Academic Community of Excellence Celebrates Scholars’ Achievements

Loyola Marymount University's Academic Community of Excellence (ACE) celebrated students' academic achievements, honored the upcoming graduating class, and highlighted the powerful, enduring connections alumni maintain with the program during a ceremony on Friday, March 13, 2026. The program included two ACE alums currently attending graduate school at UCLA, awards including the Marshall Sauceda Rising Scholar Award and academic achievement, and recognition of scholars from the Class of 2026.

Senior Vice President Kawanna Leggett, Ed.D., shared with ACE scholars and their families how programs like ACE "remind us that excellence is not something achieved alone." Leggett, who leads Student Affairs, said, "It is built from community, mentorship, support from faculty and staff here, and your families who deeply believe in your potential. At LMU, we believe in opening doors and helping students walk confidently through them."

Since 2004, ACE has supported sophomores through seniors by enhancing access to academic resources, fostering student success, and equipping participants to be competitive applications to master's and doctoral programs. Led by Director Steven Neal, the program invites a new cohort of students to begin their journey with the ACE program as rising sophomores and juniors starting in the fall semester.

More than 20 sophomore scholars will be joining the 2026-29 cohort and many attended the program on Friday. Associate Vice President Linda Clowers, Ph.D., also thanked families and the ACE scholars for their commitment to the program and shared how these scholars have already achieved something. "Each of you are students who see yourself advancing your education beyond LMU," said Clowers. "Each of you see yourself somewhere else in the future, you have your eye on what you could be, and you actually believe that 'I can do that.'"

One alumna shared with the current ACE cohorts some words of encouragement and advice on what the future may have in store. Daisy Huerta '23, a first-year medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, introduced alumni speaker, Amira Mahomed '23, who earned a B.A. in health and human sciences and business administration minor, who is currently a third-year student UCLA School of Dentistry.

Mahomed reminded ACE scholars of the importance of remaining true to their unique selves as they think about graduating from LMU and moving into graduate programs. "There's no one who is truly like you … but what cannot happen is you allow other people, people who have not walked your walk, talked your talk, or lived your life to tell you who you are. You cannot give your power away. Because when the world becomes heavy … you can't shake with it. So, during your time at LMU you not only want to work to get into graduate and professional school with the support of all those around you but you also want to develop that internal sense of self so that you know who you are and no one else can tell you who you are, who you get to be, or what rooms you get to walk into. I see you if no one else has told you that, and at the end of LMU I hope each and every one of you can know you belong in any space you enter, with your head held high, so people can see you for all you bring."

To begin the awards part of the program, ACE students began by presenting the Marshall Sauceda Rising Scholar Award, which recognizes an emerging undergraduate researcher in the ACE Program. This award honors an ACE scholar who has excelled in undergraduate research and demonstrates strong potential for future scholarly work. Eligible students must have conducted on- or off-campus research with a faculty mentor. Finalists also present their work and interview with a committee of faculty and staff.

This award was presented to Amelia "Mia" Palacios '26, a computer science major who collaborated on a research project titled "Developing a low-cost, noninvasive device to measure skin elasticity, aiding surgeons in planning syndactyly surgeries," under the supervision of Xiangyi Cheng, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering. Palacios shared how "The main idea behind my research is to develop a device to understand how skin responds to mechanical forces." This research demonstrates how engineering can play a critical role in improving health care outcomes and advancing medical devices itself as a technology," Palacios explained.

Each year, ACE also honors the academic achievement awards to each of its three cohorts, honoring students with the highest fall 2025 term grade point average amongst scholars in the ACE program.

• Kiare Hara '28, a biology major
• Cindy Tong '28, a computer science major and data science minor
• Amir Edwards '28, a psychology major and African American studies minor
• Isabella Cuellar '27, a health and human sciences major
• Sydney Lee '27, a sociology major and Asian Pacific studies minor
• Aaron Magee '27, an animation major
• Danielle Fifer '26, a business and management leadership
• Isaiah Hueyopa '26, a health and human sciences major
• Ngoc Kim Ngan Tran '26, a computer science major and statistics and data science minor
• Jennifer Uchendu '26, a biochemistry major
• Cecilia Zaragoza '26, a computer science major and business administration minor.

Each year, the ACE program also recognizes the achievements and upcoming graduation for its senior cohort. Each senior's name is read and the students come forward to share their plans and receive an ACE Scholars medal that they can wear as part of their graduation regalia. Some of these scholars shared how they plan to take a gap year before attending medical school, work as a financial advisor before pursuing graduate school, while others will be headed straight to graduate school. Congrats to the ACE Class of 2026:

• Mariah Allen '26, double majors in political science and African American studies
• Lauren Fabre '26, a biology major
• Danielle Fifer '26, management and leadership major
• Stephanie Flores '26, a biology major
• Ella Gach '26, a psychology major
• Marisa Gomez '26, a biology major
• Carolina Hernandez '26, a psychology major
• Isaiah Hueyopa '26, a health and human sciences major
• Samyuta Maradani '26, a finance major
• Isabella May '26, a biochemistry major
• Shaunael Milton '26, an English major
• Marissa Momary '26, a biology major
• Nigel Outley '26, a biochemistry major
• Neftali Rocha-Martin '26, a biology major
• Alyssa Rodriguez '26, a biology major
• Juliana Roman '26, a biology major
• Alana Thomas '26, an English major
• Ngoc Kim Ngan Tran '26, a computer science major
• Nkechinyere Uchendu '26, a biochemistry major
• Cecilia Zaragoza '26, a computer science major.

ACE scholars and alumni demonstrate strong educational outcomes, with over 50 percent of graduates enrolling in or completing programs at more than 45 master's and doctoral institutions. Through this success, ACE has elevated the importance and attainability of postgraduate education for diverse student populations. By educating, equipping, and empowering students on their path to graduate study and career achievement, ACE contributes meaningfully to the national effort to expand access and diversity in advanced education.