​Graduate Student Organizations

Our Mission: Asian Students In Alliance (ASIA) is a graduate student organization with the goal of supporting and promoting diversity within the USD community by enhancing educational growth and compassionate community service through collaboration. We provide opportunities for professional development for our members.

Our activities include events, research and academic educational programming that will support awareness, service and excellence with regards to working as future leaders focused on multicultural and diversity aspects of the graduate Asian students at SOLES and within the USD and local constituents.

Faculty Advisor

• Maya Kalyanpur
  Professor and Chair for the Department of Learning and Teaching

The Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) is an interdisciplinary, student initiated, student-run organization that is dedicated to uniting students, faculty and alumni of African descent to create a sense of community at the University of San Diego. We encourage scholarship opportunities, promote social connections, community service and self-determination.

The purpose of BGSA is to serve as a support network for graduate students of African descent and provide resources that will enhance academic and career success of current graduate and professional students. In addition, the purpose is to develop a network of emerging scholars who are dedicated and sensitive to the needs and concerns of an increasingly diverse academic community.

BGSA membership is open to all graduate students, scholars, and/or individuals who are interested in supporting students of African descent in the pursuit of graduate and professional educational excellence. BGSA does not discriminate or limit its membership to any individual or group based on race, creed, color, nationality, ability or sexual orientation.

Visit us on Facebook!

Executive Council

• Sean Green
  seangreen@sandiego.edu
• Amanda Gunn
  agunn@sandiego.edu
• Marites Exume
  mexume@sandiego.edu.

Advisor

• Joi Spencer
  Associate Dean and Professor

Chi Sigma Alpha is an international honors society comprised of graduate students, alumni, faculty, and student affairs professionals to promote and recognize excellence in academics, research, and service to the profession of student affairs. Our purpose is to develop the profession of Student Affairs by supporting and enriching the experiences and development of its practitioners, especially at the graduate student level.

 
Chi Sigma Alpha offers professional development funding and opportunities for its members in addition to opportunities to network with other Chi Sigma Alpha members and alumni at various professional conferences. Chi Sigma Alpha also offers opportunities for both members and non-members to facilitate workshops, presentations, and activities which benefit current and/or future Student Affairs Practitioners.

 
For more information, please contact any member of the Executive Council!

Executive Council

• Chris-Marcus Kitchings
  President
  ckitchings@sandiego.edu
• Mandy Mekhail
  Vice President
• Lauren Wong
  Treasurer
• Mariana Ortega
  Secretary
• Martel Serwenda
  Director of Public Relations
• Vacant
  Director of Professional Development
• Vacant
  Director of Special Events
• Vacant
  GSC Liaison
• Vacant
  SGSA Liaison
• Vacant
  Historian
• Mariann Sanchez, Director of Graduate Student
  Advisor

Representatives

• Vacant, CMHC 1st year
  Representative
• Vacant, SC 1st year
  Representative

Advisor

• Dr. Kristopher Hall
  Assistant Professor, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Department of Counseling & Marital and Family Therapy

Chi Sigma Iota is the international honor society for the counseling profession comprised of graduate students, alumni, and faculty. We are dedicated to promoting and developing future counselors’ professional growth while fostering a sense of community within the Sigma Delta Chapter.

Our calendar year consists of multiple professional development and social events as well as workshops related to the counseling profession and service projects. We have connections with community organizations that work with survivors of trauma as well as annual workshops for Expressive Arts Therapy.

For more information, please contact any member of the Executive Board!

Chi Sigma Iota- Sigma Delta Chapter

• Dr. Kristopher Hall
  Faculty Advisor
• Dr. Nedeljko Golubovic
  Faculty Advisor

The purpose of CAPE is to acknowledge, destigmatize, and discuss differences in a safe space in order to address misperceptions, biases, and micro-aggressive behaviors with the stated goal of cultivating personal empowerment, courage, and humility. Membership in this organization is open to Counseling and Marital and Family Therapy students who identify with a marginalized group.

Advisor

• Ana Estrada
  estradaa@sandiego.edu

Officers

• Zaiah Lewis
  President
• Alejandra Ramirez
  Vice President
• Marites Exume
  Secretary
• Tristan Hartley
  Chief of Operations-
• Grace Ku
  Director of Marketing and Public Relations-
• Brittany Jackson
  Community Service Director

The Latinx Graduate Student Association (LGSA) is an organization dedicated to creating a support and social network for Chicanx/Latinx graduate students at the University of San Diego (USD).

LGSA contributes to USD's principles by upholding values of social justice, equity, family, culture, and academic excellence through the promotion of scholarship, advocacy, and qtorship/femtorship/mentorship. We encourage and facilitate communication between graduate students and faculty who identify as Latinx, Afro-Latinx, Asian-Latinx, Mexican/Mexican-American, Filipinx/Filpinx-American and other underrepresented communities at USD through coalition-building and allyship.

LGSA brings together Latinx graduate students who are committed to:

Existing and thriving at the University of San Diego
Advocating for equitable opportunities, educational outcomes, and representation at the student, administrative and faculty level
Creating comunidad together at SOLES and USD
Promoting the recruitment and retention of Latinx graduate students
Qtoring/Femtoring/Mentoring and supporting SOLES Latinx graduate students in pursuit of academic excellence, degree completion and professional goals
Stimulating and supporting scholarly efforts, research and publication opportunities to include the study of Latinx culture and its contributions to academia, education and leadership
Increasing scholarship funds and financial support for SOLES Latinx graduate students;
Supporting the professional development of Latinx Graduate students; and
Connecting with SOLES Latinx alumni

Faculty Advisor

• Dr. Ana Estrada
  estradaa@sandiego.edu
• Dr. Reyes Quezada
  rquezada@sandiego.edu
• Dr. Viviana Alexandrowicz
  vivianaa@sandiego.edu

The purpose of LGBTQIA+ Graduate Student Association is to

A. Create a community who identifies as and supports LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.
B. Create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space that embraces and connects people of all sexualities, gender identities, and gender expressions.
C. Acknowledge, advocate, and celebrate intersectionalities and recognize that individuals are composed of multiple identities.
D. Strive to encourage and promote graduate students building coalitions with faculty/staff and other students on campus in order to explore how sexualities and gender identities/expressions shape the student experience.

PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/usdlgbtqiagsa/
GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/usdlgbtqiagsa/

LGBTQIA+ Graduate Student Association

• David Alejandrx Cervantes
  Faculty Advisor
• Lauren Wong
  President
• Cristian Mcgouh
  Vice President
• Lauren Levy & Nick Porter
  Co-Directors of Internal Affairs
• Jeremy Bloom
  Director of External Affairs
• Vacant
  Director of Finance

The SOLES Graduate Student Association (SGSA) is a student-governed association supporting our graduate and doctoral students in their scholastic, co-curricular and social experiences. The goal of the SGSA is to support the development of a professional, scholastic and social community in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences.

The SGSA hosts a number of events for students and faculty, including the SOLES holiday party, local volunteering trips and networking socials. The SGSA also awards professional development, research-oriented grants to SOLES students.

View position descriptions

For more information contact usdsolesgsa@gmail.com

Executive Council

• Daniel Reza
  President
• Caitlin Hayles
  Special Events Director
• Myra Dang
  Communications Director
• Sanvi Beri
  Financial Director
• Rachelle Martinez
  Advisor
  rmartinez@sandiego.edu

Representatives

• Vacant
  1st year
• Imelda Garcia
  2nd year
• Melissa Burgess
  Doctoral
• Dorna Sepehri
  Counseling & Marital and Family Therapy
• Jeff Fox
  Leadership Studies
• Vacant
  Learning and Teaching
• Kathy Vilaysith
  Graduate Student Council