Newsroom

Spotlight on Students: Kyla Smith ’20 Receives Critical Language Scholarship

Born in China and raised in Hawaii by her adoptive parents, Kyla Smith ’20 has sought ways to connect with her birth country. As a Scripps student, she has lately been exploring her identity and heritage through her coursework, double majoring in Asian American studies and Asian studies and enrolling in Mandarin language classes. This summer, Smith plans to fully immerse herself in Chinese language and culture, having received a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Mandarin in Xi’an, China, for two months, beginning in late June.

Spotlight on Students: Perrin York ’19 Wins Outstanding Soloist Award at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella

Standing on stage in front of an audience of 3,000 at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), Perrin York ’19 “didn’t know if I was crying or wanted to cry.” She had just been awarded Outstanding Soloist for her rendition of “Greedy” by Ariana Grande.  “At that moment, I felt so humbled and couldn’t understand the magnitude of the award,” she recalls.

Class of 2018: Graffiti Wall

Since 1931, Scripps’ graduating seniors have participated in what has become an essential rite of passage at the College: the signing of Graffiti Wall. Each year, seniors choose a mural design from student-submitted illustrations to paint on the wall, and then the entire graduating class adds its signatures. Graffiti Wall is a visual reminder of Scripps’ history and reflects the changing tastes and attitudes of students over the decades.

Class of 2018: Carmen Abbe ’18: 5C Roller Derby Team Founder Is on a Track to Medical School

Carmen Abbe ’18, a human biology major from Seattle, has balanced her time at Scripps between taking science and humanities courses and playing on the roller derby team she founded as a first-year student. After graduation, she hopes to continue incorporating her passions; Abbe has her sights set on attending medical school, expanding on her thesis research, and engaging with the derby community in Seattle.

The 5C Women’s Roller Derby team, which began as a casual club with a few intermittent members, has grown into an official intramural 5C sports team, now 25 members strong. It is one of only four collegiate teams in the U.S. and regularly participates in monthly Inland Empire scrimmages. In 2018, the team attracted enough members to be able to host about against another team from Arizona State University. The event was the first-ever interstate, intercollegiate roller derby match.

Class of 2018: Noor Hamdy ’18: Making a Difference in the Lives of Local Refugees

When Noor Hamdy ’18 left her home in San Diego to begin a new journey at Scripps, she knew she wanted to take classes in the College’s interdisciplinary Middle East and North Africa studies and Arabic programs. While Hamdy has explored these fields and more in her time at Scripps, she also discovered a passion for tackling problems closer to home and social work that shaped the course of her future plans.

Capstone Day: Mandeep Sandhu Brings a Religious Perspective to STEM

Growing up in Granada Hills, California, Mandeep Sandhu ’18 was “the kid digging in the garden identifying insects or creating mini science projects in the kitchen,” as she recalls. While her interest in science grew out of a desire to “better understand the physical world,” Sandhu was also drawn to learning about spiritual aspects of existence.

Awards and Honors: Erin Matheson ’18 Awarded Davis Projects for Peace Fellowship to Pursue Diabetes Prevention in Chile

Erin Matheson ’18, a biochemistry major from Golden, Colorado, has always had an inclination toward the sciences and public benefit. “All my life, I’ve been inspired by people who have used scientific applications to improve the everyday lives of others,” she says. This summer, funded by a $10,000 grant through Davis Projects for Peace, Matheson will travel to Chile to establish a preventative diabetes program there. Her project, “Community Health: Comprehensive Approaches to Diabetes Prevention in Valparaíso, Chile,” will take a holistic approach to prevention, focusing on nutrition and exercise as well as pre-screenings and medical care.

Spotlight on Students: Tyra Abraham ’18: Scripps Senior Is Running with Her Passion for Storytelling

They say there are two sides to every story, and Tyra Abraham ’18 is no exception. On the one hand, she’s an accomplished student who is pursuing her passion for storytelling by serving as an official photographer for the College. On the other hand, she’s a gifted athlete who has broken numerous records as part of the CMS Athenas Track & Field team.

Spotlight on Students: Kelly Peng ’18, President of Scripps Associated Students

I recently sat down with Kelly Peng ’18, president of Scripps Associated Students (SAS), to find out more about her as well as what issues and initiatives she’ll be focusing on during her tenure. Peng, who is a dual major in biology and Asian American studies from Battle Creek, Michigan, brings extensive experience in Scripps student government to her current position—over the past three years, she’s served on the SAS Senate, as the Class of 2018’s sophomore class president, and as SAS executive vice president.

Research and Internships: Jockabeth Ponce ’19: 3-2 Engineering Major Builds Experience by Exploring Many Paths

Jockabeth Ponce ’19 has always loved solving problems, and as a 3-2 engineering major, she plans on using her grounding in both science and the humanities to do just that. However, Ponce did not always plan on pursuing engineering.