Ginger Kroft. In his senior year, he plans to continue research and music while working applying to medical schools.
Emily Pachoud. Emily is a first-generation student majoring in environmental studies and sociology with minors in sustainability and religious studies. She has been the lead strategy intern for the tUrn Climate Crisis Awareness and Action Project since her sophomore year, working closely with the director to organize a week-long climate conference twice each year. She was the program coordinator for ENACT, a campus group that pushes SCU to divest from fossil fuels, and with Dr. King of the Sociology Department, she conducted research on climate disaster preparedness for people with disabilities. Emily plans to work in policy analysis in the Bay Area while applying to graduate programs in climate policy.
Sydney Pattison. Sydney is graduating with a degree in neuroscience and a minor in biology. Sydney held multiple positions in Rho Psi Eta Pre-Health sorority, including that of president during 2022-23, served as an executive board member for Health Professions Peer Advising, and worked as a Markkula Center Healthcare Ethics Intern. Alongside Dr. Brian McNelis, she researched strategies to improve the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of an existing testing protocol for infectious disease. Outside of SCU, she volunteered as a crisis counselor for the Crisis Text Line. Sydney will be returning home to Seattle to work in clinical research at the University of Washington Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation & Wellness Research Center while applying to medical schools.
Carmen Rodriguez. A native of San Jose, Carmen is a psychology major with a sociology minor. Across the past three years, Carmen has served as a peer educator for the LEAD Scholars Program, as co-chair for the Multicultural Center’s Together for Ladies of Color student organization, and as a peer health educator. She has traveled to Appalachia as a volunteer for the Ignatian Center, working to broaden her service to marginalized populations and communities of color. Currently, Carmen is exploring diversity, inclusion, and equity opportunities, seeking a career that will help address racial and gendered disparities in the labor market.
Sophie Rotter-Aboyoun. Sophie is a psychology major with a minor in Spanish. While at SCU, she has been very involved in the Psychology Department, writing her senior thesis about language learning for children on the spectrum, under the direction of Dr. Kirsten Read. Sophie loves to be involved with the local communities, such as through her Ignatian Fellowship and volunteer work with Alpha Phi Omega, SCU's co-ed professional service fraternity. After graduation, Sophie will return to Seattle with plans to pursue certification in bilingual teaching.
Maya Ryan. Hailing from Edmonds, WA, Maya was elected as a junior in 2022. She is a public health science and biology double major with a minor in Spanish studies. Dedicated to promoting health equity, Maya has been a research assistant in Dr. Jamie Chang’s laboratory, where she studied mortality among homeless in the Asian and Pacific Islander community, as well as API invisibility in research. She was also a Health Care Ethics Intern through the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Following her junior year, Maya worked with The Health Trust as a Valeriote Goldman Fellow. Outside of her studies, Maya enjoys working as a student ambassador, dancing, and hiking.
Kaitlin Sanders. Katie graduates with majors in political science and philosophy. She is the recipient of the Political Science Department’s Shallo Prize and the Philosophy Department’s Sourisseau Award—honors given to the highest-ranking senior. In 2022, Katie received a Bernard Kronick Award from the Political Science Department for her research paper on Americans’ abortion attitudes; she completed her honors thesis on how the Federalist Society influenced the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs. Outside of the classroom, she worked as a writing partner at the HUB Writing Center, served as president of the Eta Lambda chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, and interned for her home district’s congressional representative, Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08). Katie plans to attend law school.
Lydia Sandy. Lydia will be graduating magna cum laude with majors in child studies and religious studies and a minor in urban education. On campus, she was involved in many organizations including Alpha Phi Omega and KSCU. After graduation, Lydia will complete a Master of Education at the University of Notre Dame through its Alliance of Catholic Education program while also working as a fourth-grade teacher in Sacramento. Lydia is excited to share Phi Beta Kappa membership with her father, two sisters, and great-grandmother.
Jackson Stanich. Jackson is a double major in political science and environmental studies. A Hackworth Fellow in The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Jackson researched how online learning changed the norms of academic honesty at Santa Clara University. He served as co-president for SCU Sports Business, a large student organization in the Leavey School of Business. A student coordinator for the Center for Sustainability on campus, Jackson also worked as a sustainability intern for the Golden State Warriors. Jackson will join the Sales Leadership Development Program at E&J Gallo with the goal of a career in corporate sustainability.
Grace Tantra. Grace is a computer science and psychology double major with minors in economics and Japanese studies. She grew up in Singapore, which fostered a passion for exploration and multiculturalism. She has been involved in various extracurriculars on campus, co-chairing the Korean Student Association and dancing with Hipnotik. She also served as a tutor in computer science through the Drahmann Center and participated in a variety of volunteering opportunities as a member of the executive committee of Alpha Phi Omega, the professional service fraternity. Grace will begin work as a software engineer for Amazon’s Alexa in Sunnyvale, CA.
Phoebe Tanuwidjaja. Phoebe is a psychology major with minors in sociology and environmental studies. She worked as a research assistant for the Consumer Behavior Lab with Dr. Chae and Dr. Siddiqui of the Marketing Department. She has also interned with Liberty Society, a social enterprise that strives to empower refugees in Indonesia by selling their handcrafted, eco-friendly merchandise. As an international student, Phoebe likes to travel and learn about various cultures and languages. She will be working as a behavior technician in Boston and is planning to pursue her interests in research through a master's program in applied psychology.
Claire Van Dyke. Claire is a psychology major and classical studies minor. On campus Claire served four years in leadership positions in Campus Ministry and as member of the Triathlon team. Off campus, she worked as a teaching assistant intern at the Sand Hill School at Children’s Health Council, serving students with language-based learning disabilities. She also drew on this experience for her work in the Psychology Honors Program. After graduation, Claire plans to continue in elementary school teaching at a local school and ultimately pursue a career in school psychology.
Ella Welo. Ella, a double major in psychology and communication with a minor in French, is a native of Edina, MN. She researched celebrity influence on body image, and assisted in Dr. Kathryn Bruchmann’s research on social comparison. She also took several courses in the Leavey School of Business and served as an event planner for the Undergraduate Marketing Association. Ella worked as a marketing intern at Boatsetter, a start-up company, and is now pursuing a career with Marsh McLennan Agency in San Francisco. She enjoys playing classical piano, exploring California, and, of course, spreading that “Minnesota nice”.
Rob Wohl. Rob is a history and political science double major with a philosophy minor. His primary research interests are political philosophy and intellectual history. As a junior, Rob won the History Department’s best essay award for independent research on Byzantine historiography. For his University Honors thesis, Rob studied the French royalist Joseph de Maistre and his relationship with the Enlightenment. For his political science thesis, Rob studied the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Rob has presented his research at three conferences on the East Coast. He has been published at Santa Clara and Johns Hopkins University, with multiple articles forthcoming. After graduation, Rob will study intellectual history at the University of Edinburgh before pursuing a legal education.
Sydney Wright. Sydney is graduating with majors in neuroscience and biology. She tutored students in biology and chemistry and held multiple positions in Rho Psi Eta, a professional pre-health sorority. Sydney served on Rho Psi’s standards board and as the new member educator, positions that allowed her to grow in communication and leadership. Additionally, she and her team were finalists for SCU Library’s Undergraduate Research Award for their grant proposal “Effect of Social Isolation on Seizure Susceptibility through GABA-ergic Mechanisms.” Sydney also worked as a physical therapy aide and a youth gymnastics coach. She plans to pursue a career in the healthcare field that combines her interests in pediatrics and orthopedics.