Meet the 2025-2026 Conoley Fellows
Alyssa Agudelo (she/her) is a 4th-year undergraduate student, with a double-major in Comparative World Literature and Sociology; she is proudly a third-generation Filipino-American and a first-generation college student. Alyssa is currently Senior Editor for Genre (est. 1967), a multimedia journal dedicated to publishing interdisciplinary, global works. She is also Vice President of the Comparative Literature Club, where she hopes to inspire recreational (non-academic) reading. Most recently, Alyssa served as a panelist at the 59th Annual Comparative World Literature Conference, where she presented her paper, 鈥淚ndigeneity as Aesthetic: Spiritual Appropriation and the Romanticization of Animism in James Cameron鈥檚 Avatar.鈥 Correspondingly, she takes joy in diverging from the classical literary tradition and exploring popular culture through a critical lens. In her spare time, Alyssa enjoys vending at flea markets, collecting CD鈥檚, and going to the movies!
Hi all! My name is Sarah Barksdale, and I鈥檓 a 4th-year Anthropology undergraduate hoping to pursue a career in archaeology. In my free time, I enjoy tennis, going to the movies, and making pottery. Through this fellowship, I hope to learn the tools to create a more inclusive and compassionate environment in both my community and in my future career. The field of archaeology would greatly benefit from a pluralistic approach, especially in the United States, where many indigenous communities have strong and wide-ranging beliefs on how their past is interpreted. Through joining the Pluralism Project, I hope to learn to build bridges between these communities and help them feel heard and included in difficult and important conversations.
Hi! My name is Samyiah Bryant-Taylor, and I am a senior majoring in psychology with a minor in marketing. My current career goal is to become an Industrial Organizational Psychologist to make workplaces and school environments more inclusive. I have done research on group dynamics, and I believe pluralism is the key to success when working in groups. I am dedicated to pluralism because I believe learning about other cultures, accepting them, and celebrating them is crucial to our progress as a society. I am honored to be a part of this program, and I hope to bring my lived experiences and the experiences of those who came before me to improve the student experience at MD传媒入口. I also plan to use the knowledge and skill set I gain from being a fellow to expand pluralism throughout society.
Nora Kolsky is a second-year Psychology major at MD传媒入口. Nora graduated high school in 2024 as the valedictorian of her class. She made the President鈥檚 List at MD传媒入口 during the Fall 2024 semester and the Spring 2025 semester. She is a Supplemental Instructor for General Psychology at MD传媒入口, where she helps students master course content and prepare for exams. Her current career goal is to become a Sports Psychologist for amateur athletes. Outside of her academic life, Nora is a recommended black belt in Taekwondo. She enjoys spending time with her friends, watching movies, sketching, and playing with her dog, Ruby.
Hello! My name is Athena Killingsworth and I am a third year Psychology and Sociology major at MD传媒入口. In addition to this, I am a part of the honors program and am a first-generation student. I come from a Hispanic background and was born and raised in the Bay Area. In my future, I hope to pursue a Ph. D. in Sociology. Being a part of the pluralism project is very exciting, as I am an advocate for the embracing and education of pluralism in all aspects of individuals lives. I believe that an inclusive and open environment is needed in order for everyone to thrive in different manners.
Alex Morales (they/she) is a junior comparative world literature major, with double minors in psychology and health humanities. An ardent artistic connoisseur, her leisure time is filled with museum visits, arthouse cinema, diverse concerts, and transdisciplinary reading. Alex is also an avid sous chef and assistant baker to her beloved partner, Ian. When not in the kitchen or at a show together, they also love to hike, play tennis, and cycle, run, and swim.
This year, in addition to her Pluralism Fellowship, Alex has been selected as an LMU Coelho Disability Law Fellow, and a Ukleja Ethical Leader with our business school. She has recent experience as an Educational Spaces as Safe Spaces research assistant under Dr. Shelley Eriksen. Furthermore, she is an editor this year with Genre.
Finally, as a Mexican-Korean, queer, gender expansive, agnostic, disabled intersectional feminist, Alex is a storyteller with capacious vision eager to collaborate.
Hi there! My name is Guinness and I am a third-year cell molecular biology and physiology major. I'm currently a peer mentor in three different spaces: the Youth Pride Association (YPA), MD传媒入口鈥檚 American Medical Women鈥檚 Association (AMWA), and an on-campus lab. My research studies sex differences in mice, which is critical toward understanding the underlying differences in mechanisms between the male and female sexes. This underscores gender advocacy because understanding more about sex differences adds to the nuance in which we differentiate between gender and sex. Additionally, I am president of MD传媒入口 AMWA, in which I host events to foster community amongst pre-meds that identify as women. As a gender-nonconforming individual myself, I advocate for LGBTQ+ peers by volunteering at the YPA, in which I facilitate an empowering space for my mentee to vent about his struggles as a non-cis individual, while monitoring for signs of self-harm and suicide risk.
Sequoia Sanchini is an amateur translator, writer and life-long learner who seeks to be mindful in their contribution to the LGBTQ and disability communities. They are set to graduate this spring with a degree in linguistics and translation studies and a minor in Spanish, and have A.A. degrees in Spanish, Social Justice Studies, and Latin American Studies. Other interests include zines, fandom studies and fan activism, fiber arts, calligraphy, Austronesian languages, and disability justice. Due to their language background, they have a particular interest in Indonesia and Latin America. You can reach them at sequoiasanchini@tuta.com
Alex Watson is a second-year psychology major who wants to double-major in studio art. For as long as he can remember, he has always been passionate about seeing the world from different perspectives and portraying those perspectives in his art.
When asked about education, he claims that 鈥淓ducation and critical thinking are the only ways we can truly grow. We need to understand that everyone has reasons behind their beliefs, and that diversity pushes us to evolve.鈥
Having been a classroom assistant in a private school setting, Alex supports an authentic environment where everyday narratives are questioned and reanalyzed for their truth.
It is now his mission to better understand the truth of the world through an unbiased, empathetic lens and to engage in society with a conversation that he believes could promote positivity, critical thinking, and love in the end.
Soraya Yanez (she/her) is a third-year undergraduate student studying Aerospace Engineering at California State University, Long Beach. Established in Southern California, she is proud to be the first of her family to pursue a STEM pathway. She is especially passionate about bridging the disparity between human ethical values and armed conflict in the Aerospace industry. Soraya maintains an openly anti-weapon stance in her studies and career aspirations. She is a Long Beach Rocketry student organization member, focusing on recovery systems. As a BPP Conoley Fellow, Soraya wishes to integrate pluralistic ideals into the stagnant, exclusionary practices of a historically stratified aerospace industry. In her spare time, she enjoys hitting the jackpot at thrift stores, learning some cool tunes on electric guitar, and lounging in nature with friends!
