BSEL Undergraduate Social Impact Scholars Program

Avinash Chauhan is a rising junior at USC studying Quantitative Biology, pursuing his master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, and minoring in Classical Perspectives. In addition to serving as the President of Healthcare Technology and Analytics, Avinash conducts research at the Rohs Lab of Quantitative Biology and the Boone Fetter Clinic for Autism Treatment at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). Eager to evolve novel approaches at the intersection of health and educational inequities, he works closely with Living Advantage, a 501(c)3 nonprofit addressing issues facing emancipated foster care youth, and he collaborates with incarcerated writers through Dornsife’s Prison Educational Project.

Beatrix Heard is a junior from Los Angeles, California double-majoring in Global Studies and Archaeology with a minor in Spanish. She is interested in the intersection of equitable development and cultural heritage, with a regional focus on Southern California, Mexico, and Central America.

Brandon Tran is a presidential scholarship recipient studying Political Science with a minor in Organizational Leadership and Management. He currently serves as the Senior VP of Civic Innovations at the Institute for Youth in Policy and aspires to become a management consultant following graduation. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing sports, movies and TV shows, and writing.

Cynthia Chockalingam is from Indiana, right outside Chicago, double-majoring in International Relations and NGOS & Social Change—with a minor in Justice, Voice, & Advocacy. She currently works at a South Asian nonprofit on anti-hate and advocacy work while also interning at a law firm, working with asylum seekers and refugees; as President of USC’s Foreign Service Society, she wants to bridge the gap between local action and international advocacy. Consequently, she is interested in policy work for her future.

Emily Briscoe is a senior studying Environmental Engineering. She is a student leader in sustainability at USC and is very passionate about developing and implementing impactful solutions that address climate change. She looks forward to the mentorship and skill-building provided by the BSEL Undergraduate Social Impact Scholars Program to continue advancing sustainability and to accomplish large-scale social impact.

Clarissa Rosales is a junior from Los Angeles, CA majoring in Legal Studies and double minoring in Social Work and Juvenile Justice and Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism. She is a devoted advocate for immigrant rights, as she herself comes from a Guatemalan immigrant household. Clarissa is committed to serving the undocumented immigrant community through legal representation and ultimately immigration reform to create a more just and humane system to aid the most vulnerable members of society.

Naomi Tanaka is a rising senior from Chula Vista, California majoring in Economics. Through the 2022 Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship, Naomi is currently researching guaranteed income programs and how aid during the COVID-19 pandemic can help inform the future of welfare programs. Her ultimate goal is to utilize her intersecting interests of both economics and politics to establish a social safety-net in the United States.

Noah Torres is a rising Senior studying Real Estate Development at USC. He is half Salvadoran, he speaks Spanish and French, and loves to backpack through new countries and visit new cities. Professionally, the ingredients of the career he hopes to forge are social impact, real estate development, economic development, and a dash of stylistic flare.

Liv Bohler is a rising junior from Louisville, Kentucky, studying Communication and Political Organizing in the Digital Age at USC. She is passionate about increasing civic engagement among youth and the presence of local media in America’s news deserts. On campus, Liv is involved in VoteSC, Alpha Phi Omega, and The Volunteer Center.

Rajyk Bhala is a rising junior at USC double majoring in Spanish and Health and Human Sciences with a double minor in Natural Sciences and Healthcare Studies. Rajyk is proud to be the co-President of USC Science Outreach and the Parent Liaison for Teach For Los Angeles, and he also conducts aging research in The Benayoun Lab at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. His ultimate goal is to pursue a career in medicine, where he hopes to address the financial gaps currently plaguing our healthcare system while providing the highest level of patient care.

Sammie Sorsby-Jones is a senior at USC majoring in Law, History, and Culture with a minor in Gender Studies. Her involvements at USC include being the founder and former president of the Survivor Support Community as well as teaching Supreme Court caselaw as an Issue Lead for the Southern California Moot Court Team in the Fall 2022 season, during which her Legal Brief placed 2nd in the nation. She is also a Warren Bennis Scholar and an LSAT Tutor for Blueprint Test Preparation. She is very passionate about traveling and photography, passions which she developed during her semester abroad in Milan, Italy.

Sean McCalla is a senior studying Business Administration passionate about creating sustainability solutions that generate shared value for firms and their stakeholders. He works on USC’s Assignment: Earth sustainability framework, where he is interested in positioning students as leaders of sustainability initiatives and storytelling about the climate crisis.

Silvia Argueta is the chief executive of Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), a 100-lawyer law firm and with over 245 staff with five offices, four self-help centers, three courthouse clinics, and six medical legal partnerships and $46 million annual budget. She oversees strategy, advocacy, fund development, and finances. She is continuing LAFLA’s effective broad based advocacy work on behalf of low income, multi-cultural communities, while increasing visibility and diversifying LAFLA’s financial base.

Jen Chiou 趙燕妮 (she/her) is the founder of CodeSpeak Labs, a computer science education social enterprise that empowers K-12 students to use tech to build a better world. Over 15,000 students in California and New York have taken their classes, and over 500,000 kids across the country have used their curriculum. Prior to founding CodeSpeak Labs, she was the founding Executive Director of Crisis Text Line, the first nationwide SMS-based crisis hotline; an early team member at the global NGO Teach For All; and a nonprofit consultant at the Bridgespan Group. She’s a 4.0 Schools fellowship recipient for CodeSpeak’s creative learning models that support underrepresented youth, the 4.0 AAPI community chair, and the founder of Asian American Impact Fund. She previously served on the City of Irvine Child Care committee and the Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee, the Pretend City Children’s Museum Education Committee, and the team behind the East West Players Production: From Number to Name.  She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford.

Sherri Franklin, as the Founder & CEO of Urban Design Center (UDC), champions its core mission to provide strategic thought leadership to non-profit organizations, government agencies and private developers working to catalyze resilient rebranding of urban environments and sustainable economic opportunities for people of color. Over the past 33 years, UDC has managed the land-use entitlement, capital development and project management for over $200 million in affordable housing, infrastructure improvement, economic development and enterprise expansion projects totaling $1 billion in value. The recent launch of UDC’s online Resiliency Studio is the culmination of its work building the internal capacity of organizations and businesses and serves as a shared brain trust of “how to” elements for transforming visions into reality. In 2023, UDC collaborated with Impact Realty Advisors, ZenCapital Investment Advisors and MJC Partners to form Housing Impact Partners (HIP) to catalyze the production of housing through leadership, legacy partnership and capital formation offering triple bottom-line performance: Economic, Social and Environmental Impact.

Krishna Jafa, a physician, epidemiologist, and public health executive, brings 27 years of deep expertise in health system design and strengthening, digital health innovation, and complex global partnerships at the frontier of public health progress. As a visible and visionary leader in the movement for global health equity, Krishna builds community, creates space and momentum for change, and continues values-driven leadership into Medic's second decade of work. Krishna previously held key leadership roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Population Services International, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A deeply committed advocate for women’s and girls’ economic empowerment and reproductive rights, Krishna holds a medical degree from Rajasthan University (India), an MPH from Harvard University (USA), and is an alumna of the US CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service. She engages locally and globally by serving on the Boards of the Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders and Unlock Aid, and pursues her passion to help homeless, stray, and abused animals by volunteering with Pawsitive Alliance, Useless Bay Sanctuary, and Karuna Horse Rescue. Krishna is an avid novice gardener, a mom to six dogs and one cat, and a dedicated mentor to trans youth.

Michael Walker has extensive experience in the business world, having held various executive and advisory roles since 1994. In 2021, he began his current role as the Chief Executive Officer of STAX Engineering, a leading provider of emission-reduction platforms for shipping vessels. From 2008 to 2018, he was the CEO of Baswood Corporation, a revolutionary water infrastructure firm, managing its operational model and business strategy from start-up phase to successful market penetration and commercialization. From 2005 to 2007, he spearheaded business development at Giveline, Inc., a forward-thinking e-commerce platform. Michael's influence extends beyond executive domains, encompassing impactful board roles at Curvature (formerly Network Hardware), Baswood Corporation, and STAX Engineering. Additionally, his advisory board role at the University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business underscores his commitment to shaping future business leaders. Michael's academic foundation includes a BS from the University of Southern California.

Andrea White-Kjoss is an accomplished senior executive, serial entrepreneur, advisor, board member, startup mentor, and thought leader with more than 25 years of business success in diverse industries and verticals. She is passionate about creating successful companies and making existing ones better. Companies led by Andrea have generated double and triple-digit growth, every year, for the last 20 years of her career. Andrea is the founding Managing Director of the Long Beach Accelerator.  Through her work in her companies and mentoring startups, she has built a network of entrepreneurs, angel investors, family offices, accelerators, early stage VC, high net worth individuals, and service provider partners, and has significant experience sourcing quality technology startup companies and participating in due diligence processes. In addition, Andrea has served as a guest lecturer, giving presentations at global conferences, universities, and councils.