Member Benefits
Being a member of Mortar Board is an honor and a privilege. Mortar Board promotes interaction within a select group of fellow student leaders and pursuit of projects of interest to the chapter. Members also benefit from their relationships with Faculty Advisors, who attend meetings and events, as well as with San Diego County Mortar Board Alumni Members. Finally, members of Mortar Board are eligible to apply for scholarships and fellowships for graduate school.
USD Mortar Board Selection
Mortar Board selection occurs in the spring semester. Juniors whose cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) places them in the top 35% of their class, receive information materials and are asked to submit a resume, a faculty letter of recommendation, a personal essay, and USD Registrar’s verification of GPA. The submitted information is reviewed by the current Mortar Board members, who then cast their votes for the most qualified students.
Selection is an important process. Mortar Board members determine who will carry the torch of Mortar Board after the current members have graduated. The entire chapter takes part in reviewing the materials submitted by each potential new member, and participates in the discussion and selection of new members.
Newly selected members are “tapped” in class, where they are invited to become members of USD Mortar Board and receive information about Orientation and Initiation. Membership is competitive, and the chapter typically selects no more than thirty new members for the following year.
Current Members
- Nadia Al-Faraje
- Charlotte Alexander
- Jana Alsabih
- Sophia Austin
- Maya Badrani (President)
- Janelle Barraza
- Peyton Berger
- Nina Blanco
- Kaja Burja
- Emily Chua
- Daniella Clark (Co-Vice President of Membership)
- Christopher Currie
- Jennifer DeSantis
- Katelyn Gutierrez
- Sarah Haetzel (Co-Vice President of Membership)
- Shyen Hirabayashi
- Rachel Hubka
- Kobe Huynh
- Mariya Kamilla Iskakova
- Sophia Kahl (Co-Historian)
- Elizabeth Kavanaugh
- Christiane Keyhani (Treasurer)
- Zoé Knepp
- Cynthia Marmolejo
- Vivian Mateos Zuniga
- Alyssa Mugavero (Co-Vice President of IDE)
- Kayley Norman
- John O'Connell
- Patrick O'Shell
- Rebecca Onken (Co-Secretary)
- Sofia Pantis
- Logan Patrick
- Diana Percy (Co-Historian)
- Katie Reilly (Executive Vice President)
- Nicholas Romano
- Ariadne Sambrano (Communications Director)
- Alyssa Sanchez (Alumni Liason)
- Mia Shaeffer
- Rachel Shellstrom
- Javen Torres
- Kapri Tulang-De Silva
- Annette Vo (Co-Vice President of IDE)
- Jessica Mehanalani Wilson
- Grant Wu (Co-Secretary)
Honorary Members
Since its installation in 2000, the Alcalá Chapter of Mortar Board has tapped 24 honorary members who have been initiated into Mortar Board. They are:
- Dr. Alice B. Hayes
- Tricia Duran
- Dr. Patrick Drinan
- Dr. Mary E. Lyons
- Dr. Frank Lazarus
- Dr. Anne Donnellan
- Dr. Julie Sullivan
- Dr. Alana Cordy-Collins
- Dr. Susan M. Lord
- Dr. Michael Mayer
- Dr. Thomas R. Herrinton
- Vice President Carmen M. Vazquez
- Dr. Del Dickson
- Dr. Noelle Norton
- Therese Whitcomb
- Dr. James T. Harris
- Dr. Iris Engstrand
- Dr. Andrew Allen
- Professor Thomas Lupfer>
- Dr. Gail Baker
- Dr. Judith Liu
- Dr. Jennifer Zwolinski
- Dr. Chell Roberts
- Laneé Battle Johnson