Academic Community of Excellence | Office of the Vice President for Intercultural Affairs | Loyola Marymount University

The Academic Community of Excellence

Celebrates 15 Years!

The Academic Community of Excellence began its first year at LMU in fall 2004. The program was initially funded by the James Irvine Foundation to support LMU’s progressive Linking the Intercultural Campus diversity initiative. This initiative included the creation of the ACE program, which was designed to improve underrepresented student retention, graduation, and preparation for graduate and professional programs. The mission of the initiative emanated from the Jesuit tradition of creating men and women for others, along with providing support for historically underserved populations.

By 2010, the ACE program was institutionalized and operated as a strategic initiative of the Office of the Vice President for Intercultural Affairs. Today, its goal includes preparing underrepresented scholars to access and thrive in master’s and doctoral programs.

Since ACE’s establishment, ACE scholars and alumni have excelled educationally. Ninety-nine percent of students who have participated in ACE have graduated from LMU. Fifty-six percent of alumni have enrolled in or completed programs at over 45 master’s and doctoral-granting institutions. Also, students have secured prestigious awards and opportunities such as the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, membership in Phi Beta Kappa, California Senate Fellows Program, Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship, Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, Gilman Scholarship, Teach For America, LMU Ignatian Award, and Presidential Citation.

In terms of its broad impact, ACE has helped to elevate the importance and attainability of a postgraduate degree for diverse populations. ACE has educated, equipped, and empowered students along the path to graduate studies and career success. Moreover, being guided by the principles of interculturalism and inclusive excellence, ACE is contributing to a national movement to increase access and diversity in graduate and professional education.

ACE Scholars Recognition Banquet

On Friday, March 22, ACE held its annual scholars recognition banquet, which recognized students' academic and research achievements, along with the program's graduating seniors. ACE also celebrated its 15th anniversary.! At the banquet, Jennifer Abe, interim special assistant to the president for intercultural affairs, spoke about the history of ACE and closed with inspirational words. Also, attendees heard from two alumni of the inaugural 2004 cohort, a special tribute to Abbie Robinson-Armstrong, retiring vice president for intercultural affairs, and an inspirational speech from alum Charnise Taylor, who shared her story of persistence and her passion for service. Recipients of the outstanding academic achievement awards and the Marshall Sauceda Rising Scholar Award were also recognized. Lastly, ACE seniors received their commencement medallions.

ACE alumni (left to right): Kat Soto-Gomez, Elena Muslar, Director Steven Neal, Charnise Taylor, and Doreece Taylor.

Alum Charnise Taylor delivers an inspiring speech to seniors and continuing scholars.

Outstanding Academic Achievement Award recipients (left to right): Phaedra Johnson, Malcolm Kam, Leonardo Garcia Cerecedo, Laina Washington, Isabella Powers, and Marshall Sauceda Rising Scholar Award recipient Eduardo Encina.

ACE seniors (left to right): Laina Washington, Lauren Anderson, Mariah Williams, Eduardo Encina, Makeen Yasar, Daniel Higuera, and Isabella Powers.

A Special Thank You to Abbie Robinson-Armstrong

Abbie Robinson-Armstrong, Ph.D., vice president for intercultural affairs and one of the pioneers of the ACE program, will retire at the end of the academic year. Robinson-Armstrong began her career as the special assistant to the president for intercultural affairs at LMU in 2001. Her role involved working with LMU’s colleges and schools to increase the ethnic and gender diversity of the faculty. Moreover, in response to the low number of students from underrepresented backgrounds who enrolled in postgraduate degree programs, Robinson-Armstrong helped spearhead the establishment and eventual institutionalization of the ACE program at LMU.

Over the years, Robinson-Armstrong championed the program by informing senior leaders of ACE alumni’s graduate enrollment and completion rates, and the graduate and professional school destinations of alumni. Also, she assumed a public relations role for ACE across LMU including among the president’s cabinet.

On behalf of the new and continuing ACE scholars and nearly 300 alumni, we say, “thank you” to Abbie Robinson-Armstrong for her advocacy and support. Although much of the history of ACE and the Office for Intercultural Affairs will leave with her, her imprint upon both will remain.

Congratulations ACE Seniors

Marley Abbott

Following graduation, I will be preparing to start at Loyola Law School in the fall. I plan on getting an internship in the legal field over the summer to ready myself for what is to come!

Lauren Anderson

I have been applying to many full-time positions at technology companies as well as nonprofits for a job post-grad. After working for a couple of years, I plan to get my master’s of international relations degree in the hopes of going into the foreign service as a long-term goal.

Veronica Arellano

I will be taking a gap year to study for the Optometry Admission Test, and I anticipate applying for optometry school in the summer of 2020.

Marissa Cheng
I will be taking a gap year to explore my passion for competitive gaming and anime through the professional eSports industry and the Society of the Promotion of Japanese Animation. Afterward, I plan to pursue a master's in molecular and cellular biology to become a research analyst or scientist.

Eduardo Encina
While I am currently in the discernment process of deciding which graduate school to attend, I will be continuing my education this fall by acquiring a master’s of public health with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics. My goal is to involve myself in a career that engages in global health work tackling infectious diseases and health promotion.

Daniel Higuera

My post-grad plans are to enroll in a still undetermined law school in pursuit of a Juris Doctor. I intend on studying towards a concentration in sports and entertainment law. After doing so, I intend to enter the professional sports industry as a lawyer, seeking out opportunities in counseling athletes.

Zahra Khan
My goal is to attend law school for IP litigation or corporate law with a focus on an international scale.

Anita Marks

I plan on attending law school in the fall at one of my [preferred] schools to study entertainment law. I hope to be engaged in various social justice clinics as well.

Isabella Powers
After graduation from LMU, I will be attending Columbia University and [earning] a master’s of environmental science and policy. In the future, I hope to pursue a career in environmental and sustainability consulting.

Laina Washington

After graduation, I plan to apply to Ph.D. programs in sociology and engage in post-graduate service. My goal is to pursue careers in higher education and social science research.

Mariah Williams

Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in animation, I plan to take a gap year to expand my experiences before applying to law school. While a career in law is my priority, I am still considering a career in the film and animation industry.

Makeen Yasar

I plan to apply to medical school after a gap year. I am considering earning my EMT certification as well as applying for the NIH post-grad research.

ACE Alumni Give Back to LMU

ACE alumni AnaLexicis Bridewell, Deann Haight, and ZaKoyya Lewis-Trammell share at least one thing in common: all three work at LMU. Bridewell is an administrative coordinator for the student success office, Haight is a financial aid counselor, and Lewis-Trammell is an assistant professor in the health and human services department. Each contributes to students' success in various ways and shared a little about their work, goals, the impact of ACE, and advice to students:

Please describe your current role at LMU and what you enjoy most about your work.

Haight: My role is to counsel students (undergraduate, graduate and law students) in how to apply for financial aid, requirements for financial aid [one] may have as well as give guidance on maximizing financial aid resources and options. What I enjoy most about my work is helping students think outside of the box to discover new financial aid resources and cost-saving mechanisms. It is a really rewarding feeling to have a student follow up to let me know they applied to and received an outside scholarship or found a new way to fund part of their education.

What inspired you to return to LMU?

Lewis-Trammell: The LMU faculty and staff members that became my mentors were fundamental to my development as a person and as a scholar. I would not be the person I am today without their guidance, seriously. Their mentorship inspired me to return to LMU and help the next generation of students.
What are your educational or career goals? How is your current role positioning you to reach those goals?

Bridewell: I aspire to be a fitness trainer and wellness educator. My goal is to own [a] gym and travel the world as I spread my love for fitness and wellness with others, especially for those who may not have access to health and wellness resources. In my current role, I manage the day-to-day operations of two important offices. From providing excellent customer service to assisting on big-picture projects, I work to achieve our departmental goals with my own gifts and talents. Additionally, I strengthen my communication skills as I mentor and connect with my student staff on a daily basis. Both aspects are needed to work with clients to help them reach their health goals and run my own gym.
Thinking back on your experience in ACE, what were some important or meaningful takeaways?
Lewis-Trammell: ACE taught me two meaningful takeaways: First, don’t be afraid to go off script. Before ACE, my idea of graduate school was bachelor’s to a master’s to a Ph.D. The ACE coursework taught me that wasn’t necessarily the case. It encouraged me to pursue a Ph.D. after earning my bachelor’s degree. It’s not usual, but I did it. As a second piece of advice, network, network, network. The living community of ACE is your first interdisciplinary network. Stay connected with each other. You never know what professional connections you can make in the future from this network.

What encouragement or advice do you have for ACE students on their path to graduate or professional school?

Haight: For current ACE students ...focus on your path ahead and yours alone. There is no singular “right” way to go about getting to graduate school. I remember stressing around graduation time because I had two good friends starting law school right after graduation while I was going to take a gap year. That gap year turned into two gap years, and I am okay with my slightly diverted path because I now have two years of work experience (and a year of volunteer work) under my belt that my friends in law school do not yet have. Yes, they will graduate law school and start practicing law earlier than me, but everyone’s life course and life experiences are different. Just because your path to grad school differs from your friends' does not make it any less valid.

ACE Alum (left to right): Zakkoyya Lewis-Trammell, AnaLexicis Bridewell, and Deann Haight (not pictured).

ACE Alum Pursues MPH Degree at Yale

This May, ACE alum Marina Marmolejo will graduate from Yale University with a master’s degree in public health with an emphasis in social and behavioral sciences. Marina selected this program because of her desire to work for an organization that provides services to youth who experience homelessness.

Marina answered her call to serve homeless youth after enrolling in a special studies course titled "The Ecology of Homelessness," taught by Heather Tarleton, associate professor of health and human sciences. This course led Marina to question the effects of physical and mental health outcomes from prolonged homelessness. Her interest is in gaining a better understanding of the physical health conditions of homeless youth shaped her research interests at Yale and led her to publish research titled, "Musculoskeletal Flexibility and Quality of Life: A Feasibility Study of Homeless Young Adults in Los Angeles County," in the International Journal of Exercise Science.

As a woman of color in graduate school, Marina revealed that she has had to overcome “many internal narratives of self-doubt." Like many students in her class at Yale, Marina has at times experienced “imposter syndrome." Because of Yale’s “unspoken layers of power and privilege," she and other young professionals felt overwhelmed and intimidated when navigating their graduate programs. But with time, Marina gained the confidence to speak up in her classes by writing “every single word, phrase, or idea that sparked inspiration” and making a list of topics in public health that interested her. She practiced the vocabulary of her peers, mentors, and professors, and reread her list of concepts daily until they became a part of her vocabulary.

Reflecting on her experience at LMU, Marina recalled the importance of faculty mentorship. She believed that programs like ACE helped keep her “on track and honest," but her faculty mentor taught her the “specifics of [her] desired program." Therefore, she advises ACE students to select a faculty mentor with the same degree they wish to pursue. She says, “As early as possible (sophomore or junior year) start to think about faculty mentors and who you want on your team during the application process."