BSEL Acting Director Jill Kickul said at the program’s kickoff event: “Many of our impact scholars go on to great things --founding organizations, becoming intrapreneurs, innovating and really thriving in what they do. This program is very important to us. You’re part of a larger community here at the lab and at USC.”

Modeling Future Careers

For students in the BSEL Undergraduate Impact Scholars program, navigating interest in socially-impactful fields and pairing it with a career trajectory can be tricky. For many, social impact and a profession like law or medicine seem like two disparate paths that are hard to merge or traverse together. Our scholars come from a variety of majors and backgrounds, including biomedical engineering, archaeology, political science, international relations, environmental engineering, social work, economics, real estate development, political organizing, healthcare, law, gender studies and business administration. But all share a commitment to and interest in leveraging these areas of study to address vital issues facing communities across the globe and help transform them.

The program was founded on the belief that professional mentorship is both inaccessible and invaluable. Mentorship programs are proven to boost representation of underrepresented groups, and increase retention rates of individuals at the professional/organizational levels. They are also seen overwhelmingly by youth entering the job market as crucial to future success in their careers.

Our mentors help our students combine their areas of interest and passion with their skill sets. They also help undergraduates map out what a potential career in social impact in a specific industry may look like, offering one-on-one support, guidance and expertise.

But perhaps most importantly, professional mentorship provides a model for what’s possible.

Said Senior Student Engagement Programs Adviser Marelle Berry, who leads the BSEL Undergraduate Impact Scholars program: “The Senior Fellows of our BSEL Undergraduate Social Impact Scholars program are leaders in the professional world of social impact. With their diversity of backgrounds, professional industries and social impact causes, they reflect to our scholars how to take the road less traveled and where it can lead. Their support doesn’t just provide the next generation of change-makers with guidance, support and care to plan for their futures, but it also presents our scholars with individuals who they can relate to and who can help them validate their individual visions.”

For the full list of 2023 – 2024 BSEL Undergraduate Impact Scholars and to read more about our 2023 – 2024 BSEL Senior Fellows, please click below.