Graduating seniors from programs at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University pose for a group photo at the 2025 Graduation Reception hosted by the Ethics Center Friday, June 13, 2025. Photo: Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.
There was nothing “unlucky” about Friday, June 13, 2025. It was what some might call a perfect Santa Clara day, with blue skies, warm sunshine, the scent of freshly mowed landscapes, and the quintessential SCU palm trees swaying in a gentle California breeze.
In the lobby of Vari Hall, graduating seniors from our many Ethics Center student fellowships and internships–filled with the excitement and emotion that comes with an academic milestone–gathered with their families, Markkula Center staff, faculty, and advisory board members, for a reception to acknowledge the Class of 2025, and distribute Markkula Center honor cords graduates would wear with their caps and gowns. The cords signify each student’s involvement in ethics-focused fellowships, research, internships, teams, and participation with the Ethics Center during their time at Santa Clara University.
The Ethics Center is proud to celebrate and recognize the Class of 2025 and their many achievements. We congratulate our recently graduated seniors from all of the Ethics Center student initiatives, including: the Business Ethics Internship; COMMS 1098 Interns; Environmental Ethics Fellowship; Ethics Bowl Team; Government Ethics Fellowship; Hackworth Fellowship; Hackworth Research Grant Recipients; Health Care Ethics Internship; Honzel Fellowship, and Marketing and Communications Internship.
2025 Markkula Prize
Named in honor of Center benefactor A.C. "Mike" Markkula Jr., the Markkula Prize goes to a student who has shown outstanding commitment to ethics, either through creating programs for fellow students or completing significant research in the field.
Executive Director Don Heider and Ethics Center Advisory Board Member and SCU Trustee Kristi Markkula Bowers ’90, MBA ’97, enthusiastically awarded this year's Markkula Prize to 2024-25 Honzel Fellow Sydney Shelby ’25.
Shelby’s contributions to the Ethics Center began as a 2023-24 health care ethics intern and continued when she was selected as the recipient of the Honzel Fellowship. Throughout her fellowship, Shelby served as a peer-leader to the current HCEI cohort, and as a teaching assistant to Director of Bioethics Dorothee Caminiti during the weekly HCEI class meetings. Shelby assumed additional leadership responsibilities this spring when she served on the interview and selection committee to help identify the incoming director of bioethics who will start with the Center this July.
Simultaneous to their HCEI program responsibilities, Honzel Fellow’s engage in a year-long research project on a health care topic of their choosing. Shelby’s focus was on Black maternal mortality. To culminate her research and learning, Shelby coordinated a panel event on the topic of Black material health held in April. “Laboring for Change: A Conversation about Black Maternal Mortality in America,” which facilitated a discussion on how Black women are disproportionately affected by maternal health complications, facing higher mortality rates, systemic barriers to care, and racial disparities in treatment, and to explore the root causes of this crisis and discuss actionable solutions.
The Ethics Center is proud to have been an integral part of Shelby’s journey here at Santa Clara and we look forward to following her future endeavors as she begins a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic’s Office of Biomedical Ethics, where we know she will carry forth our mission to help people and organizations to make better decisions for a more caring world.
Santa Clara University Awards
Students throughout Ethics Center programs were recognized this year with awards of distinction from Santa Clara University, including:
Class of 2025 Valedictorian and The Richard J. Riordan Award - Grace Davis ’25
The Valedictorian honor is conferred annually on a graduating senior selected for outstanding academic achievement and University service as determined by the president in consultation with the faculty of the University and the provost.
The Richard J. Riordan Award recognizes outstanding contributions of graduating seniors in the area of community service.
Davis, a double major in political science and philosophy with a minor in gender & sexuality studies, was honored for her leadership in reviving the Santa Clara Community Action Program and her research contributions at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics where she served as as a 2023-’24 Government Ethics Fellow and most recently as a 2024-’25 Hackworth Fellow. Davis was also a student ambassador and served on the Associated Student Government (ASG).
Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J. Award - Sydney Shelby ’25
The Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J. Award is given by the President of the University to a graduating senior who exemplifies the ideals of Jesuit education, especially being “a whole person of solidarity in the real world,” and having the courage and faith to build a more just and humane world. Shelby, who double-majored in public health science and biology with minors in African American studies and medical and health humanities, co-founded the Black Pre-Health Student Association and will begin a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic’s Office of Biomedical Ethics.
Saint Clare Medal Recipient - Hydeia Wysinger ’25
The Nobili Medal is given to a graduating senior judged outstanding in academic performance, personal character, school activities, and having made a constructive contribution to the University. Wysinger, who double-majored in psychology and public health with minors in religious studies and political science was co-chair of Igwebuike and co-founder of the Black Pre-Health Student Association, and was a 2023-’24 Hackworth Fellow. Wysinger returned again to the fellowship in 2024-’25 to work with the Campus Ethics Team as the student director.
Neider Family Alumni Service Award - Krista Gorman ’25
A 2024-’25 Health Care Ethics Intern, Gorman received the 2025 Neider Family Alumni Service Award, which provides financial support to seniors who are leaving SCU and going directly into a service program or project. Gorman will join the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Washington, D.C., supporting unhoused individuals with HIV or AIDS through Joseph’s House.
College and Department Awards
2024-’25 Government Ethics Fellow, Bailey Black ’25 received the Charles and Barbara Hazel Outstanding Student in Economics Award, and the Michael Shallo Prize in Political Science from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Grace Davis ’25 was recognized for the Nina Leibman Essay Competition in Gender and Sexuality Studies from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Hackworth Grant Recipient Sofia Fernandez ’25 received the Child Advocacy Award and the Child Studies Academic Achievement Award from the College of Arts and Sciences.
2023-’24 Hackworth Fellow, Sparsh Garg ’25 earned the Leavey School of Business Service Award.
2023-’24 Environmental Ethics Fellow Anna Krebs ’25 was awarded both Senior Design and Civil Engineering Design Presentation Awards.
2023-’24 Environmental Ethics Fellow Karina Martin ’25 was awarded both Senior Design and Outstanding Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Awards.
Felicia “Isa” Montes ’25, a 2023-’24 Health Care Ethics Intern, received the Matt Meier Award for Excellence in Student Research.
Ethics Bowl Team Member Anna Nicolae ’25 received the Frederick J. Mehl Prize in History from the College of Arts and Sciences.
2024-’25 Hackworth Fellow Madison Patrick ’25 was recipient of both the Sociology Academic Excellence Award and the Sociology Alumni Award For Excellence in Community-Based Work from the College of Arts and Sciences.
2024-’25 Marketing and Communications Intern Gracie Woidat ’25 received the Modern Languages and Literature Department’s French and Francophone Studies Prize from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Hydeia Wysinger ’25 earned Psychology Department’s Eleanor Willemsen Community Service Award from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Congratulations to the Ethics Center Class of 2025!
We eagerly anticipate the exceptional contributions these fine students will make in their careers and lives beyond SCU, and we look forward to a life-long connection to both our students and their extended families. We are inspired by the dedication and enthusiasm for ethics demonstrated by this extraordinary Class of 2025, and are grateful as they take our mission with them into the world.
Business Ethics Internship
Chisomaga Nlemigbo
Environmental Ethics Fellowship
Shivani Dharanipragada, Arden DiCicco, Jessica Garofalo, Anna Krebs, Karina Martin
Ethics Bowl Team
J.P. Best, Bailey Black, Kate Schiller, Owen Lewis, Anna Nicolae, Caroline Smith, Edward Sorensen, Zack Yamashita
Government Ethics Fellowship
Bailey Black, Grace Davis, Sebastian Falabella
Hackworth Fellowship
J.P. Best, Grace Davis, Sparsh Garg, Chisomaga Nlemigbo, Madison Patrick, Natalya Salaices, Zara Shroff, Caroline Smith, Jamie Son, Edward Sorensen, Yasmin Urzua-Gutierrez, Hydeia Wysinger
Hackworth Grant Recipients
Sofia Fernandez, Daisy Halaszyn
Health Care Ethics Internship
Meghan Abate, Carly Barbar Askar, Harpreet Bhasin, Cassandra Blake, Neeve Esfahani, Krista Gorham, Sarah Herrington, Tatum Holloway, Anna Ketchum, Elsa Kinney, Isa Montes, Joy Peters, Sydney Shelby, Aria Trivedi, Jesse Vargas
Honzel Fellowship
Sydney Shelby
Marketing and Communications Internship
Mia Lassiter, Cecily Mooney, Gracie Woidat, Anjoli Zanger
COMMS 198 Intern
George Packard
Congratulations again to the Class of 2025!
