Cohort 2022
Meet our Students
Julia Cady
Hi! My name is Julia Cady and I was born and raised in Arizona! I am so excited to be a Sun Devil and I have grown up around ASU my whole life. I graduated from Tempe Preparatory Academy for high school where I was involved in Student Council, Volleyball, Basketball, National Honor Society, and Spanish Club. I am very excited to study Family and Human Development here at ASU!
Outside of school, I enjoy being outside, going out to try new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family! I also love anything and everything to do with sports! I am so excited for all the new and amazing things at ASU! Go Devils!
Alaina Meyers
Hello beautiful people! My name is Alaina Meyers, and I was born and raised in Gilbert, Arizona. I attended Casteel High School in Queen Creek where I became actively involved in both DECA and choir.
In my senior year, I became the Arizona DECA State President and served alongside an incredible state officer team. To say that was one of the best years of my life is an understatement. From teamwork and the impact of public speaking to serving a large community of motivated students helping them to achieve greatness. Aside from DECA, I was elected president of my high school choir program. I have been a choir member since my 7th grade year and found my love for all kinds of music!
Beyond school, I enjoy watching movies, spending time with friends, or being out by the pool. I am a huge football fan and plan on attending many games during my time at ASU! I adore peach Red Bulls, Dutch Bros, and all the tacos in the world. One day, I hope to travel the United States and live overseas for a year!
I am looking forward to my journey here at ASU with all the opportunities in store for the future. Additionally, I can’t wait to continue to be a part of the incredible Leadership Scholarship Program and promote the change we wish to see in the world alongside fellow leaders. Forks up and go devils!
Esther Low
Hello! My name is Esther Low and I'm a biomedical engineering major with a concentration in biomedical devices and a Barrett student at Arizona State University.
I’m from Scottsdale, Arizona and an International Baccalaureate graduate from Desert Mountain High school. Throughout high school, I was the president of the Ambassadors Club and the school tutoring club. There, I found my passion for leadership and community service.
I have always planned on attending Arizona State University and am even more excited to join the Leadership Scholarship Program. I am devoted to community service, academics, and being a leader to make an impact and help those in need.
I also love watching sitcom tv shows and romcom movies, trying new things, and meeting new people. One of my favorite things about the Leadership Scholarship Program is the encouraging community and everyone’s dedication to leading others to make a change in this world.
Anjali Raju
Hi everyone! My name is Anjali Raju and I am looking forward to becoming part of the LSP family.
I am an Arizona native, and am excited to be extremely engaged as a Sun Devil (I love the sunny weather). While at Arizona State University, I hope to continue my passion for research, to study abroad, and to make a positive impact on the communities that I serve. Through LSP, I hope to grow as a leader while being involved with a larger community. Also, I look forward to making lasting friendships. Outside of school, I enjoy doing many things, ranging from sports to trying out new foods. A fun fact about me is that I am a 2nd degree blackbelt. In my free time, I love to crochet and play many different types of flutes.
I look forward to getting involved at ASU and am super excited about LSP. I can’t wait to get to know you all more! #ForksUp
Alysa Horton
Hello! My name is Alysa Horton and I graduated from Shadow Ridge High School in Surprise, AZ. I was very active in the school community as Co-President of Best Buddies, an active NHS member, SkillsUSA state gold medalist, and an Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook. My love of writing and journalism was ignited from my time on the yearbook staff so I will now be attending Walter Cronkite! When I wasn’t working on school work or my school clubs, I was at my job at an assisted living home. I adore my job and love making connections with the elderly. I also enjoy reading, drinking coffee, and being a participant in political activism.
I am so so very excited to be part of LSP. I can’t wait to stand beside such strong individuals that are all dedicated to leaving the ASU community (and eventually the world) better than we found it. I will relish in the knowledge each individual brings to the table and eagerly work with every member. Forks up!
Alan Bernal
Hello! My name is Alan Bernal, and I am from Memphis, Tennessee. I am a proud product of immigrant parents, and what I would love above everything else, is to make a difference in this world. I love photography and am very passionate when it comes to making art through different mediums. My artwork has been praised at a national level, winning multiple awards by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. I have also played soccer for 12 years of my life, both competitive and school ball.
I plan on using my degree to further my studies at ASU with the end goal of becoming an immigration lawyer. ASU not only provides an amazing education, but is also located in a state that has one of the highest net immigration percentages in the country. Moving from Memphis, Tennessee to Tempe, Arizona would bring me closer to those I would love to support and allow me to immerse myself in a culture with others who have similar experiences. My dream in life is to give back to my family since all they have done for me is shower me with support.
I am very excited for this new chapter in my life and am very proud to be a member of the LSP family. Forks Up!
Cade Hoiby
Hello! My name is Cade Hoiby. I was born and raised in Phoenix Arizona and graduated from Thunderbird High school, where I was involved in baseball, golf, Honors Society, and led the student section for sporting events. During my time in highschool I was involved and elected president for our boys team charity North valley league 2022 graduating class. I placed fourth in the state during the state DECA competition in the Sports Marketing Team Decision Making category. Of all of these activities baseball must be my favorite. Since I was born and raised in Phoenix I am a diehard Arizona sports fan and have been an ASU fan as long as I can remember. I am always watching and rooting for Arizona sports (except U of A obviously). In my free time I love reading, golfing, playing video games, spending time with friends and family, and absorbing anything to do with Star Wars. I am excited for my time at ASU and within LSP to enhance my college experience. At ASU I am most excited for living on campus as well as attending all sporting events
Drew Stanek
What's up! My name is Drew Stanek. I am native to Arizona, from the city of Maricopa. I am the middle child of three brothers and a scorpio. I am a coffee fanatic, and I have worked for Starbucks for almost two years! I graduated from Mountain Pointe High School in 2022. During my time at Mountain Pointe, I participated in 14 clubs. Student Council, National Honor Society, and Theatre Company to name a few. This past year, I was on the Arizona State Thespian Student Board. I was a Student Thespian Officer (STO) dedicated to enhancing the experience for students devoted to Theatre Arts. All while gaining more than 250 hours of community service. I have always enjoyed entertaining others while simultaneously giving back to a larger group of the community. Part of the service I enjoy is spending my time with special education students. A highlight of my high school experience was volunteering with the Special needs theatre class. Watching these students thrive without social barriers is a priceless and heartwarming experience. It wasn't until the 2020 election when I started to enjoy studying politics as well. This led me to choose Broadcast Journalism and Mass Communication at the Walter Cronkite school of Journalism as my major. I am not 100% sure which career in that realm I will choose, but being a news anchor or political writer will allow me to entertain and inform on topics I enjoy.
You might be asking where the service aspect of my interests come in... LSP! I am so grateful to be a part of something like LSP for the next four years. If you haven't already, go ahead and read about the other LSPers in this cohort. You'll find that these brilliant friends of mine desire to be a part of something bigger and better, and I cannot wait to start my journey with them! Don't forget to come grab your coffee from me at the Starbucks downtown and Go devils!
William Moss
Hi, my name is William Moss and I am a graduate of River Valley High School, which is a small public school just off the Colorado River. During my time at River Valley, I was the National Honors Society Vice President, Varsity Soccer Captain, and Treasurer of Interact Club, and additionally participated in Cross Country, Golf, and Speech and Debate. I also have spent much of my free time volunteering in the community, and have amassed over 250 hours of community service during my 4 years of high school. My involvement in these activities not only taught me how to be a leader, but also the importance of hard work and perseverance. These are qualities I hope to expand upon during my time in the Leadership Scholarship Program.
Some of my favorite hobbies are playing video games, going to the gym, and skiing. My current major is civil engineering, and after receiving my undergrad I plan on going to Law School. I am excited to begin my 4 years at Arizona State and look forward to being a part of the LSP community.
Savanna Rodriguez
Hello! I am Savana Rodriguez, and the people in general would best describe me as a person who is strong, determined, hardworking, and intelligent. I try to do my best in everything I do. My closest friends would say I am the type of person who will be a shoulder to cry on, and a friend whom you can always count on. Furthermore, I am currently a Nursing student at the West campus, and future Forensic Nurse Practitioner specializing in sexual assault with pediatrics. I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Peoria, Arizona, and I am immensely grateful to be a part of the Leadership Scholarship community. In this newfound community I feel that I will not only advance my skills as a leader but bring my immense experience I have as a leader by participating in this grand cohort. I am excited to create newfound friendships, as well as the remarkable experience the program will provide throughout the years.
Matthew Gardner
Hello! My name is Matthew Gardner, and I am from Seattle, WA. I attended Raisbeck Aviation High School and graduated in 2021. While at Raisbeck, I completed Flight School and helped to build a sports plane. I was elected to the Leadership Youth Advisory Council (LYAC), which advocated for Washington youth. Through LYAC, we pushed legislation through the Washington State Senate that improved educational and athletic opportunities. I created an event to support kids in the hospital by collecting toys for them.
As a Freshman at ASU, I interned with the Borgen Project to help end global poverty. I met with Arizona legislators. I was promoted to Regional Director for the Summer of 2022, where I was able to speak to over 150 students on advocacy and getting involved in making policy changes. I also earned a spot on the Dean's List for both Semesters.
As a sophomore, I look forward to getting more involved in my Sun Devil community as a CA at Taylor Place and continuing to work towards my future career.
During my free time, I love to travel. This summer I visited Iceland and completed a Study Abroad in Israel, where I studied counterterrorism.
Sophia Will
Hi there! My name is Sophia Will and I am from Scottsdale, Arizona. I proudly graduated from Saguaro High School where I was a member of the Math and Science Academy at Saguaro, a member of the Scottsdale Unified School District Student Advisory Board and was also involved with National Honors Society, Choir and Theater! Outside of school, I was a member of the Camelback Chapter of National Charity League in which I volunteered at various organizations around the valley. In addition to this, I sang with the Valley Vocal Ensemble and volunteered at my church.
In my free time, I love to spend time with my friends, family and dog, Ginger, explore new things to do, tend to my houseplants, play Animal Crossing, and of course, sing!
Starting in the Fall I will be a Philosophy major with a focus in Morality, Politics and Law and I hope to get into law school and become a lawyer someday. I am so excited to attend Barrett, The Honors College and even more excited to be apart of the Leadership Scholarship Program! Go Devils!
Kristen Wendtland
Hey everyone! My name is Kristen Wendtland, and I am from Flagstaff, Arizona. I graduated from Flagstaff High School where I was involved in a variety of extracurriculars. I was a Student Council Officer, National Honor Society Officer, Link Crew Leader, Soccer Captain (and State Champion), and Track and Field athlete. I also played for Phoenix Rising’s ECNL club soccer team.
Academics have always been a priority in my life, and I've always loved attending school. My passion for learning, serving others, and science have led me to pursue a degree in Medical Studies, which I hope to use to become a dentist someday.
Outside of school, I like to workout and stay active. I especially love to run and hike. I also love to travel; I hope to travel more in the future!
I’m always looking for new adventures, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of my time here at ASU and in LSP has to offer. I’m incredibly grateful to be surrounded by so many amazing individuals, go Devils!
Diya Murthy
Hi guys! My name is Diya Murthy and am a Hamilton High School graduate from Chandler, Arizona (go Huskies!!).
During highschool I participated in volleyball, track, and lacrosse, and I love to stay active even now. I also joined extracurriculars such as Model UN, LEO Club, Hamilton Orchestra Program, We the People, and Bring Change to Mind. As president of the Bring Change to Mind club, I helped provide mental health resources for students on campus, such as starting a Hamilton penpal program, instituting Happiness Jars in classrooms, and planning a school-wide mental health assembly. I plan on continuing my passion for mental health advocacy in the future through joining the ASU Mental Health Coalition.
Outside of school I participated in the National Charity League, a nonprofit organization where I volunteered over 200 hours in homeless shelters, humane societies, and food banks. In my free time I also love to skateboard, listen to music, and write poetry.
I will be majoring in Political Science at ASU and I am super excited to be a part of LSP and meet so many wonderful people. Forks up!
Mahima Mishra
Hello, my name is Mahima Mishra and I am a Computer Science major. I was born and raised in Arizona. I went to Corona del Sol high school in Tempe and absolutely loved it. During my freshman year, I took a programming class and it was so different from any other class that I have taken at school and I immediately was intrigued. I am also the kid in the family who “fixes the wifi” and am known as a tech genius :)
Throughout high school, I was very involved on campus and in my community as I think it is very important to be present. This included being a part of clubs and volunteering at hospitals. The clubs I was involved in were National Honors Society, Rho Kappa, Helping Hands, Be A Leader, DECA, and Tempe Youth Leadership. A leader is someone who has the ability to project many peoples’ voices and it is significant to make people feel heard. To fulfill this, I took up leadership positions in clubs and organizations. I always valued it when someone helped me and that is something I love to do. I try to help in any way possible and I am very excited about the opportunities that will be present because of LSP.
Something I can never forget and will forever be close to my heart is when I conducted a community service project with DECA. Our goal was to collect 2,500 pairs of shoes for citizens in third-world countries. Those citizens could become microentrepreneurs and sell those gently used shoes in order to provide food, shelter, education, etc. for their families. In just a few months, our community was able to collect over 3,000 pairs of shoes and they were sent to Guatemala. I was extremely grateful and proud because the community came together to help those in need.
I am very family oriented and without the support of my loved ones, I would not be where I am today. I am truly honored to be a part of this program and am so excited about what the future has in store!
Allison Jensen
Hello! My name is Allison Jensen and I was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona. I graduated from McClintock High School. I participated in Student Council, Key Club, DECA, Spanish Club, National Honors Society, and Sustainability Club. Also, for 6 years I took pride in my involvement in AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination ) where I led my peers and younger students entering AVID by helping others as a tutor in specific class subjects, problem-solving, gaining public speaking skills, and guiding them along the path of community service.
Outside of my high school community, I have been a Girl Scout since the age of 4, now taking on leadership roles to be a positive role model for younger Girl Scouts. It is now my dream to pursue leadership and service beyond high school in the medical profession. In my free time, I love to travel, play piano, volunteer at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, read, explore new places, and spend time with family and friends.
I will be majoring in Nursing at ASU Barrett and I’m so beyond excited to see where this journey will take me!
Victoria Gradillas