Initiates at Santa Clara University (2014)
Inducted as juniors in 2013
Katherine Edgecumbe. Katherine is a double major in Anthropology and Spanish Studies. She conducted an independent research project on community development in a Latino arts organization in downtown San Jose and presented the results at the 40th Annual Anthropology and Sociology Undergraduate Research Conference. She also served as a community facilitator in both the Unity and Loyola Residential Learning Communities. She currently works at Google as an operations coordinator in the People Operations department.
Kathryn Karasek. Kathryn, a native of Cary, North Carolina was inducted as a junior in 2013. She has spent her time at Santa Clara studying History and Economics;planning, building, and presenting the 2013 Solar Decathlon house as the financial team lead;and conducting economics research with Professors Ifcher, Kevane, and Sundstrom. Kathryn will be moving to Washington, DC, to work as a research associate with the economics consulting firm, Economists Incorporated, and taking full advantage of free admission to the Smithsonian museums.
Nicholas Kumamoto. Inducted as a junior in 2013, Nick is a math major with a physics minor. While at Santa Clara, he has done research in representation theory. He is also a theatrical lighting designer, having held the position of resident lighting designer at City Lights Theatre Company while also designing many productions with the Theatre Department at Santa Clara. After graduation, he intends to continue his work as a lighting designer while continuing to indulge a personal interest in the sciences.
Emily Robinson. A biochemistry major, Emily was inducted as a junior in 2013. She served as an EMT and training director for SCU Emergency Medical Services. She also traveled to Ghana as a member of the Global Medical Brigades working to provide care to the country's rural population. As the recipient of a DeNardo Science Scholar Grant and a Johnson Leadership Scholarship, Emily researched the genetic basis of stress tolerance in yeast as a model for explaining the causation of disease risk in humans. She was also named to the WCC All-Academic First Team in cross country. Emily will be applying to medical schools to pursue a career in primary care and women's health.
Kyra Sjarif. Inducted as a junior in 2013, Kyra is from Jakarta, Indonesia. She graduates with degrees in Psychology and French, with a Studio Art minor. Her honors thesis visually addressed the role traditional rituals play in Balinese society. As lab manager of Dr. Tracy Kahan's Sleep Cognition Lab, she conducted research on the relationship between the menstrual cycle and dreaming. She volunteered in Bali as a Donovan Fellow, interned at an art therapy studio in Paris, and served as peer advisor in Psychology. She will teach English for a year in Provence and eventually plans to attend graduate school in art therapy.
Nicholas Staib. Nick, a native of Newark, California, is a double major in Psychology and Political Science with a minor in Religious Studies. At SCU, he has been involved in Campus Ministry and served as a liturgy intern for the past three years, including his current role as the Liturgical Coordination Intern. During his senior year, Nick also served as the Events Coordination officer for SCU's chapter of Psi Chi, the international honors society for psychology. Nick is currently exploring opportunities in human resources, higher education, and local government.
Inducted as seniors in 2014
Vanessa Bell. Vanessa is a Sociology major with minors in International Business and Spanish. Her study abroad in Seville, Spain provided the opportunity to pursue her passion for flamenco dance. She interned with a fashion startup in Silicon Valley and with Akamai Technologies in London. Vanessa was also an Arrupe intern at Sacred Heart Community Service, where she designed evaluations for their service learning program. For her Sociology capstone, she researched the factors contributing to the socioeconomic success of second-generation Americans. After graduation, Vanessa will be a research assistant at Data Marketing, Inc. in San Jose.
Jack Bird. Jack is an Environmental Science and Political Science double major. A native of Aspen, Colorado, he studied abroad in Cork, Ireland. During the summer of 2013, Jack lived and worked in rural Zambia for two months. He created an agroforestry manual to help poor farmers improve their livelihoods and protect the environment using sustainable farming techniques. This became the topic of his senior honors thesis, which he will present in Seoul, Korea this summer as a part of the International Association of Jesuit Business Schools World Forum. He is also planning to work in Oaxaca, Mexico, this summer to write a second manual for sustainable farming technologies.
Alison Braun. Alison is a Political Science major with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies. She spent fall of her junior year studying and interning in Washington DC for her local Oregon Congressman, and has also worked for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, and the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits. Alison was a research peer educator for the Political Science department and plans to continue developing her research skills as a data and policy analyst working on health policy at the SPHERE Institute in Burlingame, CA.
Jesse Caemmerer. Jesse is a Political Science major with an International Relations emphasis. He has focused on development studies, and spent the summer of his junior year in East Timor. In the fall of his senior year, he studied abroad in Beijing. He completed his senior thesis on China's outbound foreign aid. Jesse will move to Singapore to complete a master's degree in Strategic Studies as a Rotary Global Scholar at Nanyang University's Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Erin Callister. Erin is a Psychology major with minors in English and Religious Studies. A native of Reno, NV, Erin was a Hackworth Fellow her senior year, publishing an opinion piece in USA Today College and filming "The Compassion Chronicles" video series. She has done research on compassion development with Professor Thomas Plante of the Psychology Department. Their study, "Nurturing Compassion in Undergraduates," is currently under review for publication. Erin will work with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps at a low-income high school in Houston, TX.
Sierra Cirimelli-Low. Sierra is a double major in Classical Studies and History. For her senior honors capstone, she translated the introduction to a sixteenth-century German martial arts manuscript from Neoclassical Latin into English and wrote a paper discussing its significance and historical context. After graduation, she will continue studying and practicing historical European martial arts. During her time at Santa Clara, she worked at the de Saisset museum on campus and hopes one day to open a museum of living history in the Bay Area where she can share her passion for Medieval and Renaissance life and weapons.
Caroline Clode. Caroline is a Biology and Spanish double major. She participated in an immersion trip to Lima, Peru, through the Ignatian Center and also fell in love with Spanish culture while studying abroad at the Universidad de Sevilla. As an SCU Global Fellow, Caroline spent a summer living and working at an orphanage in India that cares for abandoned children and provides resources to empower women in the local community. On campus she has worked as a lifeguard and taught swimming. Caroline is very excited to start work as a privacy advocate at the big-data firm Inflection in Redwood City.
Laura Aislinn Diaz. Aislinn is a Psychology major. For the past four years, she has been involved in research projects with Professor Thomas Plante studying the influence of fitness environment on exercise exertion and mood. Aislinn has acted as a research coordinator in the Immunology Lab at California Pacific Medical Center in her hometown of San Francisco. She has also enjoyed being an assistant in the Pathology Lab at a VA Hospital. In the fall, Aislinn will attend Loyola Marymount University to participate in the Pre-Medical Post-Baccalaureate Program. She plans to apply to medical schools next year.
Maria Farley. Maria is an Economics major with minors in Urban Education and History. She discovered her passion for both education and research while at Santa Clara. As president of Broncos for a Better Tomorrow, she has been able to reach out to local San Jose public schools through one-on-one tutoring and reading programs. Maria also served as Professor Mario Belotti's research assistant, and coauthored an article recently published in the San Jose Mercury News entitled, "Fed Policy: Income Inequality has been one of its results." Maria will travel to Spain to gain more life experience and world perspective.
Lauren Farwell. Lauren is graduating as a Political Science major with minors in Sociology and French Studies. Her time at Santa Clara has been defined by involvement in Campus Ministry and the Santa Clara Community Action Program, as well as studying abroad in Burkina Faso and working with social enterprises in India as a Global Social Benefit Fellow. The next step for Lauren is working with immigrant communities in the labor organizing movement with a union in Los Angeles.
Lauren Fisher. Lauren is an English major and Communication minor. She studied and interned in London, where she soaked up as much Shakespeare as she could. Lauren worked for four years at SCU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute assisting the director and becoming a friendly face to the program's more than 900 members. She spent her senior year blogging about the food and dessert that came from her kitchen--her grandmother's cookies have been the consistent favorite. After graduation, Lauren will spend the summer working as a content coordinator at the Zappos.com headquarters in Las Vegas.
Daniel Gherardi. Daniel is a Political Science and Italian Studies double major. He has concentrated his studies primarily on Italian politics, especially while studying and working at DGG Political Consulting in Rome. Daniel served as research assistant to Dr. Jane Curry in the Political Science Department studying mass movements and transitional justice in Eastern Europe and the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine. Daniel will continue his global interests at the USC Gould School of Law focusing on international law.
Sarah Green-Thomsen. Sarah has thoroughly enjoyed double majoring in Psychology and Liberal Studies. Sarah has filled her undergraduate years tutoring elementary school students, coaching high school speech and debate teams, and interning at non-profit organizations around the Bay Area, including Equality California and Our Family Coalition. Sarah will begin a Master of Arts in Teaching and the Teaching Credential program at SCU, which will bring her one step closer to her goal of creating welcoming and inclusive classrooms as an elementary school teacher.
Julie Herman. Julie is a Biology major. She has pursued various research projects in plant biology with Dr. Justen Whittall and Dr. Jessica Lucas, and her research has been published in the journal Conservation Genetics. For the past two years, she has served as president of the SCU Debate Team and has coached multiple high school debate teams to tournament championships. Julie will begin her doctoral studies in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.
Jenna Herzog. Jenna is junior with a double major in Communication and Spanish. Jenna has played for the lacrosse team and taken leadership positions in Sigma Omega Nu, a Latina sorority that focuses on providing opportunities for higher education to women of color. She studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and travelled throughout South America. These experiences fueled her passion for travel, culture, and social justice. Her plans for a future career involve using the power of media to spur social change and to promote gender equality, cultural diversity, and international exchange.
Courtney Holmes. Courtney is a double major in Biochemistry and Biology. She has researched the structural characteristics of peptoids with Dr. Amelia Fuller in the Department of Chemistry. She presented her research at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Dallas and published as a co-author in the journal Biopolymers: Peptide Science. She also tutored organic chemistry, worked as a TA in biochemistry, mentored beginning research students, and gave tours of the Chemistry Department. Courtney will pursue a doctor of pharmacy degree at Oregon State University.
Vaniah Holtz. Vaniah is a double major in Political Science and Religious Studies. With a love of travel, she studied abroad in both Germany and El Salvador. She worked as the Santa Clara Community Action Program coordinator for Sacred Heart Nativity School and as a coordinator in the Housing Department at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. She loves to swing and salsa dance, and sang with SCU A Capella for four years. After graduation, Vaniah plans to move to Germany and work in the non-profit or education sector.
Jocelyn Hull. Jocelyn graduated with a Biology major and Economics minor. During her senior year, she took part in the Health Care Ethics Internship through the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. With a strong interest in preventive medicine, she wrote her honors thesis on the impact of socio-demographic factors and insurance status on quality of diabetes management. In her free time, she loves playing piano, staying active outdoors and is currently training for her first race this fall. She looks forward to working as an ER medical scribe at Lodi Memorial Hospital while applying to medical schools.
Krista Jensen. Krista, a Psychology major and Anthropology minor, played on the NCAA Division I softball team and served as a research assistant for Professor Kate Bezrukova of the Psychology Department. Currently, they are researching the effect of team dynamics on team success within Major League Baseball teams. She served as an event supervisor on campus while occasionally volunteering for the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative. Recently, her creative nonfiction work was published in the Santa Clara Review. Krista will be working as a recruiter for ATRwhile researching doctoral programs in Organizational Psychology and Business Management.
Allyson Koh. Allyson is a junior from Seattle majoring in Biology and Public Health, and minoring in Chemistry. She received a DeNardo Science Scholarship for research in Dr. Amelia Fuller's Organic Chemistry lab. She is a peer tutor and a coordinator for Camp Kesem, a student-led program that runs summer camps for children whose parents have cancer. She studied in Denmark last fall, and spent time at Copenhagen University Hospital Cancer Center. She enjoys playing intramural soccer and volleyball. Allyson also has a passion for social justice issues, and hopes to pursue a career in medicine.
Robert Kousnetsov. A first generation American, Robert is a junior with a double major in Biology and Computer Science. As a goalie, he led the California All-Star Lacrosse Team from 2009 to 2012 in the International Box Lacrosse Tournaments in Canada. Starting this summer, he will begin volunteering at the Regional Medical Center of San Jose. He will also perform research with Dr. Miller on the transcription regulation involved in cellular differentiation for C. elegans. Robert is also interested in computational biology, bioinformatics, and medicine. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school.
Nicholas Leasure. Nick is a double major in Economics and Environmental Studies. An avid music lover, he has worked as a DJ and the general manager at SCU's student-run radio station. To his mother's unease, he also played on the men's rugby team for the past two years. He has had a variety of research experiences on and off campus, including a summer he spent in Uganda for a solar technology project. Nick hopes to get some work experience before applying to law schools.
Kori Lennon. Kori is a double major in History and Women's and Gender Studies. She was an assistant resident director in Graham Hall and loved working in Residence Life. For the past three years, Kori has served on Associated Student Government. As a Hackworth Fellow with the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, she developed an online ethics resource for student government leaders. In her spare time, Kori loves to travel, be outdoors, and try new foods. This summer, she will begin her professional career as a resident director at Montana State University.
Casidhe McClone. Casidhe is a Political Science major with minors in English and Mathematics. He played for the Men's Water Polo team, thrice achieving all-academic status. He wrote his honor's thesis on Israel and the Fourth Geneva Convention. In 2012 he started a folk band on campus, for which he plays mandolin and banjo. He is excited to move on to law school. His neighbors, who don't enjoy mandolin or banjo quite as much as he does, are also excited to see him move on.
Kathryn McCormick. Kat is an Economics major who has captained the Santa Clara Women's Lacrosse team for the past two years. She has worked at The Hub, the university's writing center, since her sophomore year, helping students in the difficult but rewarding writing process. Her University Honors Program thesis focused on globalization and labor standards in developing countries. This summer Kat will visit Germany and Poland to study European business through SCU's Leavey School of Business before returning to the San Francisco area to pursue a career in business consulting.
Patrick McDonell. Patrick is an English and Political Science major with a minor in Italian. The Sebastopol, California, native studied abroad in Bologna where he interned with an Italian legal firm. Patrick spent two years helping run the Intramural Sports program. In the 2014-15 school year, he will serve as Student Body vice president and as a community facilitator in the ALPHA Residential Learning Community. Patrick enjoys reading, watching Bronco basketball, and discussing Santa Clara history. He plans to pursue a law degree with an emphasis on immigration law.
Alex Mehrtens. Alex double majored in English and Political Science. During his time at Santa Clara he tutored middle school and high school students, worked at SCU's writing center, and helped Professor Jane Curry edit her book Central and Eastern European Politics. He also worked a brief stint at the campus coffee shop, which happened to coincide with dramatically longer lines during the breakfast rush. Alex will be working as a sales consultant for a start-up firm, openERP, in San Francisco.
Kevin Nomura.Kevin is a Political Science major and an Arabic Studies. He assisted Professor Nelson in the Philosophy Department researching the historical understanding of abortion in American law. Kevin also worked as a Junior Caffeine Engineer at a local Starbucks before studying abroad in Amman, Jordan.For his honors thesis, Kevin researched racial and ethnic sentencing disparity in California's federal courts. In the fall, he will matriculate at the UCLA School of Law.
Edward Nugent. Edward is a Mathematics major with a minor in Religious Studies. For the last three years, he has served on the Honors Advisory Council and as Chairman of the UHP Presents speaker series. He has attended national conferences on honors programs hosted by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. For his honors thesis, Edward researched and wrote about contraception and the Catholic Church. He has been a peer educator, grader, and volunteer math tutor on campus. Edward will begin graduate work in theology and ethics at Boston College.
Athena Oldfather. Athena is a double major in Psychology and Communications from Honoka'a, HI. After studying abroad in Bologna, Italy, she volunteered through the Global Engagement Office to help promote study abroad at Santa Clara. She is a member of the executive board of the SCU International Club and has served as a peer educator in Human Neuropsychology. After some travel, Athena will apply to graduate programs in psychology.
Mark-Phillip Pebworth. Mark-Philip is earning degrees in Biochemistry and Bioengineering. He conducted research with Dr. Prashanth Asuri of the Bioengineering department, investigating cell migration mechanisms in 3D environments, and spent a summer at UC Berkeley through the Amgen Scholars Program working on neuronal stem cell differentiation in an injectable hydrogel as a possible cure for Parkinson's disease. He also served as the secretary for Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Honors Society. Mark-Phillip will be entering a bible-study program before joining UCSF's Biomedical Sciences PhD program.
Jenna Pettegrew. Jenna is a Psychology major with a minor in Sociology. She studied abroad in London where she interned at one of the largest children's charities, Friendship Works. She served as a peer health educator on campus and volunteered at the Pediatric Oncology Center of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. She is extremely passionate about working with children and will be pursuing a master's degree in Counseling Psychology, with a credential in School Counseling, at the University of San Francisco.
Selena Pistoresi. Selena majored in Psychology and Music. She has been playing the piano for sixteen years and was actively involved in the Music Department through solo and ensemble performances. She worked in Dr. Plante's health psychology research lab, where her team published a paper in a peer reviewed journal and presented a poster at the Society of Behavioral Medicine Conference in 2013. She also works as a research assistant at the Food and Agribusiness Institute and teaches piano. After graduation, she will be the program coordinator at Open Mind School, a nonprofit, fully inclusive school for children of all abilities.
Mia Pulos. Mia is graduating with a major in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Biotechnology. She was a student researcher in the lab of Dr. Ángel Islas where she studied the unique processes of the HIV virus to find inhibitors that could be used in novel HIV treatments. She also served as the co-president of the Chemistry Club. All of her experiences at SCU have inspired here to pursue her interests in medical research and bettering society. In August, Mia will enter the PhD program in Molecular and Cellular Biology at UC Berkeley.
Katherine Reamy. Katherine is a Psychology major with a minor in Communication. She is a native of Annapolis, Maryland who studied abroad in London. She was the captain of the women's club field hockey team at Santa Clara and the secretary of Psi Chi. She has interned for U.S. Congressman Jose Serrano, for the Maryland State's Attorney's Office, and for the Legal Action Group in London. Katherine will be attending Villanova University School of Law focusing on public sector issues.
Michael Savignano. Michael is an English and Political Science major. Michael studied abroad in Dublin and was an English Department Canterbury Fellow with a focus on Irish literature, especially James Joyce. His thesis, "The Mythomodern Cycle in Joyce's Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake," is a hermeneutical and philosophical analysis of two of modernity's great works–with a specific focus on eternal recurrence, Frankfurt School social criticism and aesthetic theory, and the collision of myth and modernity. Michael will be applying to PhD programs in English.
Megan Schuller. Megan, a Psychology major, interned for the Santa Clara County Public Defender as well as a decorated law firm in San Francisco. She was a peer educator for Professor Matthew Bell's Psychology of Learning course and completed her capstone in that subject. Throughout her SCU experience, Megan enjoyed attending the Women's Group led by her Resident Minister and spending time with the SCU community. Megan graduated early and has spent spring quarter working for Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw and Pittman LLP in Palo Alto. She hopes to go back to school and further her education with a focus on Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Mallory Stevens. Mallory has just completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with a minor in Sociology. A native of Menlo Park, CA, she studied abroad in Rome and traveled to seven other countries during her four-month stay. After putting her flare for fashion to use as a summer intern with Zazzle, Inc., she hopes to begin working in marketing for an apparel company. After gaining some work experience, she plans to earn an MBA before continuing her career in fashion.
Gina Stroud. Gina is a double major in Biology and Public Health. For her senior honors thesis, she conducted research under Professor Stephens on antibiotic resistance in commensal E. coli. Gina is the president and cofounder of the club Tropical Clinics for Rural Health at SCU, which aims to provide medical support to rural communities in developing countries. She has also worked as a community facilitator in Sobrato Hall and as an intern for Breathe California. Gina will be attending the University of New Mexico's School of Medicine in the fall.
Tracy Sullivan. Tracy, a History major and Political Science minor, participated in the Washington Semester program where she took a seminar in American Politics and interned for the Youth Leadership Foundation. Tracy's capstone paper about California's Proposition 14 will be published in Historical Perspectives. In the fall, Tracy is moving to Sacramento where she will intern in the State Assembly as a Capital Fellow while working towards a master's degree in Public Policy and Administration at CSU Sacramento.
Nicole Traina. Nicole is a Public Health Science major with minors in Anthropology and Biology. She is very grateful for her chance to explore during college, from studying abroad in Denmark to traveling to Panama with Global Medical Brigades. In addition to volunteering and interning at various locations, Nicole has also been a dedicated member of Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity. She has a passion for health and is excited to continue working at a physical therapy clinic before applying to physician assistant programs in the coming year.
Ryan Tsao. Ryan is a Computer Science major with a minors in Mathematics and Art History. A native of Portland, Oregon, he began his studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before transferring to Santa Clara after his freshman year. In his senior year, Ryan collaborated with Professor Frank Farris for a journal article related to mathematical art, working on a web application that creates spherical paintings which exhibit polyhedral symmetry. After graduating summa cum laude, Ryan will begin his career in Silicon Valley.
Amanda Turner. Amanda is a Political Science and Spanish Studies major. She worked at an international non-profit organization in Istanbul, Turkey, as an SCU Global Fellow. She also studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, immersing herself in the Spanish language. While spending a semester in Washington, DC, she interned in the US Senate and wrote her honors thesis on the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act. This spring Amanda interned in the district office of Congressman Mike Honda. She is moving to Washington DC to begin an internship with Well &Lighthouse, a Democratic digital media firm.
Ryan Tursi. Ryan is a History and Political Science double major from Alameda, California. He served as a research assistant for Professor Senkewicz of the History Department for a year and a half before working in the Legal Department at Adobe Systems. In 2013, he was awarded the Bernard Kronick Research and Writing Award by the Political Science Department for the best paper in US Politics. Ryan also spent two years as a student senator in the Associated Student Government. After graduation, Ryan will work at Ubisoft Entertainment.
Elizabeth Urie. Liz is a Political Science major with a minor in Environmental Studies. A native of Reno, Nevada, she has interned for U.S. Senator Dean Heller. For her honors thesis, she researched the decentralization of natural resource management in China and its implications for environmental protection and the leadership of the Communist Party. After graduation, Liz will be working in the Office of Administration and Finance at Santa Clara University. She plans to attend graduate school in public policy or higher education.
Amanda Waldron. Amanda is a double major in Political Science and French. A Seattle native, she worked last summer as an international relations intern with Washington's Governor Jay Inslee. For the past year she has interned at a nuclear weapons policy organization in San Francisco known as the Ploughshares Fund. Amanda was a member of the political science honors program and wrote her honors thesis on Iran's foreign policy. She studied abroad in Paris and has assisted Professor Boutouba of the French department with research on francophone cinema. She will graduate summa cum laude and hopes to pursue a career in foreign policy in Washington, DC.
Margaret Woods. Maggie is a double-major in History and Classical Languages and Literature. This year she was lucky enough to play Caroline Bingley in Santa Clara University's production of Pride and Prejudice and participate in Vagina Monologues and the New Playwrights' Festival. She spent her junior year at Mansfield College, Oxford, thanks to the generosity of the University Honors Program. After a gap year of so far undetermined adventure, she hopes to return to the UK for postgraduate study with her bros Richard II and Henry IV.