Archived Program | Undergraduate Cohort VI

Wala Alaruqih is a fourth-year student pursuing a degree in Psychology with a Pre-Health certificate. Broadly, her research interests center around using data science to understand how trauma, physiology, mental health, and the environment impact child and family health, particularly families in underserved communities. Based on her research findings, she hopes to create an accessible learning resource to engage the local community. Outside Mellon ESI, Wala volunteers as a research assistant for Whole Communities–Whole Health, a UT Grand Challenge. She also works as a Lead Mentor for the Foundations Scholars Program, which is dedicated to mentoring first-year College of Liberal Arts students.  

Sofia Albini is currently in her third year, diligently working towards a degree in Sociology while concurrently pursuing minors in Justice, Law, and Society, as well as Communications of Social Change. Her academic journey reflects a profound commitment to community-based advocacy and grassroots organizing efforts. Beyond her role as a Mellon ESI Fellow, Sofia actively contributes to Austin Sunshine Camps in diverse capacities, serves as the founder of Longhorn Moovers—a non-profit moving service, participates in Texas Sweethearts, mentors within the Liberal Arts Honors program, and assumes the responsibilities of a Resident Assistant at the Dobie Twenty21 apartments. Throughout her undergraduate tenure, Sofia has garnered invaluable experience working at various law firms and contributed significantly to the Zo for Austin city council campaign. These diverse roles have deepened her appreciation for public policy, fueling her aspirations to pursue a law degree in the future. Under the auspices of the ESI program, Sofia envisions creating an enduring online archive showcasing East Austin businesses, people, and activities. Her goal is to provide the community with a resource that fosters participation and enjoyment for years to come.

Rachel Chen is a senior studying Psychology and Sociology with a minor in French. Her research interests are related to racial inequalities in the education system, and her senior thesis is about understanding the diversity gap between teachers and students in Texas and how that impacts students of color. Through the program, Rachel hopes to map out this gap and interview students of color to hear about their experiences when matched with a teacher that was not of their same race. Outside of the Mellon Engaged Scholar Initiative, Rachel is involved with Texas Orange Jackets, and she has learned about educational inequalities abroad through an internship with Afev in Paris. Her postgraduate plans include getting a PhD in sociology and conducting research to influence education reform.

Melody Geiger is a first-generation Mexican-American LGBTQ+ senior pursuing a double major in Arts and Entertainment Technologies and Spanish with a Minor in Entrepreneurship and a Certificate from the Texas Immersive Institute. She is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Merge Conflict Studio, an indie game development company whose mission is to create games that center on marginalized perspectives and environmentalism. Melody has dedicated her life to using creative and interactive technologies to make the world a better place, which is demonstrated through her various creative projects ranging from video game development to filmmaking to writing poetry. As such, her research is focused on the intersection of gaming, marginalized communities, and environmentalism with the intention of using the findings to inform business and game design decisions. Furthermore, she is actively seeking partnerships with other organizations to promote Merge Conflict’s vision of creating games that make the world a better place that are built by marginalized people for marginalized people. Apart from being an ESI Scholar, she is a recipient of the Hispanic Scholar Fund, Gen G. Foundation Scholarship, Johnson-Bates Respect and Inclusion Scholarship, and was awarded a Unity Runner-Up Award for “Best Student Game” and an Immersive Yugo BAFTA Shortlist Award. Melody at her core believes in being a perpetual learner and navigating the world through an empathetic people-first lens. She aspires to be a fierce advocate for the climate and diversity in the games industry.

Narah Green, known as Nari by most, is a Senior Anthropology major with a minor in History. Her research interests investigate the displacement, gentrification, and cultural persistence of East Austin's historically Black neighborhoods, with an emphasis on restoring community bonds. As an ESI Fellow, Nari will produce a podcast and an oral history project that will reconnect the University of Texas at Austin with the historically Black neighborhoods of East Austin. Nari hopes these projects will highlight the robust and deep-reaching stories, ways of life, and cultural practices of the Black community to help preserve and celebrate the Black experience. Outside of ESI, Nari works as a Resident Assistant on campus. She also serves as the Development Director for the Resident Assistant Association, a student-led organization established to pursue and change policies that will benefit Resident Assistants, their residents, and the community of the University. Nari hopes to continue her research by pursuing an M.A. in Cultural Studies in Education, allowing her to continue guiding, serving, and educating others in her community and launch her future career as a leader and educator. 

Kayla Nustad is a fourth year undergraduate student double majoring in History and Government and completing a minor in French Studies. Her research interests surround social movements in the twentieth century United States, particularly those involving racial justice. Her goals are to closely analyze the negative impacts of segregation on communities, and how the tumultuous process of desegregation neglected to fully bring to fruition ideal levels of equality. For this semester’s ESI project, she plans to examine the laws and court cases involving segregation and eventual desegregation in the city of Austin, and explore the ways in which this strict divide has impacted the city and continues to affect communities today. Outside of ESI, Kayla has worked on campus as a Supplemental Instruction Leader with the Sanger Learning Center and a Texas Student Recruiter with the division of Access and Inclusion in the Office of Admissions. After graduation, she plans to pursue a JD PhD program to continue her research and learn how to apply her historical knowledge to the legal world. 

Jasmine Wright is a fourth year, double major studying Plan II Honors and Latin American Studies, with a minor in Spanish language. Her research interests include solutions journalism and global reporting primarily in Texas, Latin America and the Caribbean. Over the course of her undergraduate experience, she has focused on how society develops according to local literacy levels and student-teacher engagement models that are supported by higher education institutions. Outside of the classroom, she has also participated in community centered research projects at both the IC2 Institute and the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Texas at Austin. She plans to center her thesis on environmental education in Puerto Rico and her ESI capstone on the progress of socio-economic development in Uvalde, Texas.