2020-2021 Mortar Board Members

MORTAR BOARD ALCALÁ CHAPTER NO. 216

INITIATION 2020 -2 021 MEMBERS SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2020 2-4 p.m.

Zoom Link: https: / / sandiego.zoom.us / j / 312802940

THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO

Chartered in 1949, the University of San Diego is a private, Roman Catholic institution of higher education located on 180 acres at the western end of Linda Vista, overlooking San Diego’s Mission Bay. Known for its commitment to teaching, the liberal arts, the formation of values and community engagement, USD aspires to excellence and offers higher education to individuals of all races, creeds, cultural backgrounds, abilities and sexual orientations. The university takes pride in the personalized approach and holistic view it brings to the educational process, recognizing the physical, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, cultural and social needs of its students and how those needs are interdependent for personal growth.

The university was founded under the leadership of Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill of the Society of the Sacred Heart and Bishop Charles Francis Buddy of the Diocese of San Diego. “Beauty will attract them; goodness will lead them; but the truth will hold them,” said Mother Hill. This has been interpreted to mean that beauty will initially attract people who come to the campus, and when they are here, they will encounter people in whom they find a certain goodness. This, in turn, will lead them to the truth, which will hold them. For Mother Rosalie Hill, the search for truth was the purpose of the university.

USD enrolls more than 9,000 students from 85 countries and 50 states, who may choose from more than 88 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university’s academic units include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace and Justice, the School of Business, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering and Professional and Continuing Education.

USD is recognized as a Community Engagement Institution by the Carnegie Foundation, and is a member of Ashoka’s Changemaker Campus Consortium.

Dedicated to the ongoing legacy of our founders, the University of San Diego is committed to finding sustainable solutions to humanity’s urgent challenges and empowering students to live fulfilling lives as responsible, global citizens. USD is comprised of a community of scholars committed to teaching and research both in and out of the classroom and is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States.

OUR MISSION

The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic institution committed to advancing academic excellence, expanding liberal and professional knowledge, creating a diverse and inclusive community, and preparing leaders dedicated to ethical conduct and compassionate service.

UNIV ERSITY OF S AN D IEG O MO RTA R B O A R D I N I T I AT I O N 2 0 2 0 -2 0 2 1

MORTAR BOAR D

ALCALÁ CH APTER

FOUNDING ADVISOR

JUDITH LEWIS LOGUE, Director of Financial Aid, retired, 1999-2019

FACULTY ADVISORS

AL ANA CORDY-COLLINS, PhD, Professor of Anthropology, 20 0 0 – 2 015 RICHARD CUSTIN, JD, LLM, Clinical Professor of Business Law and Ethics NICHOL AS L ADANY, PhD, Dean of School of Leadership and Education Sciences JUDITH LIU, PhD, Professor of Sociology SUSAN LORD, PhD, Professor of Electrical Engineering MICHAEL MAYER, PhD, Professor of Biology

ADMINISTR ATIVE ADVISOR

CHARLES BASS, Senior Director, Alumni Relations, Mortar Board Alumnus

CHAPTER ADVISOR

PERL A MYERS, PhD, Mortar Board Alumna

HONOR ARY MORTAR BOAR D MEMBERS ALICE B. HAYES, PhD

October 22, 2000

TRICIA A. DURAN

April 27, 2002

PATRICK F. DRINAN, PhD

September 13, 2003

MARY E. LYONS, PhD

April 14, 2004

FRANCIS M. LAZARUS, PhD

April 25, 2004

ANNE M. DONNELLAN, PhD

April 24, 2005

JULIE H. SULLIVAN, PhD

April 28, 2006

ALANA K. CORDY-COLLINS, PhD

April 27, 2008

SUSAN M. LORD, PhD

April 27, 2008

MICHAEL S. MAYER, PhD

April 26, 2009

THOMAS R. HERRINTON, PhD

April 25, 2010

CARMEN M. VAZQUEZ, MS

April 17, 2011

DELAVAN J. DICKSON, JD, PhD

April 22, 2012

NOELLE H. NORTON, PhD

April 21, 2013

THERESE TRUITT WHITCOMB, MA

December 9, 2014

JAMES T. HARRIS III, DEd

October 18, 2016

IRIS H. ENGSTRAND, PhD

February 14, 2017

ANDREW T. ALLEN, PhD

April 30, 2017

THOMAS H. LUPFER, MA

May 5, 2019

GAIL F. BAKER, PhD

May 5, 2019

JENNIFER ZWOLINSKI, PhD

May 23, 2020

JUDITH LIU, PhD

May 23, 2020

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MORTAR BOAR D

2020 - 21

MEMBERS NADINE ACHK AR is double majoring in international business and

Spanish. She works as a mentor for TRiO Upward Bound, as well as McNair Scholars. She is a member of Student Support Services, a resident assistant on campus and the vice president of the Muslim Student Association.

Nadine hopes to utilize her passion for international business to advocate for social justice initiatives. She is from Dearborn Heights, Michigan.

R ACHEL ALEF is majoring in behavioral neuroscience with a minor

in chemistry. She has earned First Honors on the Dean’s list. Her honors thesis is on behavioral pharmacology and examines the effect of ethanol and other anxiolytics on the behavior in zebrafish. Rachel is the founder and president of Saturdays with Seniors and vice president of programming for Phi Delta Epsilon. She volunteers in joint care recovery at her local hospital, is a notetaker for the Disability Center on campus, and is a teaching assistant for statistics. Rachel plans to become a physician in the field of geriatrics or psychiatry. She is from Rochester Hills, Michigan.

PRISCILL A ANDERSON is majoring in international relations. She

earned First Honors and was on the Dean’s List after her first semester at USD as a transfer student. Priscilla works in Copley Library and is a math grader. During her first semester at USD she became a transfer ambassador and a member of the Academic Integrity Board. She is a member of Phi Alpha Delta and a transfer scholastic assistant. Priscilla plans to join the Peace Corps once she graduates and later go to law school, where she can use her degree, as well as her experience as a dual-national Brazilian. Priscilla is from Omaha, Nebraska.

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TRINA AR AJA is double majoring in finance and business management.

Since her first year, she has consistently earned First Honors. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. She has volunteered for many organizations, including various orphanages and Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Trina has also served on a semester-long mentorship program to help incoming international students adapt to the new environment. In the future, she hopes to help promote sustainable business practices to developing countries. She is from Manila, Philippines.

SOPHIA AUSTIN is majoring in integrated engineering with an emphasis in sustainability and a minor in mathematics. She has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List multiple times in addition to being in the Honors Program. As a Stanford University Innovation Fellow, she helped develop a reusable to-go box program on campus. Sophia is on the Executive Board for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and is co-founder of the club Alliance of Disability Advocates, and a Changemaker Hub Student Committee member. This summer, she accepted an early offer internship in the San Francisco Bay area as an industrial engineer for UPS. Sophia is from La Cañada, California.

KELSEY BANTA is majoring in chemistry with a minor in art history.

She has earned First Honors and is a member of the USD Honors Program. Kelsey is part of the USD Medical Brigades chapter, University Ministry and Alpha Epsilon Delta. She is part of a research lab on campus studying metal organic frameworks and is currently doing research with her principal investigator on a framework that can be used for pollution remediation. Kelsey wishes to pursue a career where she can combine her environmental research with healthcare after graduating from USD.

NARIS BARMAKSEZIAN is a junior majoring in psychology with a

minor in communication studies. She has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List for three consecutive semesters. She is a research assistant at the SDSU Center for Understanding and Treating Anxiety. At USD, Naris has been involved with the Center for Health and Wellness Promotion and the Center for Student Success as a peer educator. She is a current member of Psi Chi, the national honor society of psychology. She aspires to work with children and families who suffer from social and emotional challenges and help people of all backgrounds.

Naris is from San Diego, California.

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CATALINA CARBAJAL is majoring in political science with a minor

in Latin American studies. She is currently a first-year student. She completed her associate of arts degree at community college while in high school. Catalina is a member of the student senate. Outside of USD, Catalina volunteers on various state, local and national political campaigns and with national groups such as Voto Latino, Sunrise Movement, PERIOD, and She Should Run. She plans to earn a dual law degree and PhD and work as an immigration lawyer and politician in her hometown of Chicago, Illinois.

*MAYA DE L A TORRE is majoring in behavioral neuroscience with

a minor in sociology. She serves as speaker pro tempore in Associated Student Government and mentors students at local high schools. Maya is a proud member of the Association of Chicanx Activists. She also actively volunteers in the community as a literacy workshop facilitator at juvenile detention centers and prisons. Maya plans to pursue a career in medicine.

She is from San Jose, California.

CELESTE ELY is a pre-medical honors student majoring in biology with

minors in chemistry and anthropology. She is a SURE Scholar and the lead of her pollination biology research lab. She was a student editor in the Anthropology Department where she contributed to a textbook on bioarchaeology. Celeste is a member of both the Honors Student Board and Phi Delta Epsilon, an international co-ed medical fraternity. Celeste loves to teach the public about birds at Free Flight, an exotic bird sanctuary. Celeste plans to attend medical school and become an otolaryngologist, ideally working with veterans and specializing in hearing loss technology. Celeste's hometown is Aromas, California.

*MAISY FEELEY is majoring in biology and French. She has earned First

Honors and has been on the Dean’s List every semester. Maisy is a member of the French Honor Society, where she holds an executive board position and also conducts disease ecology research in the biology department. She also founded the Soup Kitchen Club. Maisy plans to pursue a career in conservation and environmental health. She is from Wayne, Illinois.

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*KRISTINE GESE is majoring in behavioral neuroscience with a minor

in biomedical ethics. She has earned Second Honors and was awarded the Alcalá Scholarship as a part of the Honors Program. Kristine is the founding vice president of Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-health honors society, plays guitar in the Founder’s Chapel Choir and is an Outdoor Adventures guide. She is also a mentor for USD’s Big Little Toreros program and is doing research with professors in both psychology and genetics. Kristine plans to pursue a clinical PhD in psychology to work with children and adolescents who have suffered from childhood trauma. She is from Redwood City, California.

K ATIE GUENIN is majoring in biology with minors in chemistry

and Spanish. She has earned First and Second honors and has been on the Dean’s List since fall 2018. She is a biology research assistant and worked over three summers in a Stanford Epithelial Biology Lab. She is a volunteer at Sharp Memorial Hospital and active member in her sorority’s philanthropy, READ LEAD ACHIEVE. She enjoys volunteering in the Philos Health medical relief missions to Bohol, Philippines and is a member of Medical Brigades. She plans to pursue a career in medicine and hopes to help individuals with limited access to healthcare. Her hometown is Portola Valley, California.

SYDNEY JANSSEN is majoring in psychology and sociology. She has earned First Honors and has been on the Dean’s List every semester. As a student in the Honors Program, she is currently preparing her honors thesis research, focusing on indigenous resistance and the Dakota Access Pipeline. Sydney is a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, guide for Outdoor Adventures and dedicated coaching resident assistant.

Sydney has volunteered in the Linda Vista community supporting marginalized youth at the Boys and Girls Club and Kearny Mesa Detention Center. She plans to earn her law degree at USD with a focus on environmental law. She is from Laveen, Arizona R AMEEN JAVADIAN is majoring in international relations with a minor

in theology and religious studies and has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List each semester. As president of the Muslim Student Association at USD, he engages with the campus community while ensuring that USD is a welcoming environment for Muslims. He has served in Associated Student Government at USD as both an academic senator and event coordinator. Rameen spent the fall semester of his junior year on a semester exchange program in Morocco. His drive for justice sparks his interest in attending law school and becoming a law professor. Rameen is from San Diego, California.

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ALEX ANDR A JOYAUX is majoring in Spanish with a minor in art

history. She earned Second Honors on the Dean’s List last fall. In her major, she has explored the relationship of ethnic studies and social justice. She plans to pursue graduate studies in education on the East Coast to teach English as a second language. She has volunteered to help the homeless community through Jewish Family Services. She is a member of the Student Veterans Organization and USD FAMA. She prays that her life will leave a legacy to those around her, spark joy, and help others believe that all dreams are possible! She is from Portland, Oregon.

*HANNAH K AUTZ is majoring in English with a minor in sociology. She

is a consultant in the Writing Center and has volunteered at the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, as well as a variety of organizations through her sorority. She has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List every semester. Hannah is a member of the Honors Program, Kappa Alpha Theta, Phi Alpha Delta, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She hopes to go to law school and then work in estate planning. Hannah is from Bloomington, Indiana.

DAI-AN LE is majoring in behavioral neuroscience with a minor

in business administration. She holds an officer position in the PrePhysician’s Assistant Club and is an active member in USD’s STEM Outreach program, which serves the Linda Vista high school community.

Dai-an is a certified emergency medical technician and volunteers with the Asian Pacific Health Foundation, providing assistance for general health checkups in underserved San Diego areas. She is from San Jose, California.

SHELBY LITTLE is double majoring in biochemistry and theology and religious studies. She has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List every semester. Her research with the chemistry department involves developing curriculum for a physical methods class relating to metalorganic framework synthesis and characterization. She is also involved in research with religious studies, investigating stigmas around homelessness within the San Diego community. She is a member of Alpha Chi Omega and served as vice president of Intellectual Development. Shelby hopes to become a professor and embrace her love for both learning and others researching mental illness. She is from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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CORINA MARTINEZ is majoring in political science and theology

and religious studies with a minor in leadership studies. Corina is the president of USD’s Students for Life, a service organization committed to recognizing and respecting the dignity of all human life. She is a firstgeneration college student and a Circle of Excellence Scholarship recipient.

She is a member of the Honors Program, Theta Alpha Kappa, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlan, and Student Support Services. She serves the USD campus community as the current facilitating scholastic assistant of the Advocate Living Learning Community and is a member of the Alcalá Club. She is from Ventura, California.

ZOE MOR ALES MARTINEZ is majoring in art history with a

concentration in museum and curatorial practices and a minor in English.

She is in the Honors Program and has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List every semester. Her SURE Scholar project will analyze Tijuana’s dynamic border economy and its response to the devaluation during the years following the recession of 2008 through a series of photographs. Zoe has worked at University Galleries as a gallery guide and the USD Vista as the photo editor.

Zoe hopes to work in museum administration to make art accessible to all. She is from Tijuana, Mexico.

*MAYAMIKO MATABWA is majoring in architecture with a minor

in anthropology. She has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List every semester since starting at USD in 2017. This spring, she completed her senior architecture thesis on decolonization in Malawi, where she is from, looking at strategies of land and resource management that British colonial rule employed in their colonies in Africa. She was awarded a SURE Grant to continue this research. Mayamiko also works as the lead involvement consultant in the Office of Student Activities and Involvement. She is a second-year Mortar Board member and served on the executive board of the African Student Union.

TEAGAN McGINNIS is majoring in international relations with a minor

in Spanish. Working with USD’s Justice in Mexico program, she composes blog posts on current events regarding citizen security, the rule of law, and human rights in Mexico. Teagan strives to bridge gaps in reporting, as her posts reach an extensive bilingual audience. Her honors thesis, which will be presented in the spring of 2021, focuses on isolating patterns of gender violence in Mexico, specifically with regard to violación (rape) and other sex crimes. In San Diego, Teagan served as a tutor for immigrant youth. She is from Tucson, Arizona.

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STEPHANIE MISKO is majoring in psychology. Stephanie is a tutor and peer mentor for TRiO Student Support Services, as well as a tutor for the Psi Chi Honor Society in psychology. She is a member of the Honors Program and the Neuroscience and Psychology Research Club. As a McNair Scholar, she is passionate about researching the impacts social media has on young adults’ mental health and development. Stephanie intends to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology after graduation. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

SAMANTHA MOOTHART is majoring in psychology. She is a member of Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology. She worked in USD’s Center for Student Success as a peer coach. There she met with USD students seeking academic assistance. She helped them create goals, connected them to relevant resources on campus, and provided personal support. She is also a student supervisor at USD’s athletic ticket office where she helps manage events. Samantha is from San Diego, California.

SLOANE NEEDLEMAN is majoring in sociology with minors in ethnic

studies and theology and religious studies. She has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List. She is involved in her community at home and in San Diego and has volunteered at Urban Corps, helping to teach English as a second language to students who have aged out of the public school system.

Sloane is also heavily involved in an organization local to her home, My Stuff Bags, that creates duffle bags for at-risk children who are taken from their homes without any of their belongings. She plans to attend law school after graduation. She is from Bell Canyon, California.

ALEX OBERMAN is majoring in philosophy with minors in finance

and business administration. He has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List every semester and was invited to the Honors Convocation his first and sophomore years. Alex is a member of the USD Business Law and Mediation Caucus team. He is co-president of the Everthinker’s philosophy club and member of the Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity. Last year, Alex was an ethics intern at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley where he revised and created legal documents. He volunteered with the YMCA helping children from underserved communities to learn to read and write in his hometown of Redwood City, California.

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OLIV YA PASTIS is majoring in marketing with minors in Spanish

and business analytics. She runs for USD’s Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams. She is on the Marketing Committee for the professional business fraternity Phi Chi Theta and she volunteers for Rachel’s Night Shelter. Following graduation, she aspires to work in the field of marketing or financial analytics and later earn a master’s degree.

She is from Orange County, California.

EMELINE POLIS is majoring in English with a minor in psychology

on the pre-nursing track. She has been on the Dean’s List every semester.

After an internship at Sharp Healthcare, she aspires to be an environmental health nurse. She created a nonprofit organization focusing on the needs and protection of young women in third world countries. Lil’ Dress of Hope Del Mar offers a welcoming space and community for young women in orphanages to obtain clothing and female hygiene products. She hopes to further develop Lil’ Dress of Hope and help these women obtain prenatal and OB/GYN care. Emeline is from San Diego, California.

JOHAR ATULMAJD “MAJD” R A AIQ is majoring in architecture with

a minor in visual arts. She has earned First Honors numerous times over the course of her USD career. She is a board member for the International Student Organization. She has spearheaded a project that collects and donates clothes and toys to a community in Uganda. Joharatulmajd is a strong advocate for minority groups, especially as she helps to educate others on the intersectionality of gender, race, and religion. She loves photography, art, dancing, and learning new languages. She is from Nairobi, Kenya.

K ATIE REILLY is majoring in mathematics and physics with a minor in philosophy. She has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List every semester at USD and is a member of the Honors Program. She is a member of the Guide Program in USD’s Outdoor Adventures Club and has been a guide for their Pre-Orientation Program. She is a member of the USD Club Ultimate Frisbee Team and plans to run for a leadership position to help facilitate gender equality on the co-ed team. Katie was chosen to be a member of Industry Scholars for the 2019–2020 academic year. She is from Plano, Texas.

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SAGE ROSE is majoring in sociology with a concentration in law, crime, and justice studies and a minor in philosophy. He is currently the secretary for the USD Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity and a student administrator for the Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice’s programs. He is also a trainer with several humane societies, working with dogs who have behavioral needs as well as those who have experienced trauma and abuse.

Sage plans on attending law school after graduation to become an animal rights lawyer. He is from Boulder, Colorado.

SOFÍA SÁNCHEZ is majoring in mathematics with an emphasis in secondary education and a Spanish minor. She is enrolled in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) to obtain her single subject teaching credential. She works as a tutor in the Math Learning Center on campus and is also the undergraduate research assistant with the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education. She has a passion for access to education and working with historically underrepresented communities. She has held many leadership positions on campus and hopes to continue being a role model for many students in the years to come. Sofía is from San Diego, California. *MAGGIE SCHOLLE is majoring in environmental science with minors

in mathematics and environmental studies and policy. She has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List every semester. Maggie is a member of USD’s Cross Country and Track team. She works as a tutor through USD’s athletic-academic services, connecting fellow USD athletes to campus resources and providing mentorship in writing, math, and science. Maggie hopes to pursue a career in journalism with an environmental focus after graduating from USD. Through this work, she hopes to bridge the gap between emergent and often hard to digest science and the public. She is from Chicago, Illinois.

R ACHEL SHELLSTROM is majoring in communication studies with a leadership studies minor. She is a scholastic assistant for the Innovate Living Learning Center. She is the secretary of USD’s Students for Life Club, outreach coordinator for the Changemaker Student Committee, and a liturgical minister at Founder’s Chapel. Rachel has volunteered as a tutor at Roosevelt Middle School and as a mentor to her local 4-H club. Rachel is a member of USD’s Honors Program and has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List every semester. She plans to attend graduate school for a master’s degree in counseling. Rachel is from Jamul, California.

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*MARCEL A STRONG is majoring in biochemistry and theology and

religious studies. She is a volunteer at the Veteran’s Hospital in La Jolla, California, helping veterans receive medical attention. She is also part of the cardiovascular research team for biomarkers on heart failure at the VA Hospital. Marcela plans to pursue a career in the medical field as a cardiac surgeon. She is from Denville, New Jersey.

*SAR AH TILFORD is majoring in psychology with a minor in English.

She has earned First Honors and has been on the Dean’s List every semester. Sarah is a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta, a consultant at the Writing Center, and is the vice president of USD’s Pre-Nursing Society.

She volunteers weekly at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego in the Family Birth Unit. Sarah plans to pursue a career as a pediatric nurse practitioner. She is from Tustin, California.

*TIFFANY TRUONG is majoring in biology and history with minors in

biomedical ethics and chemistry. She serves as a mentor for Explore Your Horizons and is on the executive board for SimKung Crew and Health Occupations Students of America at USD. She is currently a weekly volunteer at the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Exam Room and an intern for Scripps Mercy Hospital. She is conducting research on studying muscle remodeling during pregnancy and plans to pursue a career in emergency medicine, trauma, or pathology. Tiffany is from San Jose, California.

R ACHEL VALDEZ is majoring in computer science with minors in mathematics and English. She has been on the Dean’s List every semester.

Recently, she accepted a position as a computer science instructor at Juni Learning. On campus, Rachel is a computer science tutor and consultant at the Writing Center. She is vice president of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and a proud member of the Association for Computing Machinery, Society of Women Engineers. She is currently exploring career options in software development or higher education. She was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and currently lives in San Diego, California.

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*ANA VILDOSOL A is majoring in philosophy with a minor in

international relations. She has earned First Honors and is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Phi Sigma Tau. Ana is currently an intern at the Contreras Law Firm and plans to attend law school and become an attorney. She is from San Diego, California.

ANNETTE VO is majoring in behavioral neuroscience with a minor

in political science. She is a member of the pre-medical fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon. She serves on the honors student board as the honors club coordinator. In November 2019, she traveled to New Orleans to the National Collegiate Honors Council conference. She has worked in the Behavioral Neuroscience department’s fly lab and was awarded a SURE grant in the summer of 2019. Annette is also part of the Big Little Torero program, serving as a mentor to a student interested in STEM. She hopes to pursue a career in healthcare.

Annette is from Seattle, Washington.

REBECCA WILLIAMS is majoring in biochemistry with a minor in

Spanish. She has earned First Honors on the Dean’s List every semester.

Rebecca currently serves as vice president of standards on the Kappa Delta Sorority’s Executive Board and conducts research in polymer chemistry in a lab on campus. She has volunteered with several organizations, including Methodist Hospital and Urban Corps Charter School. Rebecca hopes to attend medical school after graduation and work as a physician in an underprivileged community. She is from Omaha, Nebraska.

*SYDNEY WONG is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry.

She has earned First Honors and been on the Dean’s List every semester.

Sydney came to USD as a member of the women’s swim and diving team.

She has volunteered as a mentor for younger students with aspirations in STEM as part of USD’s Big Little Toreros Program. She is a volunteer at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, developing patient education programs. Sydney is a research scholar for a USD biology professor, doing extensive research in the evolution of nervous systems. She plans to pursue a career in medicine. She is from Bellingham, Washington.

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GR ANT W U is majoring in psychology. He is involved with several

humanity and service-based organizations such as the Humanities Center Student Board, Changemaker Hub and Psi Chi where he tutors in psychology. More recently he was chosen to be a resident assistant for the fall 2020 semester. He aspires to be accepted into a top law school. He is from Diamond Bar, California.

*AVERY ZINK is majoring in behavioral neuroscience with a minor

in women’s and gender studies. She has earned First Honors and has been on the Dean’s List every semester. Avery is a member of the USD Honors Program, the American Medical Student Association and serves as a resident assistant. She volunteers for the Special Delivery program, bringing meals and groceries to homebound San Diego community members. She is a Safe Space Ally for USD’s LGBTQ+ community and is dedicated to the Women’s Commons where she volunteers for Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming. Avery plans to pursue a career as a physician. She is from Berthoud, Colorado.

*ALICE ZORN is majoring in mechanical engineering with minors in

philosophy and mathematics. She has earned First Honors and been on the Dean’s List every semester. Alice is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta as well as Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society. She has devoted many Saturday mornings to feeding the homeless with Pancakes Serving Up Hope and she interned at the Columbia University Medical Research Center. Alice dreams of working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, being on the team that sends astronauts to Mars. She was born and raised just outside Boston, Massachusetts. *Denotes returning Mortar Board member

MORTAR BOARD Serra Hall, Room 133B 5998 Alcalรก Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492 (619) 260-7932 Email pmyers@sandiego.edu sandiego.edu/mortar-board