DeBerry Civic Scholars Cohorts
2025-2026 DeBerry Civic Scholars Cohort Members
Angel Yin
Angel is a first-year student born and raised in Bloomington, Illinois. She is majoring in Biological Sciences and plans to double major in Psychology with a BIP minor on the Pre-Med track. Angel hopes to earn her MD and eventually open a pro bono clinic serving uninsured urban communities. In addition to being a DeBerry Civic Scholar, Angel is part of the Marketing and Media Committee for TEDxNorthwesternU, the Women’s Club Tennis Team, and Project MED. She is also passionate about her nonprofit organization, Young Chemistry Scholars, which works to expose youth to specialized science content. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, exploring Chicago, and watching Gilmore Girls with her mom.
Charlie Meyers
Charlie is a freshman from St. Louis, Missouri studying Journalism and Political Science, with minors in History and Spanish. As a native St. Louisan and involved journalist/activist within STL, she seeks to serve her community both from home and here at Northwestern to address underrepresented communities and help reform environmental inequality and educational inequity. In her free time you can catch her sailing with the Northwestern sailing team, watching movies (her favorite -and best movie of all time- is Forrest Gump), or participating in her other various activities here (Field Hockey, College Democrats, etc.) She is very excited for the opportunities through this program and cannot wait to build community and learn more about serving Chicago in the months to come!
Jemimah Nabugasha
Jemimah is a sophomore from New York City, born in Uganda. She is majoring in International Studies and Psychology, with plans to minor in Global Health Studies, and aspires to pursue a career in law. She is deeply passionate about global health equity, international law, and advocacy for marginalized communities and seeks to use her education and experiences to drive systemic change. On campus, Jemimah hopes to contribute to public service and civic engagement through meaningful partnerships and initiatives. In her free time, she loves to dance, sing, spend time with friends, and explore new experiences.
Ruixin Zhang
Ruixin is a first-year student from China and has lived in many other parts of the world with her family. She is passionate about bridging theory and practice, which is why she is incredibly excited to connect with the Rodger’s Park community as a DeBerry Civic Scholar. Ruixin is currently majoring in Political Science, and hopes to add a Journalism major and Human-Computer Interaction certificate. In her free time, she enjoys playing frisbee, listening to podcasts, and eating with friends. After college, Ruixin hopes to pursue career paths in social entrepreneurship and reporting.
Ty Giordano
Ty is a senior from Wheaton, Illinois, studying Economics and Mathematics. He is passionate about taking a quantitative approach to researching, advocating for, and implementing economic policies that promote mobility and equity in the United States. He is currently a research assistant at Kellogg. After graduation, he hopes to work in government or the nonprofit sector. In his free time, Ty enjoys going to the gym, going on walks, and listening to music.
Lily Katz
Lily is a first-year from Needham, Massachusetts. She is an Elementary Teaching major who hopes to also major in History. Lily is passionate about educational equality both in policy and in practice. She is interested in how social inequalities are created by and impact the education system and how educators can empower all students to grow. She has a particular interest in special education and hopes to work in that field one day. At Northwestern, she’s a part of the Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement’s certificate program and a member of Willard Residential College’s junior executive board, and hopes to be involved with the theater scene here over the next four years! Lily loves listening to podcasts, babysitting, and going on adventures with her friends.
Ava Hamilton
Ava is a junior from Belleville, Illinois studying Psychology. She has interned with Counseling and Assessment for Behavioral Health and Community Lifeline, where she gained experience in clinical and social service settings. In her free time, Ava enjoys reading, hiking with her family, and spending time with friends and family. She hopes to pursue a career in clinical psychology and continue advocating for accessible mental health resources across all communities because she is passionate about promoting mental health and well-being through both counseling and community engagement.
William Xu
William is a sophomore from Chicago, Illinois. He is currently studying Biology and Global Health. He has a passion for advancing healthcare accessibility and equity for communities around Chicago and Evanston, and hopes to enter the medical field in the future. In his free time, he enjoys going on long runs, bike rides, and pretty much anything else outdoors. William loves to experience everything the world has to offer, and strives to give back in meaningful ways.
Haley Kleinman
Haley is a second-year from Orange County, California. She is double majoring in Political Science and Creative Writing, and plans to go to law school after graduation to pursue a career as a defense attorney. Apart from being a DeBerry Civic Scholar and a Kaplan Humanities Scholar Program alumna, Haley serves as the Creative Writing Section Editor for North by Northwestern, Business Relations and Internal Events Coordinator for Spoon University, and a Modeling Committee member of UNITY Charity Fashion Show. With interests in law, art, public service, humanitarian aid work, and social investment, Haley is passionate about community engagement and advancing high quality accessible education opportunities across age groups. In her free time, she likes to read and write fiction, watch comedies, and try new restaurants!
Dani Chan
Dani is a first-year from Hong Kong and Vancouver. She is majoring in Human Development in Context and Data Science to explore the intersection of individuals and their social settings through a holistic lens. She is passionate about making education accessible through active outreach and innovative learning modalities. Through the DeBerry Scholars Program, she hopes to create positive change for and deep relationships with surrounding communities. In her free time, she loves crocheting, learning languages, weightlifting, writing poetry, drumming, and cooking!
Brad Sontay-Tzun
Brad is a third-year student from Delaware. He is majoring in Anthropology and Creative Writing. He enjoys going to concerts in his free time and raving about the next cold brew drink he drinks. Brad is passionate about immigration reform and community restorative justice. He is also passionate about storytelling and what it can do to transform the lives of not only the people writing but the people who read it.
Genesis Hernandez Cabrera
Genesis is a first-year FGLI student born and raised in Bluffton, South Carolina. She is majoring in Political Science, and has plans to attend law school and earn her JD after graduating. Genesis is the first U.S. citizen in her family, alongside being the first person to graduate high school and attend college in her family. This has pushed Genesis to want to work as an immigration lawyer and wants to continue to be an advocate for the immigrant community. In addition to being a DeBerry Civic Scholar this year, she is a part of the SESP Leadership Institute. During her free time, she enjoys journaling and reading.
Kevin Mei
Kevin is a second-year student who was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. He is studying Computer Science and Journalism, with the goal of advancing technology in the healthcare field. In his free time, he enjoys going on walks, meeting new people, and helping others. He hopes to bridge the gap in access to education and resources.
Olivia Wright
Olivia is a third-year transfer student from San Luis Obispo, California, studying Biomedical Engineering. She spent her first year at Saint Mary’s College of California, where she competed at the Division I level in volleyball. Through her team’s advocacy platform, liGHT (Gaels Against Human Trafficking), Olivia developed a passion for public service and social impact, values she now brings to her work in engineering and community engagement. At Northwestern, she hopes to combine her interest in health technology with her drive to create meaningful, human-centered solutions. Outside of academics, she enjoys surfing, working out, spending time outdoors, reading, and hanging out with her dog, Major.
Brian Sang
Brian is a second-year student from Los Angeles, California. He is an engineering student at Northwestern University and hopes to pursue consulting or engineering after college. He is passionate about service work and financial equity in education. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding, biking, and listening to music.
Angela Xu
Angela is a third-year student who was born and raised in Chicago. She is studying Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience, with a minor in Political science. She is passionate about addressing inequities in education, housing, and medicine through mentorship and policy reform. She is also interested in neuroscience topics with sociological implications, such as neurodevelopmental disorders, and hopes to work as a pediatrician. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, biking, and spending time with her family.