2025 Fellowship Recipients

Yvette Castañeda will graduate May 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, & Law and a minor in Education Policy. Yvette won an English Teaching Assistant Award in Spain and plans to learn from Galicia’s trilingual education system to help multilingual students in the U.S. After Fulbright, Yvette plans to attend law school and pursue a career in education policy and public service. 

Jonathan Hayden will graduate May 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in English (Creative Writing) and East Asian Languages and Cultures. Jonathan won an English Teaching Assistant Award in Taiwan and plans to use their experience with literature, visual art, and music to teach language through culture. After Fulbright, Jonathan intends to pursue a graduate degree in English with a focus on cultural studies, continuing their research on language, culture, and the arts.

Sara Mendoza will graduate May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience, Bachelor of Art in Art History, and Master of Science in Global Medicine. Sara won a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award to Denmark, where she plans to research the ability of rhythmic musical interventions to promote prosocial behavior via neural synchrony. After Fulbright, Sara will matriculate to Boston University School of Medicine, where she will pursue an MD-PhD to become a physician-scientist. 

Maylian Wu will graduate in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in NGOs and Social Change. Maylian won an English Teaching Assistant Award in Taiwan and plans to integrate her experience in outdoor education to share a love and appreciation for the environment outside of the classroom. She will also work on her medical Mandarin with the hopes of attending medical school and pursuing pediatric medicine after Fulbright.

Juliana Maitenaz is a graduate student in the Master of Public Diplomacy program and a Cowan Scholar at USC Annenberg, from Brooklyn, NY. Prior to beginning her graduate studies, Juliana completed a Fulbright research grant in São Paulo, Brazil, developing her research on the transformation of percussion from an instrument of military force to one of cultural diplomacy, primarily focusing on how percussive elements in the Brazilian traditions of Carnaval and samba schools are instrumental to the country’s statecraft and national identity. She plans to return to Brazil on a Boren Fellowship to continue her Portuguese language study and further develop her research. 

Stella Baldwin graduated in December 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences and a minor in Marine Biology. As an aspiring biological oceanographer, she was awarded the WAVE Fellowship at the California Institute of Technology in 2023 through the Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program. Here, she worked with Dr. Victoria Orphan on analyzing the ecology of deep-sea archaea in methane seeps. In 2024, she was awarded the Amgen Scholarship at the California Institute of Technology, working with Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai on studying the symbiosis between the Hawaiian bobtail squid and the bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Stella officially joined the McFall-Ngai lab in 2025 as a lab assistant to examine molecular host-bacteria communication via nuclear proteomics. As an NSF GRFP awardee, she plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in marine microbiology with an emphasis in symbiotic relationships.

Nicholas Kim is a junior at USC pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Geroscience. As an undergraduate researcher in the Irimia Lab at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, he applies deep learning to brain imaging data to uncover patterns of brain aging in neurodegeneration. He has first-authored a publication on genetic insights into brain morphology using T1-weighted MRI and co-authored an article on resting-state fMRI in traumatic brain injury. He has presented his work at five international conferences, including meetings in Cartagena, Colombia; Seoul, South Korea; and London, UK. Beyond research, he serves as the president of Southern California Healthcare Outreach, a student-led organization dedicated to expanding health insurance access in Los Angeles through free counseling and enrollment assistance with Covered California. He is also the Vice President of Health for USC’s Grand Challenges Scholars Program and works as a learning assistant for organic chemistry. After graduation, Nicholas is considering pursuing a PhD, an MD, or both but remains committed to using deep learning and neuroimaging to advance the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.

Jason Toliao is a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish. His early interest in neurosurgery and brain imaging motivated him to begin research at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles under the mentorship of Dr. Peter Chiarelli and Dr. Pradip Chaudhari as a freshman. Since then, Jason has led multiple research studies focused on improving pediatric brain neuroimaging. Most recently, he presented his work on the use of rapid brain MRI in the emergency department at the Trauma Association of Canada 2025 Annual Scientific Conference in Quebec. His ongoing research explores innovative approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of hydrocephalus and traumatic brain injuries in children. On campus, Jason is the founder of Conversations Without Borders, an international exchange initiative designed to connect USC students with Latin American students to foster cultural understanding and provide English lessons. He is also an instructor for Keck School of Medicine’s Medical Spanish course, the Director of Outreach for Troy Philippines, a Learning Assistant for Organic Chemistry, and a liturgy intern for the USC Caruso Catholic Center. Outside of academics and research, Jason is an active member of USC men’s club beach volleyball team. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school and continue conducting research at the intersection of clinical practice and neuroimaging.

Justin Kawaguchi is an advocate and young professional focused on the intersection of global health and business entrepreneurship. He graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in Global Health and Health Administration. Currently a management consultant at Bain & Company, he previously completed a Fulbright Award in Taiwan, developed AI-powered care tools at the Keck School of Medicine, and led Okaeri, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit supporting queer AANHPI empowerment. Justin aims to learn from China’s leadership in health development and explore innovative ways to improve health outcomes through international collaboration. Justin is from the United States.

Xuwanqi (Charlotte) Wang is currently pursuing three degrees in the World Bachelor in Business program at the University of Southern California, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Bocconi University. A serial entrepreneur since high school, she founded Lone Ranger Consultants, providing strategic assistance for international partners; SparkLab Sharing Campus, supporting local students who couldn’t go aboard to study during the pandemic; and EDspresso, a networking platform fostering global youth exchange through coffee chats. In addition, Xuwanqi is a film and television director, producer, and independent musician, pursuing a minor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Xuwanqi is from China.

Hannah Lee is an MD candidate at Stanford School of Medicine. Previously, she studied Human Biology and Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California.

Hannah co-founded and serves as CEO of Secure Remedy, a health equity start-up that is creating wearable tools to reduce medication theft for people experiencing homelessness. She helped raise over $70,000 for Remedy and oversaw efforts to launch pilot programs for 60 unhoused patients across three different cities in the US. During her time at the University of Southern California, she engaged in outreach work and served as Director of Operations for Trojan Shelter, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides temporary housing and wraparound services for USC students experiencing homelessness. She is currently working with a health technology company contracted with the California Department of Health Care Services to implement state-funded health equity projects.

Khris Gonzalez Pebe plans to use data-driven methods and Geographic Information Systems to address issues such as illicit trade, human trafficking, and counterterrorism. Khris is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy and Master of Science in Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence.