Created, funded and directed by fellow USD alumni, the USD Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund was launched in 2006 to provide much-needed scholarships for USD students. Recipients of this scholarship are current USD undergraduate and graduate students (including graduating seniors) with financial need, strong academic merit and who give back to the USD and local community.
Over 90 percent of the gifts to this fund are annual gifts between $10 to $250. With the collective power of thousands of USD alumni, we have the ability to ensure future Toreros a USD experience. In 2012, the USD Alumni Association Board of Directors rallied alumni to help make this $1M endowment.
Make a difference today. Give to the Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund.
CURRENT USD STUDENTS:
Online application for the Alumni Endowed Scholarship will on open November 27, 2023. Click here to open the application window.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
• Must be a current undergraduate or graduate student in good standing.
• Must be returning the following academic year (not eligible for graduating students.)
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Demonstrate exceptional involvement and service to USD and/or the community.
• Must have a FAFSA CA Dream Act, or USD Dream Act application on file and have financial need.
• Special consideration given to legacy students, who are relatives of USD alumni.
• Consideration given to students living in or near one of the 23 areas where we have Regional Torero Clubs. To locate a city near you, visit https://toreronetwork.sandiego.edu/regionaltoreroclubs
ESSAY PROMPT:
Describe in 500 words your involvement and service to USD and/or the community and how you will continue your involvement and service as an alumnus/a.
Meet the USD Alumni Association Alumni Endowed Scholars:
Bianca Elisa Arellano, Ed. PhD, 2026
Bianca is a San Diego native and proudly embraces her Chicana identity. She is a scholar who is empowered to be the first in her family to earn a PhD. Bianca is dedicated to guiding and supporting others to reach their educational goals. In her spare time, Bianca loves to travel the world and is an active member of MANA de San Diego, a national Latina organization.
In her own words, "USD Alumni and Donors: Your generosity is transforming lives through the support of this scholarship. Thank you for making education accessible and dreams achievable. Your support inspires me to excel and give back. I am grateful beyond words for your financial investment."
Gedeon Baende, Engineering '24
Gedeon is a rising senior at USD majoring in Integrated Engineering with an emphasis on Entrepreneurship. Actively involved in the community, he is a proud member of NSBE, Alcala Club, TRS, and a McDonald Scholar, among other groups, where he strives to empower and uplift others. His career ambition is to harness technology to enhance and enrich people’s lives.
In his own words, "Thank you to the USD alumni and donors for your generous contributions. Because of your support, I can complete my college education and aspire to give back, especially to foster youth. Your impact is truly immeasurable."
Kate Blair, '26
Kate was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She is currently a sophomore at USD double majoring in Real Estate and Architecture. She is is involved as a Scholastic Assistant, the Surfriders Club, Pilates Club, and Greek Life on campus as a member of Pi Beta Phi, where she serves on the Member Conduct Committee and Philanthropy Committee.
In her own words, "I want to thank the USD alumni and donors who made this scholarship possible. This scholarship will allow me to further my academic goals at USD which I am incredibly grateful for."
Hannah Coronado, '25
Hannah is a majoring in Marketing with minors in Business Analytics and Leadership Studies. She wishes to pursue a marketing career in the nonprofit sector. Additionally, she wants to own her own business to give back to the local communities of San Diego.
In her own words, "It is a great honor to be selected to receive the Alumni Endowed Scholarship! I am beyond grateful to all of the USD alumni and donors for making this scholarship possible. Thank you for further encouraging my collegiate path and inspiring me to reach my future goals. Once again, thank you!"
Kimberly Correa, Ed PhD '24
Kim (she/her/ella) is a third year doctoral student pursuing her PhD in Education for Social Justice through USD SOLES. Kim is passionate about community activism, fostering Latinx/BIPOC student leadership opportunities, and empowering first-generation and historically underrepresented students in higher education. In her first two years at USD, she helped launch USD CARE Center’s first-ever LGBTQ+ Sexual Violence Prevention material during NSO, served as the Director of Marketing & Communication for the Latinx Graduate Student Association, and served as a Graduate Assistant/Research Assistant all while successfully leading the formation of her workplace’s first-ever labor union in 25 years. Kim currently works as the Curriculum Developer, and serves as the Chair for the Latinx Affinity group, for The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Her passion lies at the intersection of queerness, latinidad, and community organizing and will continue to pursue these interests in her doctoral studies.
In her own words, "Thank you so much to the USD Alumni and donors who made this scholarship possible! It is an immense privilege to receive this support to continue my studies in part through your generosity. It is an honor to be among such incredible award recipients!”
Shreya Dandu, '24
Shreya Dandu is a senior double majoring in Finance and Psychology. While her first priority has been academic excellence, she loves getting involved on campus and interacting with peers. She served as VP of Finance and President of Women in Business at USD. She was also involved in Associated Student Government as an At- Large Senator, DEI Chair, and a member of the Budget Committee. During her sophomore year, she also mentored first-year students as a Scholastic Assistant for the Microeconomics 101 class. She is also actively involved in Phi Chi Theta - a professional business fraternity, South Asian Student Organization, and Minorities in Business. She is also thankful for the opportunity to have studied abroad in Madrid, Spain.
In her own words, "I am extremely thankful to all of the USD alumni and donors for their contributions in supporting, empowering, and motivating students like myself and allowing us to bring out the best in ourselves whilst bringing out the best in others within the USD community. I feel inspired to be better and do better and am greatly appreciative of the continued support I receive from my USD community. I am truly honored to be a recipient of this scholarship and I look forward to continue to learn, grow, and positively contribute to the USD community. Thank you for supporting my journey of pursuing my goals and allowing my vision come to life!"
Robin Ellam, MBA '24
Robin is a third year part-time MBA student concentrating in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Enterprise. She is combining her study of business to a career in sustainable agriculture and aspires to work in environmental planning and agricultural policy. She is particularly passionate about advocating for farm workers’ rights and immigration reform. During her time at USD, Robin has been President of the Net Impact Club and a graduate fellow for the newly developed Environmental Integration Lab in the Knauss School of Business. In her own words, “Thank you to the generosity of USD alumni and donors who have allowed me to complete my MBA degree while working full-time as a farm manager. Finishing my degree improves the quality of career opportunities available to me as a farm worker, and allows me to pay it forward in improving the US food system and agricultural labor force”.
Kai Hopkinson-Ramsammy, '25
Kai, is a psychology major with Music, Spanish and French minors. She is beginning my junior year at USD as the student director of the Mulvaney center's Youth Engagement Initiative (YEI), the co-president of the Black Student Union, a Torero ambassador and a member of many other programs and campus initiatives. She is committed to engaging with the local San Diego community and with the community on campus, and she is very grateful for the experiences and opportunities that she has had thus far in her academic career. She looks forward to the future and hopes to continue growing and being a part of the change that she wants to see.
In her own words, "Thank you for supporting my academic career; I am filled with deep gratitude."
Alyssa Jackson, '24
Alyssa is a Senior at the University of San Diego and a San Diego native. She is double majoring in Political Science and Communication Studies. She is also a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, member of University Ministry and Vice President of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity. After college, she plans to attend Law School and become a Constitutional Law Attorney.
In her own words, "To the USD alumni and donors who made this scholarship possible, I am grateful for your generosity! As a legacy of two alumni, this university has always been very close to my heart. I am thankful for USD because of the Catholic community that has allowed me to grow in my faith. I am honored to be one of this year’s recipients of the Alumni Endowed Scholarship and I hope that one day I will also be able to give back to the community."
Sarah Vanderhoff, '24
Sarah is a dedicated graduate student at USD's Hanh School of Nursing, pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing through the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her commitment to helping others was exemplified when she served on the frontlines as a crisis-response, ICU nurse. Sarah credits her experiences during that challenging time as the driving force behind her decision to enroll at USD, with hopes that becoming a CNS will enable her to make a more significant impact on healthcare and nursing practice. Currently, Sarah is balancing her full-time studies at USD with her role as a Cardiac Cath Lab nurse, where she provides critical care to patients undergoing life-saving cardiac procedures, further exemplifying her dedication to the San Diego community's health and well- being. After graduation, she aims to improve patient outcomes and contribute to nursing practice development in procedural areas like the Cardiac Cath Lab.
In her own words: “It is truly an honor to be selected as a recipient of the Alumni Endowed Scholarship. I am sincerely grateful for the USD alumni and donors who made this scholarship possible. Your support and generosity allow me to continue pursuing my academic and professional goals to improve healthcare in our community through advanced practice nursing. Thank you!”
Nicole Magliocco, '24
Nicole is a senior with a major in International Relations and two minors in Asian Studies and Law & Ethics. Some organizations she has been involved with include the Alcala Club, Alpha Delta Pi, Student Support Services (SSS), Ultimate Frisbee. She is looking forward to is being a mentor for Student Suport Services (SSS). It brings me a lot of joy to help others and it is one of the reasons I am pursuing diplomacy. I took the LSAT this past summer and will be taking the GRE in a month. My goal is to work in international public policy and eventually as an arbitrator.
In her own words, "I am truly honored to be one of the recipients of an Alumni Endowed scholarship. Thanks to your kind support I can attend an exceptional school and take advantage of multiple opportunities I would not have elsewhere. I have just spent an incredible year of studying abroad with a total of 337 days out of the US that would not have been possible without the International Center at USD. Abroad and here I will always be grateful of the support I have been fortunate to receive from the USD community on my undergraduate journey!"
Andrea Rangel, '25
I am a third year student majoring in biochemistry and double minoring in biology and biomedical ethics. My goal is to work in the pharmaceutical industry where I can conduct research to find new medicines and treatments that are accessible to our community. I work as a tutor for the Youth Engagement Initiative under the Mulvaney Center and enjoy getting to make a difference in the lives of our future generation.
In her own words, "I would like to say thank you so much to all of USD’s alumni and donors. Thank you for supporting me in my academic endeavors and choosing to invest in my education. I will forever be grateful to be presented with this opportunity and will forever cherish this award."
Alumni Endowed Scholarship Recipients 2020-2021:
Alexander Ramirez '21
Ashley Weiner '21
Bonnie Cardillo '21
Catherine Gibson '22
Chelsea Dunleavy '22
Corina Martinez '21
Courtney Ochi '21
Dalia Gazallo '22
Gwynn Alexander '22
Isabella Ianora '21
Janelle Barraza '22
Jessenia Maciel '21
Jessie Du Pre '21
Kapri Tulang-De Silva '22
Kayla Rogers '22
Madison Beresford '21
Sofía Sánchez '21
Trina Nguyentu '23
Alexis Smith '23
Ashley Gonzalez '23
Ryan Tate '23
Sofia Pantis '23
Adrianne Nguyen '21
Vivian Mateos Zuniga '22
Alumni Endowed Scholarship Recipients 2022-2023:
Adrielli Ferrer '22
Akemi Ito '22
Alexis Isaac '22
AnneMarie Rodgers '23
Carina Tanaka '23
Dhalia Balmir '25
Jeanette Shepherd '22
Jourdin Johnson '22
Kanuri Roundtree '22
Kapri Tulang-De Silva '22
Katherine Rejer '22
Kayla Rogers '22
Leonard Leau Jr. '22
Lucien Eloundou '22
Meghan Pipitone '22
Rosie Pham '22
Sheila Vajdi '22
Shyen Hirabayashi '22
Sofia Pantis '23
Thanh Trinh '23
Vanessa Tsuji '23
Yvonne Zimmerman '22
Makena Johnson '24 - Regional Rally Recipient
Michaela DiVito '24 - Regional Rally Recipient
Serenity Adalbert '22 - Regional Rally Recipient
Vida Vousoghian '22 - Regional Rally Recipient
VinSche’ Gray '23 - Regional Rally Recipient