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BSEL Undergraduate Social Impact Scholars Program

Social Impact Scholars Program

BSEL's Social Impact Scholars Program is a highly selective nine-month mentoring and skills-building experience for a group of rising juniors and seniors who are engaged and pursuing careers in social impact.

 

Eligibility
Rising juniors and seniors from all majors are encouraged to apply. Students applying for the AY26 Scholars cohort must be enrolled at USC for the fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters.


We seek students who:

  • Think broadly about the "wicked problems" facing the world, and see themselves as agents of change in responding to these problems.
  • Engage with their communities in meaningful ways.
  • Enjoy learning from other people, especially those who have different life experiences.
  • Pursue opportunities for self-reflection and growth.

Note: As this is a highly experiential program, students must commit to attending all cohort meetings, which will be held on Friday mornings, approximately once a month. The cohort meeting schedule will be finalized in the summer.

Benefits

  • Mentorship from leading social impact professionals and social entrepreneurs. (A list of past mentors can be found here.)
  • Professional and personal development workshops to foster competence and leadership skills relevant to social impact careers.
  • An invitation to a formal meal with all mentors and mentees.
  • At least two one-on-one meetings with a mentor.
  • A career shadowing experience with a mentor.
  • Access to the BSEL student and professional network and advising from BSEL staff.
  • Membership in a cohort of like-minded students offering feedback and support.
     

Commitment

  • Participate in a day-long orientation in August. (Orientation is typically held the Sunday before the start of the fall semester.)
  • Attend a group dinner with mentors in early September (date to be given at orientation).
  • Engage fully in monthly cohort meetings and BSEL events (approximately five to six hours per month). 
  • Schedule and attend meetings with mentors.
  • Attend an end-of-the-year event (usually held the last week in April or first week of May).
  • Serve as official ambassadors of BSEL within and outside of the USC community. This means identifying publicly as a BSEL Scholar and prioritizing attendance at other BSEL opportunities, including Jacobson Sustainable Impact Lectures, site visits and networking events.
     

Information Session

We encourage interested applicants to attend the following information sessions:

TBD
Noon–1 p.m.
Zoom


Application Process

The application will open in Spring 2025.


Application Deadline

The deadline for the 2024 Social Impact Scholars application is TBD.
 

2024–2025 BSEL Scholars

Below is the current cohort of BSEL Scholars. For the full list of previous Scholars, please click here.

Aahana Chowdhuri

Aahana Chowdhuri

Aahana Chowdhuri is a senior from San Jose, California studying Business Administration (Business Analytics) and minoring in Foundations of Data Science. Alongside being involved in Los Angeles Community Impact, Descent Magazine, and Marshall Peer Career Advising, she is currently conducting research with the Marshall Global Honors Research Program to identify and formulate plastic tracking methods in Indonesia. She wants to pursue the intersections of business strategy, data science, and environmental sustainability in her career; on a personal level, she believes in the transformative power of creative writing for self-development.

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Aaron Teklu

Aaron Teklu

Aaron Teklu is a rising senior here at USC, where he is pursuing a major in Social Sciences with an emphasis in Economics, with a minor in Blockchain. He is deeply passionate about the convergence of finance and social impact and ultimately, he wants to be the CEO of his own company that spearheads financial inclusion and equality in Ethiopia.

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Alisha Merchant

Alisha Merchant

Alisha Merchant is a rising senior studying Cinema and Media Studies with a double minor in Health Innovation and Social Justice and Advocacy. She has served on the executive board of Spark SC, a USC-based entrepreneurship nonprofit, and the Asian Pacific Cinema Association. Her ultimate goal is to navigate solutions at the intersection of film, medicine, and social impact.

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Andrew Udov

Andrew Udov

Andrew Udov is a rising senior at USC studying Human Biology and pursuing his master's degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. On campus, he works as a student EMT, serves as the President of the Southern California Undergraduate Research Journal, and conducts prostate cancer research at CSI-Cancer under Dr. Peter Kuhn. His interest in healthcare access and health education drew him to co-found Praxis Health Empowerment, a health equity 501(c)(3) nonprofit, where he serves as the Executive Director.

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Anish Kushalapa

Anish Kushalapa

Anish Kushalapa is an Economics/Math student from Dubai. He is passionate about finding solutions to pressing social, environmental, and economic issues through leveraging technologically powered solutions and innovative thinking.

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Elisha Koshnevis

Elina Khoshnevis

Elina Khoshnevis is a rising junior at USC, studying Business with a minor in Entrepreneurship, deeply committed and passionate about integrating ethical principles within diverse business sectors. With a profound dedication to ethical innovation, Elina is deeply committed to revolutionizing the fashion industry by pioneering sustainable and ethical business models. In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavors, Elina also serves on the executive board of USC's Persian Student Organization, where she initiated a professional development panel series, bringing together Persian professionals from various fields to engage with and inspire the USC community. Beyond her business and academic pursuits, Elina loves to immerse herself in the art and fashion scene in Los Angeles.

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Hanna Cardona

Hanna Cardona

Hanna Cardona is a rising junior from Queens, New York, majoring in Business Administration. Combining her passions for social impact and consulting, she aspires to utilize her career to grow nonprofits targeting disparities within the public school system. As the daughter of Colombian immigrants, she is committed to fostering diversity within business and breaking down barriers to entry for often gate-kept careers.

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Hilary Keuni

Hilary Keuni

Hilary Keuni is a first-generation rising senior studying Industrial and Systems Engineering. Hilary co-founded SkyGuard, a startup focused on enhancing landmine detection through machine learning and computer vision. Born in Cameroon and raised in Chicago, she is passionate about creating sustainable solutions for global challenges, optimizing processes to enhance efficiency, safety, productivity, and reducing waste to improve quality.

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Kelly Kim

Kelly Kim

Kelly Kim is a senior from Cupertino, CA, majoring in Business Administration. She is passionate about creating positive change through community service and engagement as well as nonprofit work. She holds leadership positions for impact-focused organizations on campus, such as Scholars Leading Scholars, The Pad Project, Bohnett Board, Marshall Outreach Volunteer Entrepreneurs, and the USC Volunteer Center

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Leo Arney

Leo Arney

Leo Arney is a rising junior studying Business Administration with a minor in Environmental Studies. He serves on the Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility for USC's endowment fund and is a Hayes Barnard Sustainability Fellow. An environmental advocate, he leverages his finance background to pioneer sustainable initiatives and promote eco-conscious investments.

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Matthew Kuloszewski

Matthew Kuloszewski

Matthew Kuloszewski is a rising senior from Scranton, Pennsylvania, majoring in Economics with a minor in Health Policy and a specialization in Applied Analytics. His academic and research endeavors, including his roles as a Research Assistant at Geisinger Health System and USC Price’s Center for Health Financing, Policy, and Management, focus on addressing the impacts of the opioid crisis and healthcare costs within his community. As he looks to the future, Matthew aims to pursue graduate studies at the nexus of data analytics and health policy. His ultimate goal is to utilize quantitative methods to tackle public health disparities.

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Melissa Paz Flores

Melissa Paz-Flores

Melissa Paz-Flores is a rising Junior, studying psychology and minoring in management consulting. As a first-generation student and the daughter of immigrants, she hopes to mesh her interests in immigrant justice advocacy and educational equity in higher education through a career in the educational consulting space. Currently, Melissa is expanding opportunities for undocumented students as the current Director of External Outreach for IDEAS @ USC. She also serves on the Office of Inclusion and Diversity’s Student Leadership Council. Beyond campus, Melissa continues to explore her passions by researching Latinx Immigrants’ well-being at UC Santa Cruz.

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2024-2025 Senior Fellows

For the full list of Senior Fellows, click here.

JP Brooker

J.P. Brooker

Director of Florida Conservation at Ocean Conservancy

J.P. Brooker is a native Floridian born and raised on the Indian River Lagoon in Brevard County. His family first came to Florida from the Bahamas in the 1850s, eventually settling in Key West and Tampa. He is passionate about conserving the natural splendor that makes Florida so special. He is an active attorney admitted to practice in Florida. He is also admitted to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He has been elected to the Executive Council of the Environmental and Land Use Law Section of the Florida Bar and is appointed to the Coral Advisory Panel of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. In 2023, he received the Bill Sadowski Memorial Public Service Award in Environmental and Land Use Law from the Florida Bar. At Ocean Conservancy, he is the Director of Florida Conservation and he works on federal regulatory issues in the Southeastern United States and on Capitol Hill. His primary focus for Ocean Conservancy is on Florida coastal conservation issues, including fisheries, water quality and quantity, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, marine debris, oil and gas, and ocean plastics. He co-founded Kids for Clean Water, Inc., a Florida non-profit corporation that seeks to empower young Floridians to speak out on marine conservation issues and has formerly served as General Counsel and on the Board of Directors of the organization. He also co-founded the Jupiter Narrows Conservation Alliance, Inc., a 501(c)3 Florida non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving the unique habitat of the lower Indian River Lagoon in East Central and Southern Florida. He serves as General Counsel and on the Board of Directors of the JNCA. He is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he lives with my wife Kathy and their two daughters. They are passionate about surfing, diving, and sailing, and you can always find him in or on the water. 

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Rebecca Magee

Rebecca Magee

Founder of Sister Seasons

Rebecca Magee is the founder of Sister Seasons, a mission-driven business that helps women changemakers–and the organizations they’re a part of–work with nature’s cycles to build a thriving, regenerative future without burning out. Her background blends ongoing studies in women’s leadership and health with a 15+ year career in environmental sustainability, social impact, and philanthropy at visionary organizations such as Echoing Green and EILEEN FISHER. A skillful facilitator, Rebecca has created transformative learning experiences for social impact leaders around the world, guided communities of women through life-changing retreats and peer groups, and led impact initiatives from B Corp certifications to ground-breaking corporate grants. She is a graduate of Georgetown University. 

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Mike McGalliard

Mike McGalliard

Founder/CEO of The Firebrand Co.

Mike McGalliard, for over three decades, has been an educator and social entrepreneur, building companies, schools, and campaigns that advance the educational achievement and well-being of children. He founded or co-founded multiple organizations, including LA Promise Fund, a leader in school reform and neighborhood empowerment in the LAUSD. As a start-up leader and team-builder, Mike has helped launch or restructure several schools and organizations (traditional, private, and charter) and served as CEO across four nonprofits. Mike has worked alongside renowned change-makers, including Jamie Oliver, Goldie Hawn, Pharrell Williams, and Common. He has designed large-scale education initiatives with global brands such as Google, Amazon, Boeing, and Disney. Mike was named Champion in LEGO’s Re-Imagine Learning Challenge and an Ashoka “Globalizer Fellow.” Mike is currently founder and CEO of The Firebrand Co., a social impact design studio based in Los Angeles.

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Tyrone Nance

Tyrone Nance

Founder/CEO of It’s Bigger Than Us

Tyrone Nance, MA is a dedicated leader in community empowerment and health equity. He holds a BA in Public Relations from Oral Roberts University and an MA in Transformational Urban Leadership from Azusa Pacific University. As the Founder & CEO of "It’s Bigger Than Us" (IBTU), Tyrone has led over 500 community events, focusing on providing essential resources and promoting social impact and diversity. In addition to his work with IBTU, Tyrone serves as the Lead Community Outreach Specialist at USC’s Clinical Translational Science Institute and as Vice President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Black Professionals Network. Known for his engaging public speaking, Tyrone continues to inspire and drive positive change in the communities he serves. 

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Rakesh Patel

Rakesh Patel

Chief Executive Officer at Neighborhood Healthcare

Rakesh Patel is a certified physician healthcare executive and servant leader who has orchestrated continuous growth and leadership of a large Federally Qualified Community Health Center and PACE organization that serve over 100,000 patients with 1300 staff. Dr. Patel received his baccalaureate degree from UCLA, his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and his MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was a full-time family practice physician at Neighborhood Healthcare for over eight years before assuming leadership roles as Medical Director and, in 2017, CEO. He has served in leadership roles for a variety of community organizations and professional associations. Most recently, he has chaired the California Primary Care Association, chaired the Integrated Health Partners board, and participated on the MPH Advisory Board for California State University San Marcos and the Sharp Healthcare Patient Quality Safety Board.

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Daryl Lynn Roberts

Daryl-Lynn Robert

Vice President of Business Development at Visage Energy

Daryl-lynn Ropberts, as Vice President of Business Development at Visage Energy, is responsible for originating and cultivating new business opportunities as well as relationships with clients. She started and now leads the clean energy technology commercialization consulting group in the focus areas of Carbon Management (Point Source Capture, Carbon Utilization and Direct Air Capture), Microgrids, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, and Grid Modeling (technologies at TRL 3-7). Daryl-Lynn has 15+ years of experience within the clean energy industry. Most notably, she co-managed the first of a kind pre-FEED NGCC + CCS retrofit study within the western region involving California IOUs, NETL, and CEC. She coordinated the Technical CCS Regional Stakeholder Collaborative Initiative which included CA utilities, CPUC, CEC, and NETL culminating in the Blue Ribbon multi agency CCUS panel. She also assisted in the collaboration of the $35MM CPUC funded High Performance Computing CA Energy System for 21st Century (CES-21) Initiative Partnership with LLNL and CA IOUs for grid modeling and cyber securityPrior to Visage Energy, she worked as a financial analyst at Moore Clayton & Company, a program manager at Vernier Networks, and an assistant product manager at Zaplet Daryl-Lynn has served on the Board of Directors for the Coalition for Clean Air (2009-2012), National Utilities Diversity Council (current), and Los Angeles African American Public Policy Institute (current). Daryl-Lynn received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School in 2004. She also received her Master of Science in Industrial Engineering in 2002 from Stanford University where her primary emphasis was Entrepreneurship. In 2000, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University.

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